Digital Smarts Blog

Recent research shows fewer teenagers are using illicit drugs and alcohol, and Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, suspects that this trend directly correlates to the rise of digital devices. Volkow's upcoming research study will consider the possible role interactive media such as smartphones and computers play in the trend. Dr. Volkow describes interactive media as “an alternative reinforcer” to drugs, adding that “teens can get literally high when playing these games.”

Recent research shows fewer teenagers are using illicit drugs and alcohol, and Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, suspects that this trend directly correlates to the rise of digital devices. Volkow's upcoming research study will consider the possible role interactive media such as smartphones and computers play in the trend. Dr. Volkow describes interactive media as “an alternative reinforcer” to drugs, adding that “teens can get literally high when playing these games.”

Poor computer habits can affect productivity, increase stress, and compromise important data, writes Jessica Carrell of AnySoftwareTools. In a recent blog post, Carrell offers four tech habits ­that everyone should practice, including specific “how-to” instructions for each. While the post was written for teachers, but is applicable to anyone with a home computer.

Poor computer habits can affect productivity, increase stress, and compromise important data, writes Jessica Carrell of AnySoftwareTools. In a recent blog post, Carrell offers four tech habits ­that everyone should practice, including specific “how-to” instructions for each. While the post was written for teachers, but is applicable to anyone with a home computer.

According to a new report released recently by Common Sense Media, about half of the almost 900 children surveyed (ages 10 to 18) said that following the news is important to them, and 70 percent said that consuming news makes them feel “smart and knowledgeable”. Social media and family members are among the top news sources used by young people. That all sounds good, but there is a hitch that should alarm parents: kids in the survey readily admitted that they are fooled by fake news. That makes them distrustful of the news media, which is the very thing that can teach them about their world. Less than half of the children interviewed (44 percent) said that they can discern fake news stories from real ones, and of the kids who shared a news story online in the past six months, 31 percent said they posted a story that turned out to be inaccurate or wrong.

According to a new report released recently by Common Sense Media, about half of the almost 900 children surveyed (ages 10 to 18) said that following the news is important to them, and 70 percent said that consuming news makes them feel “smart and knowledgeable”. Social media and family members are among the top news sources used by young people. That all sounds good, but there is a hitch that should alarm parents: kids in the survey readily admitted that they are fooled by fake news. That makes them distrustful of the news media, which is the very thing that can teach them about their world. Less than half of the children interviewed (44 percent) said that they can discern fake news stories from real ones, and of the kids who shared a news story online in the past six months, 31 percent said they posted a story that turned out to be inaccurate or wrong.

Got a new Nintendo Switch gaming system at your house? Great news. It comes with a free Parental Controls mobile app that lets you set limits on just about everything from what time the device can be turned on, to what games can be played, to how many minutes a day it can be used. Check out the video on the site for a great overview. You can also limit sharing of in-game texts and images, and restrict the ability to send screen shots to social media.

Got a new Nintendo Switch gaming system at your house? Great news. It comes with a free Parental Controls mobile app that lets you set limits on just about everything from what time the device can be turned on, to what games can be played, to how many minutes a day it can be used. Check out the video on the site for a great overview. You can also limit sharing of in-game texts and images, and restrict the ability to send screen shots to social media.

If you are debating whether or not to get your child a Smartphone, you may want to take a look at a list recently published by Time magazine. These 5 Smartphones Under $300 Are Perfect for Kids and Teens is a list of fully capable, durable smartphones that are on the low end of the price range. Each of them are unlocked, contract free and do not require any kind of commitment of service to purchase, making them a great choice for kids.

If you are debating whether or not to get your child a Smartphone, you may want to take a look at a list recently published by Time magazine. These 5 Smartphones Under $300 Are Perfect for Kids and Teens is a list of fully capable, durable smartphones that are on the low end of the price range. Each of them are unlocked, contract free and do not require any kind of commitment of service to purchase, making them a great choice for kids.

After three teens took their own lives on Facebook Live, the company has declared they will be taking steps to combat suicide. In a post on the social network, Facebook announced it will be launching new suicide prevention tools for its Facebook Live feature to make it easier for friends of users to contact them or to get help. The changes were developed with the assistance of several mental health organizations, including Save.org, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Forefront and Crisis Text Line. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 29.

After three teens took their own lives on Facebook Live, the company has declared they will be taking steps to combat suicide. In a post on the social network, Facebook announced it will be launching new suicide prevention tools for its Facebook Live feature to make it easier for friends of users to contact them or to get help. The changes were developed with the assistance of several mental health organizations, including Save.org, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Forefront and Crisis Text Line. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 29.

You can sign up for text alerts for everything from bad weather to shipping updates, so why not a text alert for when your kid skips class? New studies show that text alerts to parents regarding students' academic performance and absences do work and increase parental engagement. Peter Bergman and Eric Chan of Teachers College at Columbia University recently found that among middle- and high-school students whose parents received such texts, course failures were down 39% and class attendance was up 17%.

You can sign up for text alerts for everything from bad weather to shipping updates, so why not a text alert for when your kid skips class? New studies show that text alerts to parents regarding students' academic performance and absences do work and increase parental engagement. Peter Bergman and Eric Chan of Teachers College at Columbia University recently found that among middle- and high-school students whose parents received such texts, course failures were down 39% and class attendance was up 17%.

