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If you’ve been following us for any amount of time, you probably know that we have very intentionally slowed/delayed every threshold of technology access for our two boys, including allowing smartphones and social media. Our oldest son was even featured in the MIT Technology Review based on his lack of technology access (this was newsworthy, it seems). It’s not an easy road when your parents study social media and tech addiction dangers, but our boys have handled it reasonabl

It was a brisk fall night, perfect for “Thursday Night Lights,” a middle school football game. On rows of metal bleachers, I had a birds-eye view of some interesting social scenarios playing out. A few feet from me, three young girls giggled as a tall boy approached. I later found out the girls were in middle school, while this boy was clearly in high school, evidenced by his surfacing facial hair, mature physique, and the high school team jacket he wore. I overheard him aski

We’re big proponents of delaying smart phone use for kids. For all of the reasons listed on this awesome campaign web site, Wait Until 8th, we think it’s a smart parenting move. As an alternative for kids you truly need to be able to reach, we think a great first step is the FLIP PHONE! But this dinosaur technology can seem foreign to many of us, even though it wasn’t THAT long ago when we all had them. We thought it might be helpful to showcase one family’s story about the n

1. Boundaries Boundaries. You need them. I need them. Your kids need them. They help us establish rules of safety and well-being, emotionally and physically. For the first phase of their life, you are the boundary setters as parents. But that transitions in these middle school years as you teach your kids how to draw their own boundaries about who and what is safe and healthy for them. That includes discussions about: Read our full blog post about boundaries here. Their digit

All parents hope their kids venture out to do things that are bigger than their comfort zone. This is a tale of our son and the adventure he is embarking on! The Microsoft Council for Digital Good About six months ago, I heard about a new initiative Microsoft was launching—the Council for Digital Good. It would consist of teenagers from all walks of life converging into this inaugural group to provide feedback, insight, and perspective as digital natives. One of Microsoft’s g

Let’s Help Those Teachers Too! One recent connection we’ve made is with Safe Smart Social, an organization we’ve followed for quite some time, gleaning great app safety tips from them. In fact, Safe Smart Social published this blog from our co-founder, Sarah on their site: 5 Tips To Become a Cyber Savvy Parent or Educator. Here’s an excerpt: In April, Sarah will be a panelist at Safe Smart Social’s Digital Citizenship Conference in Los Angeles, California. We have no doubt it

We’re all excited that the kids are back in school… but in this episode of the Parents Who Fight podcast, we’re inviting PARENTS to jump back into “learning mode” when it comes to social media, devices, and online dangers. Learn three “back to school” strategies that can help you prepare YOURSELF so you can prepare your kids for the ever-changing landscape of technology and social media. We also cover a few online safety headlines from recent weeks like Instagram Stories, Jus

Nearly all social media apps include age restrictions in their user agreement… and the vast majority require users to be 13, although a few are rated 16+ (What’s App & Vine). Some parents allow their kids on social media before they meet the age restriction, which we believe to be a dangerous precedent — don’t let your kid’s first choice on social media be a lie. As parents, it’s our job to know what responsibilities and privileges our kids are ready for at every stage of the