Family Tech: Recent Episodes
Sarah Kimmel
Join Brett, Emilee and Sarah for a breakdown of various tech conversations you should have with your kids for every age group!
I am what you might call a Christmas Movie EXPERT. I am obsessed with Christmas movies. I partially blame the fact that I was IN a Christmas movie when I was around 11 years old. Wherever this obsession came from I embrace it fully.
I have come across a few round-ups of Christmas movies, and I just have to say, most of them have it all completely wrong. There was one I came across that had probably about 5 of the best movies in their top 20 list. I was appalled. So I took it upon myself to create a checklist of all the Christmas movies YOU MUST watch this holiday season. You can download the checklist by clicking the image below.
I am interviewing Head of Law Enforcement Outreach at Snap (the creators of Snapchat), Rachel Hochhauser to ask some tough questions about Snapchat’s responsibility to make its platform safer for teens.
Check out https://parents.snapchat.com for more info
Bryn and Sarah, the co-hosts of the Series Scrapped podcast discuss the different shows that are available on different streaming platforms and let you know which one they think is best if you had to choose one!
These questions and more are discussed in today’s episode.
Emilee is back to help me talk about the latest in tech news! This week’s topics – Samsung joins the “get the message campaign” Netflix to create retail stores, Best Buy stops selling physical media, Utah sues TikTok, and Age Verification Laws
Tasia Custode’s YouTube channel features some of the best productivity apps, so I wanted to talk to her about her favorites and maybe get some productivity tips!
Tasia’s YouTube Channel – https://www.youtube.com/@UCNQbF87QPV685oFnHxb0zPg
Link to Sync Discount – http://sync.com/tasia
I see so many posts from people saying their account has been hacked. Most of the time, this isn’t actually the case. Here is how to tell if your account is hacked or spoofed and what to do about it.
Sara Petersen, the author of the book Momfluenced joins me to talk about oversharing your kids lives, and getting influenced by social media and the online world.
I know, it’s not January, but it’s a perfect time to re-commit to your goals, and set new ones! Join me as I interview Time Management coach and podcaster Erin Woodruff and find out how you can set and track goals with technology helping you to keep on track!
Clay, co-founder of Fight the New Drug, and I discuss fighting pornography and how to keep your kids away from pornography, what to do WHEN they are exposed to it, and how to help those with a pornography addiction. Join us for this very important topic! Addiction Resources – https://www.joinfortify.com/ FREE Parenting resources app – […]
This week I am talking to Rachel Haack, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist about social media’s effect on mental health, not just for our kids but for the rest of the family too!
We’ll chat about the things we can do to mitigate these effects!
Laws with regulations for social media companies are popping up in more and more states. So far, Utah, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana have passed these laws. One such bill was set to go into effect in Arkansas on Sept. 1st, 2023, but was blocked by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge Timothy L. Brooks granted the preliminary injunction blocking the effects of the bill sought by NetChoice, a group composed of several tech companies including Meta, TikTok and X.
The main problem that NetChoice has with these bills is the requirement to verify the age of any user signing up for their platforms. This means all adults in that state would also have to submit age verification in order to continue to use their social media accounts. This presents a huge privacy issue for social media users of each of these states. NetChoice argued the requirement violated the constitutional rights of users and arbitrarily singled out types of speech that would be restricted.
“Age-gating social media platforms for adults and minors does not appear to be an effective approach when, in reality, it is the content on particular platforms that is driving the state’s true concerns,” wrote Judge Brooks.
I completely agree with Judge Brooks here, in that these laws will do very little to address the problem they are trying to solve. Kids who live in these states that are already going behind their parent’s backs to create a social media account will simply install a VPN to sign up for the account.
The VPN will virtually put their device in a different state or country allowing them to use the social media platform they are unable to use in their own state without verifying their age.
Instead, education campaigns will help parents understand the kind of parental controls they can use on their children’s devices to prevent access to social media platforms. Other useful legislation would be to require social media platforms to allow monitoring and supervision of child accounts. This will allow parents to protect their kids more efficiently, instead of relying on the government to attempt to protect them.