WikiLeaks recently published a trove of documents that appears to detail how the Central Intelligence Agency successfully hacked a wide variety of tech products, including iPhones, Android devices, WiFi routers and Samsung televisions. That’s just about every major category of consumer electronics. So what does that mean for you if you own one — or several — of these gadgets?

For many people, it may mean nothing at all. The thousands of pages of documents refer to programs that attacked outdated versions of the software systems running on devices, and many security vulnerabilities have since been patched. On the other hand, many people may still use outdated software on their devices. And although the C.I.A. designed these tools to spy on terrorists in the interest of national security, the hacking tools may have ended up in the hands of a whole range of entities. So even if you aren’t worried about what WikiLeaks revealed about the C.I.A. right now for yourself, this article from USA Today entitled 9 cybersecurity tips for the mildly paranoid (plus 4 for the truly anxious) with tips for protecting your cellphones and other digital tools is a good thing to look at just to remind yourself to be more careful. Bottom line: Remember to update, update, update!

WikiLeaks recently published a trove of documents that appears to detail how the Central Intelligence Agency successfully hacked a wide variety of tech products, including iPhones, Android devices, WiFi routers and Samsung televisions. That’s just about every major category of consumer electronics. So what does that mean for you if you own one — or several — of these gadgets?

For many people, it may mean nothing at all. The thousands of pages of documents refer to programs that attacked outdated versions of the software systems running on devices, and many security vulnerabilities have since been patched. On the other hand, many people may still use outdated software on their devices. And although the C.I.A. designed these tools to spy on terrorists in the interest of national security, the hacking tools may have ended up in the hands of a whole range of entities. So even if you aren’t worried about what WikiLeaks revealed about the C.I.A. right now for yourself, this article from USA Today entitled 9 cybersecurity tips for the mildly paranoid (plus 4 for the truly anxious) with tips for protecting your cellphones and other digital tools is a good thing to look at just to remind yourself to be more careful. Bottom line: Remember to update, update, update!

If your child’s teacher has introduced the topic of being a good digital citizen, or if you just want to review some key safety concepts with your child, you may want to check out the Common Sense Education K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum. The program includes everything from lesson plans, videos, student interactives, and assessments, to professional learning and family outreach materials. Topics covered include: Relationships and Communication, Internet Safety, Cyberbullying and Digital Drama, and Creative Credit and Copyright as well as other pertinent issues.

If your child’s teacher has introduced the topic of being a good digital citizen, or if you just want to review some key safety concepts with your child, you may want to check out the Common Sense Education K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum. The program includes everything from lesson plans, videos, student interactives, and assessments, to professional learning and family outreach materials. Topics covered include: Relationships and Communication, Internet Safety, Cyberbullying and Digital Drama, and Creative Credit and Copyright as well as other pertinent issues.

Software, particularly mobile apps, that often start out as games or have other novelty uses are now being harnessed to help those living with disabilities complete day-to-day tasks. Apps like Aipoly, which uses artificial intelligence to identify common objects with remarkable accuracy, is opening whole new worlds for the visually impaired. All you do is point your phone camera at an object – perhaps the coffee cup on your desk – and the app will tell you what it is. Totally free of charge, Aipoly also tells color-blind users the specific shade of any given item.

Apps such as Be My Eyes take it a step further. Invented in 2015 by the partially-sighted Hans Wiberg, the Danish non-profit app allows blind or visually impaired users to send a live video of the text they cannot read to a volunteer, anywhere in the world, who will help them. It currently has over 32,000 blind users, and over 450,000 sighted volunteers. For those living with Alzheimer’s, the Book of You app will store details of their personal story, complete with precious moments, photographs of their grandchildren and key information about their history. And autistic children can learn to identify various facial emotions with Learn with Rufus, designed by US clinical psychologist Dr. Holly Gastgeb. All of these are crucial steps in the right direction, but experts say many disabled people still need assistance in getting connected and in acquiring digital skills.

Software, particularly mobile apps, that often start out as games or have other novelty uses are now being harnessed to help those living with disabilities complete day-to-day tasks. Apps like Aipoly, which uses artificial intelligence to identify common objects with remarkable accuracy, is opening whole new worlds for the visually impaired. All you do is point your phone camera at an object – perhaps the coffee cup on your desk – and the app will tell you what it is. Totally free of charge, Aipoly also tells color-blind users the specific shade of any given item.

Apps such as Be My Eyes take it a step further. Invented in 2015 by the partially-sighted Hans Wiberg, the Danish non-profit app allows blind or visually impaired users to send a live video of the text they cannot read to a volunteer, anywhere in the world, who will help them. It currently has over 32,000 blind users, and over 450,000 sighted volunteers. For those living with Alzheimer’s, the Book of You app will store details of their personal story, complete with precious moments, photographs of their grandchildren and key information about their history. And autistic children can learn to identify various facial emotions with Learn with Rufus, designed by US clinical psychologist Dr. Holly Gastgeb. All of these are crucial steps in the right direction, but experts say many disabled people still need assistance in getting connected and in acquiring digital skills.