Resources – Page 6

Safe Rules for Social media

While the format has changed, parents have worried about their kids’ TV shows and video games for years. Social media, on the other hand, is a new worry to add to your plate. Social media usage is now ubiquitous amongst US teens; 71% use more than one social platform. Children nowadays also spend an enormous amount of time on social media. A survey by the non-profit group Common Sense Media showed that 8 to 12 year-olds were online six hours per day, much of it on social platforms, … [Read more...]

Gaming consoles and online games – Monitor Safe Play

According to the NPD group, 91% of American children aged two to 17 play video games. Gaming consoles have long been a focus of fear and concern for many parents. With so many games featuring violent or sexual content, it is important to be careful about the kinds of games your children play. In addition, console games that have a multiplayer component, or games that are entirely based online, are open to abuse from other players. Many games allow players from all over the … [Read more...]

Streaming content and smart TVs – Monitor TV Time

We like to think back to a time when the whole family gathered around the TV to watch something wholesome together. (In reality, many of us probably had a TV in our rooms, and spent many hours watching TV without much guidance from our parents.) That being said, streaming content has shot up in popularity, and there are more TV shows and movies available at our fingertips than ever before, much of it not particularly appropriate for kids. There are, however, some great benefits of … [Read more...]

Smart Phones-Boundaries for Children

For a lot of children, the online world is more real than the real world. It is crucial to our children’s wellbeing that we understand what they see online, what is out there, both good and bad, and how it impacts their physical and emotional wellbeing. The problem, as many of us would eagerly admit, is that we feel we don’t really understand the online world. Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter are bewildering enough, without even mentioning 4chan and TOR. Furthermore, we don’t feel … [Read more...]

The “Pigeon Drop” Scam

I recently noted an increase in the Pigeon Drop Scam in some communities on the north shore and N/W suburban communities. A Pigeon Drop is generally finding a large quantity of currency or something of value and convincing the potential victim they can share in the money. The scam can be committed on any victim but is normally committed on an older victim by two suspects, females and/or males. However; it can be committed by one person acting in concert with someone on the telephone. The … [Read more...]