Since I am a resident of Utah, I am happy to see these types of laws looked at with more scrutiny. As they are currently written, they will do nothing to help kids, and will cause some serious privacy concerns for adults.
Do you think these laws would work, and if not, what would you like to see the government do to help this issue?
This week I’m talking to the Math Teacher Mom, Navi. She has been a high school math teacher for over 16 years, and helps parents teach their kids math and math concepts through her website and social media. Learn some awesome ways to help kids understand math and some of the best math apps for […]
Calling it a “kids-safe” chatGPT, the creators of the Kids-Safe phone Pinwheel have launched PinwheelGPT. An AI-powered chat engine that is supposed to have parental controls and monitoring in place. Shelley, the Chief Mom of Pinwheel, and I will chat about this new tool and talk about how this technology might be used to help […]
The Discovery feed on BeReal was always a throwaway feature. No one really cares about the daily life activities of strangers. Most people would just check out what their friends had posted and ignore the Discovery feed altogether because the main draw of BeReal is to see what is happening right now in the lives […]
Many adults LOVE podcasts, which leads some kids to want to listen to podcasts of their own. With so many podcasts out there, how can you tell which ones are going to be good podcasts for kids to listen to? This week’s quick tip will outline some of my favorite podcasts for kids.
I am HONORED to be joined by Aimee Winder Newton who currently serves as a senior advisor to Governor Cox and director of the Office of Families to discuss the recent campaign to educate parents on the harms of social media, and the recent laws passed in Utah about teens and social media. I have […]
There is a new app that is gaining popularity called Saturn. The application is a way for kids at the same school to easily communicate with other members of their classes and share their class schedules. It is meant for high school students only. Privacy Issues with the Saturn App There has been a ton […]
More states are creating laws and implementing regulations on tech and social media, so I wanted to talk to The American Moms about this legislation and what kind of laws would have an impact, and how we can learn more and get more involved with the laws that will affect us.
If you are looking for a cross-platform calendar to help keep your family organized, you have come to the right place! I’ll let you know the one productivity tool I absolutely could not live without!
Author of the hugely successful book “Good Pictures, Bad Pictures” Kristen Jenson joins me to have a discussion about talking to your kids about pornography. Unfortunately, it is not a question of “if” your child will come across porn as they are navigating the online world, it is a question of when. Kristen has some […]
The best way to protect your online accounts from hacking is to enable 2FA. So, what is 2FA or MFA and how do I use it to help protect myself from getting hacked?
With ChatGPT, and other types of AI tools, online scams are getting increasingly convincing. Andy, the Secure Dad and I discuss some of the most popular scams and how they are still getting perpetrated today. Find out how you can innoculate yourself from falling for any online scams!
Many people are jumping on the AI bandwagon and looking to ChatGPT to solve all of their language problems. Well, there are a few limitations of ChatGPT that many people do not understand. So what exactly IS ChatGPT and why are people using it wrong?
Brooke Romney has been teaching parents and teenagers how to navigate our modern world with confidence through her book 52 Modern Manners for Today’s Teens. Today I’m talking to Brooke about the new etiquette rules around technology and how to teach our kids manners and etiquette both with and on their devices!
Hundreds of you asked me on Instagram this week how to block a website on your home network. This week’s quick tip will let you know a few different ways you can block a website for the devices in your home.
Anna Macfarlane joins me to chat about how to talk to your teenagers about social media. What is privacy? How do we train the algorithm? What kind of rules should you set? All of this and more in our conversation. Social media guide – https://www.annamacfarlane.com/offers/v4UPMLFy
Google Calendar is my absolute favorite tool to help keep my family organized. I have several different calendars for all kinds of aspects of my life. Some of my favorite calendars include having a different calendar for every family member, a meal planning calendar, bills to pay, a workout schedule, my kid’s school calendars, and […]
What does it mean to “train the algorithm?” Find out how you can customize your social media feed to only show you what you want.
