#TechTuesday – Social Apps Your Teens Use

Teens will always find ways to use technology to socialize. Once upon a time, it was party lines, then chat rooms, and now apps.

In this week’s #TechTuesday episode on WTAM 1100 Newsradio, Bill Wills and I discuss a recent New York Times article on the range of new social media apps teens are using, including video messaging and anonymous sharing networks.

For parents who are not sure where to start with online safe behavior, I recommend bookmarking SafeKids.com and ConnectSafely.org.

In particular, consider printing out family contracts for online safety as a way to discuss the topic with kids and teens and ensure everyone understands rules and boundaries for their online behavior.

Every parent will have different approaches to their kids, but it’s important that you have these discussions early so that you can keep an ongoing communication about topics like cyberbullying and other unsafe behavior or threads online.

Investing in Young People’s Potential in Tech

It’s important that we bring the potential of technology to our young people for their (and our) future.

As Best Buy and Geek Squad bring more teen tech centers online, here is what they’ve learned: The Gift Of Insight: Five Lessons In Preparing Youth For A Tech-Reliant Future.