Currently Browsing: Common Sense Media 9 articles
Should You Read Your Child’s Texts?
You’re sitting there minding your own business when a nearby phone buzzes. U up?, it says, beckoning you closer. Only, it’s not your phone—it’s your kid’s. Do you pick it up? Do you “accidentally” swipe the screen for a closer look? If you’ve made up your mind—yes, you read your kid’s texts, or no, you […]
Should You Read Your Child’s Texts?
You’re sitting there minding your own business when a nearby phone buzzes. U up?, it says, beckoning you closer. Only, it’s not your phone—it’s your kid’s. Do you pick it up? Do you “accidentally” swipe the screen for a closer look? If you’ve made up your mind—yes, you read your kid’s texts, or no, you […]
How Video Games Can Help Kids with Special Needs
For kids with special needs, video games can offer opportunities to practice everything from communication skills to organization — even social interaction — in a comfortable environment where players set the pace. While games designed specifically for kids with special needs can address certain issues, many mainstream titles can support your kid’s learning. Mainstream games […]
How Video Games Can Help Kids with Special Needs
For kids with special needs, video games can offer opportunities to practice everything from communication skills to organization — even social interaction — in a comfortable environment where players set the pace. While games designed specifically for kids with special needs can address certain issues, many mainstream titles can support your kid’s learning. Mainstream games […]
Apps for Kids on the Autism Spectrum
Technology has the power to unlock learning for kids of all ages and stages. And sometimes exploring and learning on a device first is less intimidating than trying out new skills with real people. Check out these apps that help kids with communication, organization, and even social-awareness skills — and watch the video to learn […]
How Girls Are Seeking Approval Online
It’s not a law that you have to post a selfie before, during, and after every activity. But for kids, it’s pretty much mandatory. The resulting likes, thumbs-ups, and other ratings all get tallied, both in the stark arithmetic of the Internet and in kids’ own minds. For some — especially girls — what starts […]
What’s the Best Game Console for Kids?
If your kids are at the age where you’re considering buying a game console, now might be the right time. Whether you want the immersive virtual reality of the Sony PlayStation or the portability of the Nintendo Switch, today’s consoles offer more realism, interactivity, and flexibility than ever before. The question still remains: Which console […]
Practical Tips for Easing Kids’ Social Media Anxiety
Teens text, tweet, snap, and post like crazy. In fact, about half of teens use social media every day, and for some, this means checking Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat dozens (or hundreds!) of times a day. While many teens find connecting with friends online a positive experience, social media can affect kids’ mental health — […]
Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Instagram
When you see a teen taking a selfie, chances are that picture will end up on social media. Often, that means Instagram, one of the most popular social image-sharing platforms in the world. What’s all the fuss about? Teens love Instagram for a lot of reasons, but most importantly, that’s where their friends are. They […]