Digital Smarts Blog

A star Wisconsin high school basketball player has been suspended for 5 games because of her tweet protesting a state athletic association policy. The incident has drawn international attention. April Gehl, who wrote a tweet protesting the efforts of schools to police “unsupportive” chanting at games, has sparked a debate about what student athletes can say on social media. It has also renewed conversation about this generation as being “perpetually offended.” Either way, this might be a good time to have a conversation with your children about the kind of scrutiny their online presence can receive.

A star Wisconsin high school basketball player has been suspended for 5 games because of her tweet protesting a state athletic association policy. The incident has drawn international attention. April Gehl, who wrote a tweet protesting the efforts of schools to police “unsupportive” chanting at games, has sparked a debate about what student athletes can say on social media. It has also renewed conversation about this generation as being “perpetually offended.” Either way, this might be a good time to have a conversation with your children about the kind of scrutiny their online presence can receive.

A new study in the journal Addiction Biology looks at brain scans of boys who sought treatment for obsessive video-game playing, also known as internet gaming disorder.  This study evaluated the MRI scans of 186 South Korean boys with and without internet gaming disorder, ages 10 to 19. It was found that those affected may have greater connectivity between several pairs of brain networks, some of which may lead to poor impulse control and lack of focus. This difference in brain connectivity could have potential benefits as well – such as an enhanced coordination between processing sights and sound, resulting in quicker reaction times. Although there is a clear difference in brain activity, it is impossible to tell if the difference is the result of gaming.

A new study in the journal Addiction Biology looks at brain scans of boys who sought treatment for obsessive video-game playing, also known as internet gaming disorder.  This study evaluated the MRI scans of 186 South Korean boys with and without internet gaming disorder, ages 10 to 19. It was found that those affected may have greater connectivity between several pairs of brain networks, some of which may lead to poor impulse control and lack of focus. This difference in brain connectivity could have potential benefits as well – such as an enhanced coordination between processing sights and sound, resulting in quicker reaction times. Although there is a clear difference in brain activity, it is impossible to tell if the difference is the result of gaming.

Parents and students looking for learning resources, tutoring help or information about schools and colleges can use a free search engine called Noodle. Users can find articles on various topics including technology use, profiles on schools (preschool, K12 and college), and access an online community of experts.

Parents and students looking for learning resources, tutoring help or information about schools and colleges can use a free search engine called Noodle. Users can find articles on various topics including technology use, profiles on schools (preschool, K12 and college), and access an online community of experts.

A new study led by a Michigan State University (MSU) cybercrime expert Thomas Holt shows that children are not only being targeted by strangers online, but by people close to them as well. Based on the survey results, about one in four children claims to have been pressured by their friends to talk about sex online when they did not want to. The results came from a study conducted on 439 middle school and high school students between the ages of 12 and 16 years. The survey also found that filtering software or keeping the computer in an open space such as the family living room did not seem to reduce the problem. Holt instead recommends keeping up an ongoing conversation between parents and kids about what they are doing online.

A new study led by a Michigan State University (MSU) cybercrime expert Thomas Holt shows that children are not only being targeted by strangers online, but by people close to them as well. Based on the survey results, about one in four children claims to have been pressured by their friends to talk about sex online when they did not want to. The results came from a study conducted on 439 middle school and high school students between the ages of 12 and 16 years. The survey also found that filtering software or keeping the computer in an open space such as the family living room did not seem to reduce the problem. Holt instead recommends keeping up an ongoing conversation between parents and kids about what they are doing online.

When you hand a child a smartphone, no matter how sensible and responsible the child, it is easy for digital savvy to outstrip judgment says Caroline Knorr, the parenting editor of Common Sense Media. This is why setting parental controls is always a good idea. What smart phone platform has the most built-in parental controls to give kids (and parents) a fighting chance at doing the right thing? Apple, according to Brain Chen at The New York Times, and he describes the areas he evaluated in a recent article entitled For Parental Controls, iPhones Beat Androids.  What accounts for the differences? Android has an open source nature, meaning manufacturers can install Android on their phones and customize the system to their liking. Parental control settings are an example of something that can be added on later, but often seems to be an afterthought for software producers. Apple, on the other hand, controls the base package of what goes on its phones and has prided itself on trying to add control customization for end users.