Holly Reid, CPA and creator of the Master Playbook joins me live to talk about apps to help you manage your finances, the best tools to help you build wealth, and how to teach your kids budgeting and finance. Visit Holly’s website at https://themasterplaybook.com/ Holly’s recommended book list! https://themasterplaybook.com/2021/07/27/money-books-for-kids/
James’ question was “What app can I use to manage a teen’s phone? Google Family Link says I can’t use it for anyone over 13 years old??” Is that true? Can you still manage a child’s device after they turn 13? Today I’ll let you know why this is a myth and how you can […]
If you have a teen or tween chances are they’ve asked you for Discord! It has left you wondering, what is Discord, is it safe for my teen, and how do you use it? What is Discord? Discord is basically a chat application. It is a way for people to communicate with other people online. […]
Use of AI is on a hockey stick like climb. People are using it to write website copy, emails, court filings, sermons, and so much more. However, are we ready to embrace AI in the home yet? I’m talking with Kevin Doyle, one of my co-hosts from the Not Null podcast all about AI in […]
Welcome to Family Tech Talk, hosted by me, Sarah Kimmel, also known online as FamilyTech. I have been an IT manager for over 20 years, while raising 2 teenagers. Our homes have become just as complicated as corporate networks, and digital parenting can be overwhelming. You need real tech advice from an expert to help […]
In this video, I’m chatting with everyone’s polygot bestie, Michelle, about language learning. We’re going to be discussing some of the best language-learning resources out there, and how you can use them to your advantage in your polyglot journey! If you’re looking for language learning tips, then you’ll want to watch this video! I’m going […]
The US Surgeon General has just released an Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. Let’s look at what it says! Social media guide – https://www.annamacfarlane.com/offers/v4UPMLFy Bark video about mom posing as 11-year-old – https://youtu.be/dbg4hNHsc_8 PDF of Social Media Advisory from the US Surgeon General – https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/sg-youth-mental-health-social-media-advisory.pdf
I reached out to the queen of the Air Fryer, Cathy @fabulesslyfrugal to ask her some questions about how to use your air fryer, the best air fryers, and what to make in an air fryer. LINKS! https://airfryertools.com https://yummyairfryerrecipes.com https://airfryercheatsheet.com In this video, we’re going to show you everything you need to know about your […]
Coach Kiana Shaw helps teens all over the country with etiquette, life skills, and confidence. We’ll discuss what teens today need to help them become productive and successful adults both online and in the business world.
What are the best tools to use for your DIY projects? The genius brain behind the instagram account buildingitlikeagirl joins me to help you with your DIY!
Our Family Passport sits down with Sarah to discuss how to find the best travel deals, the technology you should bring on your trip, and how to plan the best trips for your family!
The debate between privacy and monitoring teens online to keep them safe can be a very tough line to walk. What is the best way to parent teens online and how can we keep trust between parents and teens? I talk to Bark Parental Control’s Titania Jordan about it LIVE!
Sammy’s Law information – https://lrs.sog.unc.edu/bill/let-parents-choosesammys-law-2023#:~:text=AN%20ACT%20TO%20ENACT%20THE,SOCIAL%20MEDIA%20INTERACTIONS%20OF%20CHILDREN
Watch the Childhood 2.0 documentary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He3IJJhFy-I
Catfishing video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbg4hNHsc_8
My reaction video to Childhood 2.0 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0Nnj3fKn9A
Most people take pictures with their phones these days. Since it’s SO easy to take the pictures, we just take a lot and hope that one of them turns out well. Today I talk to Rachelle Packard, a professional photographer to help you improve your photos.
Sarah Kimmel is a Microsoft Certified IT Manager, who is also a mom. She currently helps families understand and manage the technology in their homes through YouTube Videos, Instagram posts, podcasts, and her website Family Tech Zone. She can also be found as a family tech expert on various TV news shows and podcasts.
