Their Own Devices

Latest Episodes:

How Smartphones and Media Influence Kids’ Behavior Mar 07, 2019

Show notes

Parents today are raising children in a new digital environment and medical research demonstrates that the use of interactive digital technology affects kids’ behavior and development. Parents need to be conscious of exactly how kids are changed by screens. On this episode, Marc and David explore how digital technologies influence kids with one of the senior-most experts in this field, Dr. Michael Rich, Founder and Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Boston Children’s Hospital and Professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Rich explains in plain language what parents need to know about the influence of interactive media, violent video games, smartphones and social media on kids.

Teen Sexting: A Girl's Perspective Feb 28, 2019

Show notes

The sharing of explicit photos is becoming a more common practice in teen culture. Digital technology and mobile apps like Snapchat make it fast and easy to instantly send and receive naked pics. Both boys and girls are actively participating, much to their parents’ chagrin. But why? It turns out that boys and girls may have different reasons for sexting. Certainly some girls voluntarily participate or even initiate. But other young women report being pressured into sending photos and grappling with challenging issues about reputation, body image, a “need" for compliments and attention or simply the desire to please. In this episode Marc and David sit down with three young women who are seniors in high school to hear their perspective on this controversial topic and learn about their personal experiences, both good and bad.

Teen Dating in the Digital Age Feb 14, 2019

Show notes

When our kids start dating, it opens up a whole new world of challenges for parents. It always has. But today teen romance comes with a unique set of digital challenges and information-age risks. Whether it’s your son or daughter, you want them to have a positive experience. To be supportive parents, we need to understand how our kids communicate, meet potential romantic interests, flirt, date, and even break up. On this episode, Marc and David chat with two teens, Haley and Ben, about the significant role technology, apps, and social media play in their lives and their relationships.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

What Our Kids Post Online Matters, Maybe Forever Feb 07, 2019

Show notes

Social media and engaging online are part of being a kid today, but just one post, tweet or text can get a student suspended or expelled, ruin friendships, impact future job opportunities, or influence college admissions. Right or wrong, a single, split-second digital decision can damage a teen’s reputation and permanently impact a child’s digital footprint. This is a lot of pressure for an adolescent, who is just trying to navigate the high school years and all that goes with it. As parents, we need to help our kids understand that their digital reputation is important and that what they do online matters. On this episode Marc and David explore the complex issues around online reputation with Diana Graber, Cofounder of Cyberwise, a leading online safety and digital literacy organization, and author of Raising Humans in a Digital World.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

Spying or Parenting - Do We Need to Respect Our Kids’ Digital Privacy? Jan 31, 2019

Show notes

As parents, we want to give our kids the freedom to explore, grow, make mistakes, and develop resilience. But we also want to keep our kids safe. Today’s children are digital natives and the Internet is their second home, teeing up new concerns and new ways to track or monitor their behavior. From parental controls to routine spot checks of devices and accounts, mom and dad can read texts, posts, Snaps, email, and more. Some argue this is spying, while others maintain this is parenting in the information age. How much privacy should parents give their kids as they navigate the online world and when is it appropriate to monitor their communications and track their digital footprints? On this episode Marc and David speak with two moms who have given this a lot of thought: Terrel McSweeny, former Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission and Nuala O'Connor, President and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

Sandbox v. Xbox: The Role of Digital Play Jan 24, 2019

Show notes

Digital play makes our kids’ childhood drastically different than our own. Many parents are concerned about the potential impact of today’s high-tech electronic gaming and graphic digital content on their kids. Are the fears justified? Many experts say yes. Others disagree, pointing out that video games give our kids’ brains a workout as players solve problems, concentrate and communicate. Either way, kids love gaming and digital play is here to stay. So what do parents really need to care about? And how can they help their kids play wisely and get the best out of their online activities? Marc and David sit down with Jordan Shapiro, academic, journalist, and author of The New Childhood, and discuss his optimistic view of the relationship between kids and digital tech.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

Teen Sexting – Flipping Out Is Not the Answer Jan 17, 2019

Show notes

Teen sexting is happening, whether we like it or not. In some circumstances, this may be innocent behavior between two teens, adolescents just being adolescents. But in other cases, there can be serious consequences. As uncomfortable as it may be, parents need to be prepared to navigate the myriad issues that may surface when our kids send, trade and collect sexually-explicit selfies. Marc and David sit down with leading expert and journalist Anne Collier to explore the phenomena of teen sexting and provide parents with practical advice and guidance beyond “don’t flip out!” This episode follows Marc and David's interviews with high school students about sexting in episode 8.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

Is sexting a "normal" part of growing up digital? Jan 10, 2019

Show notes

When it comes to sexting, most parents think, "Not my kid." But multiple studies and anecdotal evidence indicate that's not the case. Handing an Internet-connected camera (a smartphone) to an adolescent — who is wired to ignore consequences, obsess over popularity, and explore sexuality — means you should assume he or she will be exposed to sexting almost immediately (if not actively participate). Marc and David sit down with a high school freshman and senior, who explain that teen sexting is shockingly widespread, and viewed as a common entry point for 21st century romance.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

How to Be a Digital Role Model for Your Kids Jan 03, 2019

Show notes

How do our own digital habits affect our kids' relationship with tech? Checking notifications at dinner and going to sleep with your phone may be setting norms you're not even aware of. Marc and David chat with Stephen Balkam, founder and CEO of the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI.org) about how modeling good digital behavior is equally important as the conversations we have with our kids about tech. Balkam shares his list of bad tech habits all parents should break in 2019.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

The Magical Age of 13. Dec 20, 2018

Show notes

Privacy law in the U.S. has one clear line: Treat everyone 12 and under as kids, and everyone 13 and older as adults -- at least when it comes to the online world. The core privacy law around kids using digital services was written in 1998 when the Internet was very different. It's been updated once, but the protections for kids are still limited and the rules are confusing. How did we get here? And what do we need to re-think when it comes to the safety and privacy of teens on the modern, more mobile Internet? Marc and David sit down with Phyllis Marcus, a leading expert in privacy, advertising, and digital tech issues as they relate to children. She's also the mom of three, who gets our frustrations.

Produced by The Podglomerate.

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