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1st Graders with Smartphones
With the recent Christmas holiday, many students have been talking to me about the electronic devices they received as gifts. One of my recent conversations was with a first grader who got a phone but told me that he “can’t call on, but can do everything else.” He then pointed out that he was unable to text because he wasn’t good at spelling yet.
Healthy (Digital) Relationships
Our kids learn from our example. We must teach them about healthy relationships in-person by showing them what a healthy relationship looks like. The linked article is an inspirational read about teaching your daughter what healthy love looks like through role-modeling.
Illegal Image Trading on Popular Apps
I’ve been talking about encrypted messaging apps at my trainings for years. There is competition in this market and there are many apps that offer end-to-end encryption, meaning that only the person sending and the recipient can see the message.
Predator Uses Bible App to Target Teen Girls
Anywhere kids will be online, predators will try to connect with them. We must be proactive in knowing what apps we permit our children to use, understand how these apps work and understand that predators can use apps hidden in plain sight.
App review: “Lure”
A parent emailed me asking if I thought the Lure app was appropriate for his 12 year old child. I did my research. Lure is a “Chat Fiction” app that allows the reader to follow a story told as if you were watching someone’s text message log.