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Pinwheel Smartphone for kids – https://www.pinwheel.com/?via=familytech
Troomi Smartphone for kids – https://troomi.crrnt.app/A7pW5Yry
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High school student Jahan Taila and his friend Nathan have created an app to help kids learn coding. I will talk to Jahan about how his parents have helped encourage his passion for coding and how parents can help their kids learn how to code!
Link to the Kickstarter! Let’s support this teen! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jahan/codera-a-fun-and-engaging-way-to-teach-kids-how-to-code
Kristen Duke, the expert in having a great relationship with your teens, talks to me about how to talk to your kids about social media and technology
How can you include a fitness routine in your life? What are the best streaming fitness apps and services? All that and more when I talk to Emily, co-creator of High Fitness
One highly neglected area of discussion when it comes to technology is how to best utilize technology to help our senior citizens.
This week I sit down with Heather from Elder Care Navigators to discuss the challenges, the various products that can help, and the things we can do to make technology use more comfortable for our seniors.
The digital homesteading expert is here live to discuss indoor gardening tips, tricks, tools and more!
Kris’ Facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/aerogardenkratkyfanatics
AeroGarden affiliate link – http://girlte.ch/AeroGarden Coupon code LTG20 takes $20 off a purchase of $100 of more
Full list of all gardening (and other) affiliates – https://littletechgirl.com/littletechgirl-affiliate-links/
Attackers are constantly coming up with new ways to get people to fall for their scams. As our detection efforts increase, they pivot and try new attacks. These scams are no longer run by individuals, they are big businesses and are treated as such. Attackers will have business meetings about how to best scam people out of their money.
What is a Phishing Attack?Just like when you are fishing, you cast your line into the water and hope that the fish bite. The attackers who are phishing are also just casting a line (ie sending out a massive email) and hoping that some of the people will bite.
The phishing emails you get have generic information saying your account has been compromised or thanking you for your subscription renewal, or any other number of ways they try to get you to respond. These emails are sent to hundreds of thousands of people at the same time and have no identifiable information in them.
The phishing emails don’t call you by your name, or give you any specific details about your particular account. Their hope is that you will call the number in the email, or click the link and just hand over your personal information. Whether that is a username and password, your credit card information, your banking info, or just about anything else they are looking to gather from you.
Phishing attacks can take many forms and have an OK success rate. The more convincing emails have little to no grammatical errors and cause your heart to race thinking that you need to act right away. My general rule of thumb is that if you think you need to act immediately on an email, you should wait at least 10 minutes so you can think about it first.
What is a Spear Phishing Attack?Just like a phishing attack is similar to actual fishing, spear phishing attacks are similar to actual spearfishing. When you are spearfishing you will target a specific fish, instead of dropping a line and waiting for the fish to come to you. A spear-phishing attack is a highly targeted attack against an individual person. Typically, the attacker will use social engineering to perpetrate their attack.
What is Social Engineering?Social engineering occurs when the attacker uses information that is publicly available to bring credibility to the attack. This can be from social media profiles or even information left in public areas like in office buildings.
Here is an example of how social engineering can give credibility to a spear phishing attack. First, the attacker will look at a company’s LinkedIn page to view all of the employees. They use that information to find out who you, your boss, and your co-workers are. Next, they will create a Gmail account with your boss’ name. They send you an email from “your boss” to your work email. This email will explain away why you are getting it from their “personal” account and ask you to do something extremely urgent. Typically this will be something like purchasing gift cards or changing financial information if you have access to that kind of data. The email will likely also reference a co-worker’s name to give even more credibility to the attack.
As you can see, this attack can only be sent to a single individual. These names would not work to attack someone else. So it is highly targeted and directed at an individual. The thought is that “Who would take the time to learn all of this information, just to send a scam email?”. Unfortunately, the additional time it takes to target an individual gives the attacker a much higher return on their time investment. These types of attacks are extremely successful because it catches you off guard.
