Our Digital Citizenship Month series of virtual workshops ended with “Friendship and Texting.”Sarah Trombley, digital parenting expert, shared how to help your child text in a positive way.

Sarah Trombley, digital parenting expert, led “Deep Dive on Snapchat”, the second virtual workshop of our series on Digital Literacy. She showed us firsthand how to use the app, what parental controls are available and details to keep our kids safe on the tool.

Sarah shared information on how the four major social media platforms, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok and Instagram, work and how to access parent controls to keep kids safe. She also shared a number of resources including articles on how to say no and how to say yes to social media when your child asks for it and a social media contract template.

You know your kids. We know media and tech. Together we can build a digital world where our kids can thrive. Families and teachers everywhere trust Common Sense for expert reviews, objective advice, helpful tools, and so much more.

While adolescents of all genders are using online and social media platforms daily, with over half saying “constantly” (Pew Research Center, 2023), there are unique social pressures and risks that girls face in their digital lives that can significantly affect their physical and mental health.  

Looking for guidance about how to think about your kids and their screen time? There are many good resources out there, but this is a comprehensive and thoughtful place to start.

By Jessica Bennett; 9/20/23; This New York Times article shares snippets from the lives of three 13-year-old girls over the course of one year. A unique way to experience “what it’s like to be 13 today, in a world that can’t stop talking about the dire state of your future. “

A group of Pelham parents have organized around the topic of screens and social media for our youth.

It is important that parents become aware of the nature of social media sites, given that not all of them are healthy environments for children and adolescents.