How to Parent in a Digital World: Resources

Looking for more resources on family technology? Here are key resources and links on digital parenting.
Family Technology Policies
Policy-making worksheet

Family Screen Policy

Family Minecraft Policy (Google Docs version here)

Family Social Media Policy

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)

Family Support Form (demo)

Parental Controls

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

Circle with Disney: Is it worth it?

Web filtering with OpenDNS

Recommended Resources
Common Sense Media

Sexplainer on Technology

Ross Greene’s Lives in the Balance and the Plan B cheatsheet

Geering Up tech camps

More reading and resources on family technology
Vancouver’s 12 best wifi cafés and restaurants

Vancouver’s 12 best wifi cafés and restaurants

by | Jul 27, 2009 | | 0 Comments

In my search for the perfect Internet café I’ve tried more than my share of Vancouver’s wifi-enabled cafés and restaurants. Just like Vancouver’s neighbourhoods, its wifi cafés and restaurants range from the scruffily hip to the chicly modern.

In this post I round up (and map!) the best of the good-to-great. Every place on this list has reliable Internet service, at least a few accessible power outlets, and decent coffee; on

The 10 ingredients that make a great wifi café

The 10 ingredients that make a great wifi café

by | Jul 27, 2009 | | 2 Comments

Some people prowl the earth in search of the world’s greatest Don Giovanni; others look for the finest shoemaker, the best bookstore, the ideal glass of Pinot Noir. I put my energy where it counts: the search for the perfect wifi café. While I’ve yet to find my Holy 802.11b-enabled Grail, i have pinpointed what makes for the perfect, laptop-friendly coffee spot.

Best tech gadgets of 2009 (so far)

Best tech gadgets of 2009 (so far)

by | Jul 23, 2009 | , | 0 Comments

Our contribution to the economic recovery took the form of feverish technology purchasing throughout April, May and early June. Now that the dust and Visa bills have settled, it’s time to stop and rate the roses.

The ratings I’ve assinged to our past 6 months of tech investments aren’t based on assessments of comparative products — though every product on the list was purchased after reading other people’s reviews and comparative

10 action recommendations based on Industry Canada’s Digital Economy conference

10 action recommendations based on Industry Canada’s Digital Economy conference

by | Jun 22, 2009 | | 0 Comments

Today’s Digital Economy conference has surfaced the hunger for a serious effort at moving Canada back into a leadership position in the global digital economy. As the day has unfolded, many people have noted that we need to meet that hunger with a concrete action plan. Here’s my first crack at a set of recommendations, guided by our experience in the emergent field of social media, for both action and further dialogue.

Social media questions for Industry Canada’s conference on Canada’s Digital Economy

Social media questions for Industry Canada’s conference on Canada’s Digital Economy

by | Jun 22, 2009 | | 0 Comments

I’m at a Canadian Government’s conference in Ottawa today on “Canada’s Digital Economy: Moving Forward“. Since the conference seems to consist largely of folks from the “traditional” tech world, I’m curious to see how the panelists and audience engage with the question of how social media changes the challenges and opportunities for Canadian IT.