Another type of spear-phishing attack can happen on the phone. Once my grandma received a phone call from my “brother” saying he was in jail and needed money. I have also heard of this attack as a car accident. My grandma was just about on her way out the door to send the money, when she called my sister-in-law just to see how everything was going. My sweet grandma didn’t want to rat out my brother for being in jail, so she was just acting very strangely. My sister-in-law called my brother and told him to call his grandma because something was weird.
Once my brother called my grandma they got it squared away, but wow! They knew my brother’s name, who his grandma was, and more. That is a highly targeted and almost successful attack.
Ways to protect yourself from a spear phishing attackJust like in a regular phishing attack, if something is asking you to react right away, give it a bit of time for you to calm down and think clearly. Verify the request through other means. If they email you, text your boss to confirm the request. If they call you, send them an email to an account you know. No one will be mad about you confirming a request.
You can also protect yourself from a spear phishing attack by limiting the data you put out publicly. Don’t fill out questionnaires on social media about your senior year in high school, full of password reset answers. Make information like where you work, private on your social media profiles. Never use information that is easily researched as password reset answers either. I typically make up password reset answers. I have a name that I use as my Dad’s middle name that isn’t his actual middle name, and things like that help to keep my passwords safe.
Lastly, ALWAYS enable 2 Factor Authentication on any accounts that will allow you to. This can save you from yourself if you happen to fall for a very convincing Phishing or Spear Phishing attack.
School Resource Officer Gomez sees it all when it comes to our kids and teens. He’s in the trenches every day and knows the dangers that can exist online for our teens. I love his thoughts on what is cyberbullying and what is not. It was extremely eye-opening!
We are talking all things Cricut, 3D Printing, and more! Learn about all of the technology you can use to make crafts, finding simple crafts for you to do with your kids and get started with crafts!
When I go to CES, one of my favorite things to do is to browse through “Eureka Park”. It’s a small section of CES where the booths are just one teeny tiny table one after the other. I mean, there are office cubicles that are bigger than these booths. However, it’s where I usually find the most innovative products!
2 years ago I came across a company called ChessUp. When they displayed what their board could do, I was literally blown away. OK, maybe not LITERALLY, but you get the idea.
When the ChessUp board arrived, my teenage son, AND his two friends, completely abandoned the video games they were playing and huddled around the kitchen table to play a game of chess. That is how powerful this board is!
As you touch each chess piece the board will light up with potential moves. If you have some of the assistance features turned on, it will light up red if the move is not a good idea, and green if it is a good move. You can turn these assistance features off, and it will simply light up the potential moves in a blue color.
If you place a piece in an incorrect place, of if the piece should have been removed from the board, it will glow purple under that piece. You can check the app at that point to see where that piece should be.
When you are in check the space under your King will light up and blink red. A move that puts you in check mate will light up the whole board and end the game.
The ChessUp AppIn order to play a game with these features, you need to connect the board to the ChessUp app. This is a Bluetooth connection, so your Bluetooth will have to be enabled on your phone.
The dashboard will show you past games, and any games you haven’t finished yet. If you tap into the game it will ask if you want to sync the board to the game so you can continue it. It will make sure all the pieces are in the right spots and allow you to go from there.
In iOS there is a “learn” section that will have various tutorials on pieces and types of moves. This feature is coming soon to Android as well. I love that you can go through these lessons and learn more about how the chess pieces move, and different rules that every day players may not be aware of. The section is fairly limited at the moment, but there are sections for Intermediate and Expert players that I’m sure will get more content in the near future.
When you tap to start a new game you can choose the level of assistance you would like for your pieces (will it glow green/red or just blue for various moves like a mistake or an excellent move). You can even give yourself a hint limit so you don’t play like my son plays and just taps every piece looking for a green one. You can actually plan your move and then tap to confirm if it’s a good move or not.
You can adjust this level on the fly just by tapping on the settings icon on your side of the board. You can also use this to change the player to an AI player if your friend has to go home.
Next, you would choose your opponent. Whether you play against the board’s AI, a live person, or choose an online match through lichess.org (chess.com is coming soon!). If you choose to play against the AI you can choose the difficulty level of that player as well. As you get better, you can keep increasing the difficulty level of your AI opponent.
