How to Parent in a Digital World: Resources
Family Minecraft Policy (Google Docs version here)
Family Support Form Responses (copy this to your Google Drive so you can adapt it to your family’s needs. For help, see How to copy a Google Form)
iOS 12: Getting to Know Screen Time & Stronger Parental Controls (for iPhone/iPad)
The Complete Guide to Setting up Parental Controls in Windows
How to use Parental Controls in Windows 8
How to Use Parental Controls in OS X to Protect Your Kids
4 Ways to Set up Parental Controls on Your Home Network
Parental Control Tools That Cover Every Device In Your Home
Group identity and the psychology of social media
What motivates people to contribute content to user-driven web sites? A blog post on the Psychology Behind Social Media does a nice job summing up the major factors? I was particularly interested that it noted the desire for group identity: One of the main reasons...
The 10 lies of working late
It's not late if you're not tired. It's not work if you're in bed. It's not late if your friends are still online. It's not work if it's blogging. It's not late if you like working at this hour. It's not work if the TV is on. It's not late if you can sleep in...
Protecting social spaces from cell phones and social media marketing
If you have ever glared at someone who is having a loud cell phone conversation on the bus, or felt slighted by a friend who answers a phone call during a dinner date, you have to read Christine Rosen's insanely awesome take-down of public cell phone use. Written in...
Good news for Internet users who need a boost
Happy News is a site that accentuates the positive: it promises to deliver only good news stories. You wouldn't want to make it your only source of information, but when the endless stories of crime and conflict get you down, here's a nice way to balance it out. It's...
Social networks say good-bye to difficult but crucial interactions
Todd Essig has a thoughtful post about how social networks have affected the process of saying good-bye in our culture. Now that the hospital where he works is closing, he anticipated more than the usual end-of-school-year good-byes. Instead, he's seen less: as one of...
Rough Type: Nicholas Carr’s Blog: Not addiction; dependency
Nicholas Carr has genius take on the conversation about "Internet addiction": By dismissing talk of "Internet addiction" as rhetorical overkill, which it is, we also avoid undertaking an honest examination of how deeply our media devices have been woven into our lives...
5 paths to self-discovery online
One of the key ways to make your online life more meaningful is to use it as an outlet for self-discovery and self-expression. Here are 5 ways you can use the Internet to get to know yourself a little better.
Choosing a widget control plugin for WordPress
For the past few months I have used the Widget Context plugin on my WordPress blog in order to control where widgets show up on my site. Everything you see in the two right-hand columns of my site is widget-based, as are the 3 columns that display teasers for featured...
The meaning of engagement
A great description of meaningful engagement from Chris Jones: True engagement requires more time and energy and active listening skills, but the resulting flow of information brings rich rewards. Insights begin to accumulate and multiply. Ideas get validated and...
Is social media just for married people?
Think Social is a blog from the Paley Center for Media that focuses on the public benefits of social media. It's an incredible blog and one that you must follow if you are looking for thoughtful reflection on both the social and political potential of social media....