Critical Thinking
Managing Online behaviours: Controlling the narrative in difficult times
Taking control of our interactions with others online for greater wellbeing
June 25, 2020
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Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking
Staying at home during covid-19: the digital parents guide
This “new normal” we are all finding ourselves faced with as a result of Covid-19 means we need to readdress some of our approaches, mindset,
March 24, 2020
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Critical Thinking
Why kids take risks online: and how you can help
Whenever our kids share things, engage with others or hang out in online spaces, they are opening themselves up to risk and the real chance
February 24, 2020
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Critical Thinking
Safer Internet Day 2020: what can you do?
“Shouldn’t parents be paying closer attention to what their kids are doing online?” “When I speak to the school Principal, they say they have no
February 10, 2020
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Critical Thinking
Teaching Stranger Danger in a digital world
What is the best way to teach about stranger danger in a digital world? When it comes to our kids hanging out in online spaces,
January 14, 2020
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Contracts / Tips
A letter from Santa for your new device
If your child is lucky enough to be one of the many children who will be receiving a new device, tablet or gaming console this
December 19, 2019
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Apps
Helping kids manage group chats
Group chats can be a great way for a number of people to participate in an online conversation together. It can make organising events and
November 21, 2019
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Apps
Tellonym app: what parents should know
Tellonym is another app doing the rounds, part of a growing list of anonymous question and answer feedback apps. Tellonym has been around since 2016
October 30, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Helping kids thrive online
What are some of the fundamental principles our kids need to really thrive online? Those beliefs and values and parenting practices that don’t even require
September 30, 2019
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Critical Thinking
How much screentime is too much? Ask these questions instead
When it comes to our children’s use of the screens the focus for many is to look at issues of overuse and concentrate on ways
August 20, 2019
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Critical Thinking
How to avoid getting scammed online
Nobody likes to get scammed. It can be embarrassing to say the least, expensive and at times devastating and life threatening at its worst. But
August 12, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Playing Video Games: unravelling some common myths
The Interactive and Gaming Network (IGEA) have once again released a report of their research findings on how, why and by whom, video games are
August 5, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Video Games are Not Heroin….. what the science really tells us
In a New York Times article from back in 2016, we read the headlines “We now know that those iPads, smartphones and Xbox’s are a
July 15, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Raising a Good Kid in a Digital World
So what does it really take to raise a good kid in the digital world? After working in this space for over 10 years (and
June 13, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Facing the perils of privacy in a digital world
When we think about privacy today, we can probably best sum it up as complicated and constantly changing. The way we interpret privacy. The way
May 13, 2019
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Apps
Apps, Advertising & Grabbing our Kids Attention
Whilst we might think a lot about the content of an app before we download it onto a device, we don’t always think about the
March 26, 2019
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Critical Thinking
The Modern Parents Guide to Live Streaming
Live streaming is fast becoming one of the most popular ways people connect, view content and share to their social media platforms. At the press
March 18, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Scrolling with intention: getting the best return on our online investment:
Are we worried about the time we spend online? Should we take heed of warnings by media reports and popular articles that put the sole
February 18, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Safer Internet Day 2019: A healthy scepticism for REASONING Online
The 3rd “R” for Safer Internet Day 2019 is Reasoning. It can certainly be said that there’s not always a lot that is reasonable online.
February 1, 2019
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Critical Thinking
Friend or Follower? Helping kids know the difference
We know young people are spending increasing amounts of time socialising online. This can be both with people they know in real life, as well
October 16, 2018
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Critical Thinking
Worried about video game addiction? This might help
It seems many have had the bejesus scared out of them over recent reports of video games and gaming addiction. Media articles and television segments
September 3, 2018
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Apps
The Modern Parents Guide to Tik Tok, the new Musical.ly
As of August 2018 the popular lip syncing app Muciscal.ly no longer exists in its original form. The parent company of Tik Tok, hugely popular
August 10, 2018
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Critical Thinking
The importance of the shrug: a necessary skill for digital resilience
Why is a shrug so important to digital resilience you ask? Recently I was in my “Grit Strength” gym class which is not a regular
June 5, 2018
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Critical Thinking
A More Respectful Internet for Safer Internet Day 2018
It’s Safer Internet Day on Tuesday the 6th Feb, and that means people around the world are getting vocal about the need for a more
February 5, 2018
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Critical Thinking
When kids make mistakes online should you tell their parents?
When kids make mistakes online should you tell their parents? Should you dob on other peoples kids or should you stay out of others business
December 11, 2017
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Critical Thinking
The critical skill of critically evaluating online content
Why is it so critical to critically evaluate content online? Well there is a lot of content online. Yes that is the understatement of the
September 12, 2017
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Apps
Instagram: update for parents to help you decide if your child is ready
When should I let my child have Instagram? One of the many questions I get asked as it seems to be the social network most
July 19, 2017
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Critical Thinking
The importance of digital resilience for kids today
Building resilience in a digital world must be a priority for our kids today. What does digital resilience actually mean? A while ago now resilience
February 24, 2017
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BYOD
What skills are devices really teaching kids in the classroom?
Can devices in the classroom really be worth the effort and the risk? What are the skills they are actually gaining from all that swiping?
October 12, 2016
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Critical Thinking
My most frequently asked questions on cyber safety and parenting in a digital world
Cyber safety and digital parenting often evokes feelings of fear, confusion and overwhelm. There is no doubt that the digital world our children are immersed
September 1, 2016
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Behaviour
My response to the ‘vile pornography ring’
This week there has been more reports of abhorrent behaviours by young people, sharing nude photos of others, commenting, naming them, degrading them and passing
August 18, 2016
6 Comments
Contracts / Tips
Internet contract for kids, tweens and teens
Having an internet contract is just one way of opening up the conversation about making good decisions online. I have done these again after many
July 13, 2016
3 Comments
Critical Thinking
Be Safe. Be Smart. Behave: being better online
Privacy settings and passwords. Predators, trolls and cyberbulling. Scams and viruses. What goes online stays online. These are just some of the things we have
June 9, 2016
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Critical Thinking
Are we addicted to technology? Or do we need to change the rhetoric?
Are we addicted to technology? ‘They are addicted to Minecraft’ ‘She can’t live without Instagram’ ‘They go ballistic if I turn off the wifi’ ‘They
May 25, 2016
3 Comments
Anxiety
7 signs social media is killing your kids self esteem (or yours)
Social media is killing our kids self esteem. And for many an adult too,it is wreaking havoc with their sense of self worth. With social
April 20, 2016
6 Comments
Contracts / Tips
Convincing parents to say ‘Yes’ to technology, social networks and screentime
Do your parents need convincing when it comes to technology? Are you a child who has been asking mum and dad for a new device,
February 16, 2016
9 Comments
Critical Thinking
Safer Internet Day 2016: Parents play your part #SID2016
Tuesday 9th February is Safer Internet Day. This year over one hundred countries will come together to promote a safer internet through raising awareness, improving
February 7, 2016
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Behaviour
Practise in the playground before playing online
I have written many times before about my concerns at simply following age recommendations when it comes time to handing our children a device, or
January 29, 2016
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Behaviour
What a photo gone viral tells us about digital parenting
Recently I saw a photo from a content filtering company NetSanity on Twitter, had a little chuckle to myself, thought it relevant to my audience
January 22, 2016
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Behaviour
Observing Human behaviour online: what it means for our kids
The arrival of the internet some 20 something years ago, presented us with untold changes to the way we live our lives. Much of those
January 14, 2016
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