Apple Watch – A Good Smartphone Alternative? Apple’s Family Sharing allows you to set up an Apple Watch for your kid that is entirely managed by your iPhone. This offers a great middle ground for kids who are too young for a smartphone, but old enough for some form of digital communication. How does it all work and is it safe? Let’s break it down. Requirements for Using Screen Time Parental Controls on an Apple Watch:  A watch Series 4 or newer with a cellular plan. A watch that is new or factory reset (How to factory reset an Apple Watch). An iPhone 6s or later with iOS 14 or later. An ..read more

Pinterest finally launched a suite of parental controls on Tuesday. After a March 2023 NBC News investigative report that exposed how pedophiles had been using the service to curate image boards of young girls, and a letter from two U.S. Senators, Pinterest launched a suite of features aimed at protecting young users on the platform. Here’s a summary of what they did, also using images from our Instagram post. Teen accounts in Pinterest under age 16 are private and undiscoverable: Teen accounts under age 16 can also grant permission to interact. This is a walk back on previous lockdown meas ..read more

In this article, we will explore everything parents need to know about ChatGPT, and related artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like Jasper.io, including capabilities, potential uses, and any concerns parents may have about its impact on their children’s learning and development. ChatGPT is scary good at writing just like us and with blazing speed. This has parents, teachers, and professors really concerned. But is it justified? What is ChatGPT? ChatGPT is a language model developed by OpenAI (connected to Microsoft) that has been trained on a large dataset of text data. It uses this tra ..read more

Sports Betting Apps & Teen Brains We’ve noticed a concerning trend, as online gambling, especially sports betting, is more accessible through apps. Companies like FanDuel and DraftKings market towards younger audiences through apps kids use and offer easy access. Engaging in these apps can create neurological rewards in the brain that may be difficult for teens to resist. We already know from the neuroscience community that adolescent brains have a sensitive dopamine reward system. Our concern is that this has the potential to hook teen users early. Sports Betting Background How did we get ..read more

NFT’s sound complicated, right? They are! But we want to give amazing parents like you some basics. First, NFT stands for “non-fungible token,” which means that it cannot be replaced or duplicated, it’s one of a kind. How do NFTs Work? NFTs are most often associated with digital works of art. You can think of them as a digital deed attached to a piece of digital art that cannot be falsified. This digital deed is incorruptible, unfalsifiable, and indestructible. Therefore, NFTs have value, which is derived from the digital file (in this case, art) it references. NFTs rely on blockchain to retai ..read more

Sometimes it’s really intimidating to talk about pornography with your kids.⁠ This “10 before 10” idea was inspired by Ginny with: @1000hoursoutside, who has so brilliantly quantified something that seems overwhelming. ⁠ You can do this! What about striving for 10 solid conversations about pornography before each of your kids hits age 10? Sure, more might be better, but just to give everyone a start. And, start early! Age 5 if you can (here’s some help!). This ensures that your ideas about pornography are embedded in them long before that first exposure.⁠ ⁠ Instagram Reel: Right Age to T ..read more

Snapchat Finally Releases Parental Controls Called Family Center We’ve waited a long time for this! Since our start in 2015, Protect Young Eyes has not always been kind to Snapchat. From 5 Days of Discover (2016), to Cosmo After Dark (2018), to our Senate Judiciary Committee testimony (2019), we’ve made it clear that more needed to be done to keep millions of young users safer inside of their app. But now we’re pleased to announce that, under new leadership in Snap’s Platform Safety Team, Snapchat has made long-awaited changes with the release of Family Center. This new, limited set of control ..read more

This post was written in collaboration with Blythe Winslow, Founder of Everyschool, and Amy Tyson, Co-Founder and LISW. Both bring a research- and child-development-centric view to educational technology practices. Their experience is valuable and authoritative. Please share this information with your school leaders. School-Issued Devices are Everywhere! Many school districts have poured millions of dollars into devices – iPads, MacBooks, and Chromebooks. And because of COVID lockdowns, many students were forced to use school-issued technology for virtual school.  But few schools have a d ..read more

On March 25, I received an email from a college freshman, who gave me permission to publish her message using a different name. Her parents gave her a smartphone in middle school but didn’t give her social media until well into high school, and it had a profound impact on her life. Some naysayers in the internet safety space believe that a “delay” strategy is wrong. They believe that delay means we bubble wrap our kids and PREVENT them from using ANY technology. That is incorrect. PYE is a pro-kid, pro-tech, but PROTECT organization. Delay doesn’t mean NO TECH, but rather, SLOW TECH. Just like ..read more

After multiple years of being locked up tight, many families are excited for an active, travel-filled, relative-visiting summer. We love all of these things! But each of these activities creates unique digital risks that should be monitored by awesome parents. NEW PLACES Create Greater Summer Internet Risks In Michigan, between Memorial and Labor Day, many families enjoy time at the lake or some other warm-weather retreat. And, although sleepovers can happen throughout the year, they tend to occur more frequently during summer vacation with friends and relatives (like grandparents). This year ..read more