When you hand a child a smartphone, no matter how sensible and responsible the child, it is easy for digital savvy to outstrip judgment says Caroline Knorr, the parenting editor of Common Sense Media. This is why setting parental controls is always a good idea. What smart phone platform has the most built-in parental controls to give kids (and parents) a fighting chance at doing the right thing? Apple, according to Brain Chen at The New York Times, and he describes the areas he evaluated in a recent article entitled For Parental Controls, iPhones Beat Androids.  What accounts for the differences? Android has an open source nature, meaning manufacturers can install Android on their phones and customize the system to their liking. Parental control settings are an example of something that can be added on later, but often seems to be an afterthought for software producers. Apple, on the other hand, controls the base package of what goes on its phones and has prided itself on trying to add control customization for end users.

Do you sometimes feel you don’t want to try new things online because you know it will mean another password for you to remember? This topic comes up often, but with the spirit of getting organized at the start of a new year, it is worth taking a look once again at Password Managers. Using a password manager allows you to create a master password for the program and then add the usernames and passwords for your various accounts. Some password management programs can automatically help you find and add all your login information to their encrypted databases. It works the same way when you visit a new site that requires a password. The password manager helps generate a password and then remembers it each time you visit the site. Interested in more information? Check out this New York Times Personal Tech blog entry, One Password to Rule Them All.

Do you sometimes feel you don’t want to try new things online because you know it will mean another password for you to remember? This topic comes up often, but with the spirit of getting organized at the start of a new year, it is worth taking a look once again at Password Managers. Using a password manager allows you to create a master password for the program and then add the usernames and passwords for your various accounts. Some password management programs can automatically help you find and add all your login information to their encrypted databases. It works the same way when you visit a new site that requires a password. The password manager helps generate a password and then remembers it each time you visit the site. Interested in more information? Check out this New York Times Personal Tech blog entry, One Password to Rule Them All.

Turning Millennials into loyal consumers is the ultimate goal for developers competing in the cutthroat app industry. According to an Activate study, smartphone owners use about 27 apps per month, but spend 80% of their time on just five. “App juggling”, or switching focus from one popular app to another, is also common among teens whose social networking behavior is often shaped by their fear of being criticized and judged on social platforms. Wishbone, a social networking/poll app with three million mostly-teen users, uses push notifications to act as self-esteem boosters. It is at the forefront of a new “positivity” trend and is something for parents to check out. Of course app juggling can also be a nightmare for parents trying to keep up with the latest trends.

Turning Millennials into loyal consumers is the ultimate goal for developers competing in the cutthroat app industry. According to an Activate study, smartphone owners use about 27 apps per month, but spend 80% of their time on just five. “App juggling”, or switching focus from one popular app to another, is also common among teens whose social networking behavior is often shaped by their fear of being criticized and judged on social platforms. Wishbone, a social networking/poll app with three million mostly-teen users, uses push notifications to act as self-esteem boosters. It is at the forefront of a new “positivity” trend and is something for parents to check out. Of course app juggling can also be a nightmare for parents trying to keep up with the latest trends.

Twitter is considering extending the maximum length of tweets to 10,000 characters, sources say. The extended tweets would have a similar appearance to traditional tweets, but they would include a call to action that invites users to view content beyond the familiar 140 characters. It will interesting to see if this makes Twitter a better tool for education. Over the years educators have bemoaned the fact that kids sometimes falsely believe that 140 characters covers all that needs to said on any topic.

Twitter is considering extending the maximum length of tweets to 10,000 characters, sources say. The extended tweets would have a similar appearance to traditional tweets, but they would include a call to action that invites users to view content beyond the familiar 140 characters. It will interesting to see if this makes Twitter a better tool for education. Over the years educators have bemoaned the fact that kids sometimes falsely believe that 140 characters covers all that needs to said on any topic.

Wondering how much screen time is right for your kids? While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) won’t be releasing updated guidelines about screen time until October 2016, a Q&A on the National Public Radio site with David Hill, head of the AAP Council on Communications and Media, may help answer some of your questions about what has been suggested in the past and what the Academy will be advising this fall.

Wondering how much screen time is right for your kids? While the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) won’t be releasing updated guidelines about screen time until October 2016, a Q&A on the National Public Radio site with David Hill, head of the AAP Council on Communications and Media, may help answer some of your questions about what has been suggested in the past and what the Academy will be advising this fall.

According to data from Futuresource Consulting, more than 50 million students and teachers use Google programs in schools worldwide, and Chromebooks are among the most popular laptops in K-12 classrooms. This concerns privacy advocates who worry about data mining, since Google is tracking and storing enough data to build profiles on individual students and deliver targeted ads.

According to data from Futuresource Consulting, more than 50 million students and teachers use Google programs in schools worldwide, and Chromebooks are among the most popular laptops in K-12 classrooms. This concerns privacy advocates who worry about data mining, since Google is tracking and storing enough data to build profiles on individual students and deliver targeted ads.