Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, and its impact on children cannot be ignored. With the rise of cyberbullying, online predators, and harmful content, it is crucial to understand the laws that regulate children's social media use. In Utah, there are specific laws that make up the Social Media Regulation Act that address these issues

If you're like most parents, you're probably monitoring your child's social media usage to some extent. But did you know that your child's usernames (and account bios) may be putting them at risk? Here are 4 ways that your child's social media usernames and account bios may be putting them at risk

If you’re the parent of digital kids, you’ve probably had your share of “discussions” about their use of technology.

Most of the time it happens when you’re at your wits-end, as opposed to a time when you’re not pulling your hair out about something your kid did online.

The solution? Make sure you have a realistic Family Technology Plan.

Most of us communicate online daily, so it’s no surprise that our kids want to be a part of the digital world too.

One of the most frequently asked questions I hear from parents is: what’s the right age for my kid to start using technology and interact with others online?

There are few things children can do without their parents being worried about them. We are parents after all and worrying is in our DNA! As parents, you want to give your children the freedom to try new things, to find out who they are and what they like and dislike, but that also comes with some tumbles and falls along the way. While we can’t protect our children from every bump, bruise and bully, we can educate ourselves

Cyberbullying is bullying (seeking to harm, intimidate, or coerce someone) digitally. It takes place on digital devices (computers, tablets, phones) through texts, emails, apps, social media, forums, or games. Kids who are being cyberbullied are often bullied in person as well. Additionally, kids who are cyberbullied have a harder time getting away from the behavior.

Your kids have figured out an ingenious work-around both to circumvent the issue with the note not getting to the right person, as well as the issue of not getting caught passing notes.

When I discovered that what Snapchat actually created isn’t a parental control or monitoring tool but really fluff, rather than substantive change in terms of helping parents keep their kids safe online, it irked me.

The only thing this “family center” allows parents to do is see who their kid is friends with on the app and a list of who they’ve messaged in the last 7 days. In addition, the child has to voluntarily opt-in for parents to use the tool. Snapchat says they’ve designed it this way to encourage conversations between parents and kids about social media and using the app.

Many teens and young adults view social media as a place to let loose and express themselves. But teenage brains don’t often consider that these actions might have unintended consequences. That said, here are my 8 rules for teens when it comes to free expression online

Secure passwords are vital and if you’re going to “share” those passwords with your devices so you don’t have to re-enter them every time you need to access an account on a trusted device, use a biometric option to do so, like facial identification or fingerprint ID.

Remember that all our passwords are critical pieces of our digital identities and it’s important that we #layerup, which, when it comes to protecting ourselves online means NOT relying on one method to do the trick.

Don't Let Your Online Presence Ruin Your Future

Before social media and the internet became commonplace, it was generally thought that celebrities, musicians and prominent figures were the only ones who needed to protect their image and public perception. However, with billions of people from around the world creating accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, privacy is no longer what it once seemed.

When you post publicly you are not only sharing your life's intimate details with friends, family members and peers, but also the entire world--millions of potential viewers. With the growing trend of students and athletes losing out on college scholarship opportunities along with individuals finding themselves without employment due to social media woes, understanding how to protect your own online presence and digital reputation is a must.

Clean Up Your Online Presence

For many people, when seasons change, our thoughts turn to cleaning up our homes – getting rid of the old stuff and organizing the things we actually need and want. We “lighten our load” and it feels good. “Spring” cleaning allows us to think about taking inventory of our lives and getting rid of anything that isn’t helping us live the life we want live or be the person we want to be. Let's extend our idea of “spring” cleaning to our digital footprint as well.

Did You Hear The One About Teens Spending 9 Hours A Day With Media? Not So Fast…

There was an article that criss-crossed all the major news outlets not too long ago, touting the “new landmark study” illuminating how much time tweens and teens spend with media. To be honest, the reporting and headlines really upset me – but not because I think there is something wrong with how tweens and teens today use media. Rather, the way the study is being presented focuses on shock value as opposed to what the data really tells us. Here are some of my favorite headlines from the news about the same study:

When our kids first enter elementary school, we start to worry a bit less about them hurting themselves every moment and more about others hurting them – whether it’s stranger danger or peer issues. We worry that they have friends that invite them to play, that they have people to sit with at lunch, that no one is bullying them, that they don’t talk to or go with a stranger that might approach them at the park.

In the past few years, those fears have extended beyond just their physical world into the online world as well. The internet has become part of most every child’s life and it’s the rare child that has no experience with it by the time they are 8 years old.