Once you have chosen all of the settings for the game, tap on “start game” and it will have you place the pieces on the board. If you place a piece incorrectly the light below it will not turn off. This ensures that all of your pieces are correctly placed before the game starts.
One thing I learned during the setup of the board, is that the Queen is always placed on her own color! I had NO idea (obviously, I’m not that good at Chess…. YET).
AccessoriesThere is a great carrying case you can purchase to tote the board and pieces around, and the set comes with an additional Queen (to help with pawn upgrades). You can also purchase a checkers set that can be used with the board too.
Additional pieces can also be purchased if you lose any. Since there is so much technology in each piece, it would get a bit expensive, so definitely guard those pieces with your life.
If you want to turn off all of the technology and just play a game of chess, you can absolutely do that as well. Without power, it’s just a standard Chess board.
All in all, this chess board is so much fun to play, and now my son is determined to become a Chess champion. I think with ChessUp’s help, he is sure to get there.
These days I don’t think it’s even possible to purchase a TV that is not connected to the internet, or “smart” as they would have you believe. Since most people have ditched standard cable or satellite service in favor of streaming platforms, it just makes sense that the TVs you buy these days would be able to download those apps.
There is a big downside though to the smartification of all of our devices. That is the unbridled access to all of the good AND the bad of the internet for our children. This leads many parents to want to make sure they have some protections in place that will help shield their children from the content the parents don’t want them to see.
Unfortunately, most of the smart TV platforms are still WAY behind the times when it comes to Parental Controls. They are extremely limited in what they can do, and are often confusing as to what the settings actually mean.
The Best Way to Control a Smart TVSince these platforms are so limited, you actually need to look outside of the TV to get some really good parental controls. This means that the best way to control a smart TV is through a WiFi router that has parental controls built in. I use a Gryphon Router. Through the Gryphon, I can either assign the TV to one of my children’s user profiles, or I can create a separate profile just for the smart TV’s in the house if I want them all to follow the same rules.
Through the router I can cut off access to the internet on the TV’s during the night, so kids aren’t staying up late watching shows after everyone has gone to bed. I can also block specific apps from playing on those devices like YouTube or Netflix. I can even set up hours of the day when specific apps are available or not available to view.
The one caveat here is that if you allow access to a specific app, you are allowing access to the entirety of the app. The wifi router would not be able to control content within the app. You would need to control that through profile PINs. However, a router like Gryphon CAN enforce YouTube to only display videos available through “restricted mode” but at that point it would be up to YouTube on what it considers is “restricted”.
Parental Controls Available on Each PlatformRokuWhile Roku is actually my favorite user interface for browsing TV, it’s probably one of the worst when it comes to what is available for parental controls.
First, only Smart TVs built on a Roku operating system (not a Roku device plugged into the TV), you can control the ability to watch TV shows with specific age ratings, but only for the channels coming through the broadcast network. Meaning, you would need an antenna plugged into the TV for those ratings blocks to take affect. However, you can use this setting to block mature shows from the over the air programs.
The content filter block does also affect the Roku Channel, since the channel is made by the same company. There is quite a bit of content on the Roku channel, so it is good to at least be able to filter some programs out. This will NOT affect content within any of the apps you have downloaded though. If you allow Netflix, you allow all of Netflix.
The other thing you can do with a Roku TV is block the ability to install apps without a PIN. So if you remove Netflix from the TV, you would not be able to reinstall it without the PIN. If this is a shared family TV it would be a huge pain to keep adding and removing the application when you don’t want other people to view it.
In order to set the PIN and toggle this setting on, you will need to login to your Roku account on the web.
Google TVA rising star in the Smart TV world is Google TV. Many top name brands are using Google TV as their underlying operating system for their devices including Sony.
With Google TV you can set up Restricted Profiles, which will allow you to choose exactly which apps will be available when it is on the restricted profile. Which is great, but you would have to remember to switch it to the restricted profile any time you are done watching your shows.
Fire TVOf the main Smart TV platforms available today, I will say that the Fire TV handles parental controls the best at the moment. The Fire TV allows you to PIN protect the launching of any apps. So if you want to watch Netflix, you would have to enter your PIN code to launch the app. Handling it this way makes it easy to protect the apps you don’t want your kids watching when you are not around, but also makes it easy for you to watch the applications when you want. You won’t have to remember to set it back to a protected mode, you just have to enter the PIN when you want.
The Fire TV also has content filtering, but again this will only apply to broadcast channels like the Roku and the Amazon Prime Video channel. It will not filter content on any of the other apps.
Samsung TVSamsung bucks the trend of having one of the more popular platforms built-in and opts to use its own operating system. Fortunately, they have taken some of the best ideas and incorporated it into theirs. Namely, Samsung TVs have the ability to PIN lock apps. Similar to the Fire TV this allows you to PIN protect the launching of any applications, so you don’t have to remember to switch to a restricted profile or mode, you just have to take a quick extra step in launching apps you do want to watch.
The Samsung TVs also have a program rating lock, which sounds like it might affect other applications. However, like the other content filters for the other platforms, this will only affect broadcast/over-the-air channels brought in through a coax cable or through an antenna. This will not affect the content available inside individual apps like Netflix and Hulu.
Apple TVIf your home is drowning in Apple products, you may also have an Apple TV. While there aren’t any TVs that have this operating system built into them like the other systems I have mentioned, there are still enough people using the platform to put it on this list.
Like the Roku and Fire, the content filter or age rating you set in the Apple TV restrictions will only affect what apps are available to view and what shows will be available to view inside Apple TV+. Since Netflix is rated 12 and over in the app store, if you set the filter to 12+, they will have the ability to watch anything that is inside of Netflix. You can set a PIN to protect changes to the settings, but you won’t have to enter that PIN to launch applications.
Setting Content Filters Inside of AppsSince all of these platforms really only have the ability to prevent access to specific apps, and filter content within their own branded streaming services, how can you restrict content inside of apps like Netflix or Hulu?
Most of these streaming services offer the ability to set up different profiles for different members of your family. You can set up the content age rating through these profiles. Just make sure you set a PIN on the adult profiles so they can’t easily switch over to the unrestricted profile. You can usually do this through logging into the apps website. Sometimes the options for these settings are pretty limited within the TV itself.
You just need to make sure you set up these user profiles inside of every app you have downloaded onto your smart tv.
A Word About Your PINAll of these platforms have PIN code protections, even if they aren’t on the TV itself, inside the apps will definitely have PIN codes. Just make sure you don’t choose a code that your kids will easily guess. Make it something that has nothing to do with their birthdays, your anniversary, or any other special numbers you may have. Since it’s not going to be your typical PIN code, you may want to write it down somewhere safe so you remember it if you don’t have to enter it frequently.
You will also want to make sure your kids aren’t watching you when you enter the PIN code! Kids can be very sneaky when they want to know information! So send them out of the room while you enter your PIN.
With most people ditching satellite and cable subscriptions, smart TVs are going to continue to be the standard, let’s just hope that soon the manufacturers will start improving the parental control settings!
TL:DR; ?? Or watch the video for how to find the parental control settings on each platform…
Live discussion with Megan Hillyer from Know Your Ancestors about easy ways you can start recording your family history, and how you can get started finding your own ancestors!
“Kids Safe” Smartphones have now been popping up more and more. As I mentioned previously, I’ve been down this road a couple of times with various companies that never panned out and ended up out of business. I keep saying they were just ahead of their time.
We have finally entered the time where these devices are exactly what parents need now. I have already compared all 4 of the major players in the space in my breakdown of Gabb vs Troomi vs Pinwheel vs Bark post. So this post is just going to focus on the Bark Phone specifically.
How does the Bark Phone work?Let’s start with the basics. The Bark Phone has 3 subscription tiers. The first level is the $49/month plan. This includes unlimited talk and text but no data. If you sign up for this plan, you would only be able to use internet enabled apps on a wifi network. The next, and likely most popular, level is $59/month and includes unlimited Talk and Text and 4 GB/month of data. Finally, the 3rd tier includes the same unlimited talk and text but increases the data plan to 8 GB/month.
The phone comes with a protective case, but since the device is a standard Samsung A13, you could purchase your own cases from Amazon that are a little more personalized. Speaking of the hardware, one thing that sets the Bark Phone apart from the other devices in this space is that the hardware is included in your subscription. You do not have to purchase the phone and then sign up for the subscription, so the initial out of pocket cost will be much less for the Bark Phone.
The downside to this is that you don’t own the hardware, so if you cancel the subscription, you do have to send the phone back. Also, if you damage the phone you will have to pay for repairs or a replacement (unless you have had the subscription for more than 2.5 years).
The other huge plus to the subscription is that it includes a premium family Bark subscription. This means that if you have older kids with a regular phone, or if your children have tablets or other devices that can be used with Bark, you can install Bark and use it on all of those devices as well. Since the Bark subscription itself is almost $100 a year, that will save you some money there.
What can the Bark Phone do?The biggest benefit to the Bark Phone is the fact that you can make it either as locked down or as open as you want it to be. While other devices limit you to specific apps, the Bark Phone allows you to open up the entire Google Play Store to the phone. You can always remove the store at any point, but you can also leave it open and available, with approval to install apps still turned on, so they can’t install an app or even remove an app without your approval.
You can also disable the web browser, so they are unable to browse the internet. However, if you do allow it the searches will be monitored from Bark, and you’ll get alerted if they are searching for anything that is concerning. You can also enforce safe search on the browser, so search results will be a bit more filtered, and you can turn off or on any of the filtering categories so they can have a safer browsing experience.
The Bark Phone can also have contact approval enabled or disabled. With it turned on, if someone tries to text the phone that is not already on the approved list, the Bark Phone will get a notification that someone is trying to contact them, and will ask if they would like to send the number to the parent for approval. If the parent approves the contact, they will now be able to message or call the person. They will not get the original text message, so that will have to be re-sent.
Speaking of text messages, one of the big benefits to the Bark Phone is the fact that text messages cannot be deleted. So, if you are alerted through the Bark admin app that there is a concerning conversation, you can sit down with your child and go through the messages to get context from the phone and from your child.
In case of the other way around (if the phone tries to text or call someone not on the approved list), the same thing will happen. The Bark Phone will let them know the contact is not approved yet and will prompt them to request the approval. Once approved, they can text or call with the contact.
A few of the other benefits are that you can disable the settings. With this disabled, your child cannot add additional accounts, change the time on the device, and so many more things they could do to try and circumvent any parental controls. You can also pause the device at any time, so if your child needs to do their homework, or you want them to come eat dinner with the family, or even if they get grounded, you can just pause the device and all the other apps will be disabled except for the phone app so they can still make emergency calls. The phone also gives you the ability to remotely set an alarm on the phone, which I LOVE.
The last thing I want to talk about is the different “modes” that you can customize on the device. You can change what is available and what is locked during these modes. So you can allow some educational apps during the “school” time while everything but a music app is blocked during the “bedtime”. The last mode is “free time” which you can have things a little more open, but you can pick the timeframes these modes are in affect. If there is a timeframe that doesn’t have a set mode, it will go to what is available by default. You can override the schedule at any time by switching the mode on the fly.
What are the downsides to the Bark Phone?There are a few things that could be considered downsides, depending on what your needs are. The first one is that if your child already has a Google account that is supervised by Google Family Link, you are unable to add that account to this phone. If your child has a Chromebook, tablet, or other device, you want to keep their account managed by Google Family Link, so you would have to create a different Google account to use with this phone.
Another problem is technically also a benefit, depending on your family. The problem is that the entire Google Play Store is available. You would need to do your own research if your child is requesting a specific app to install. With the other devices, they have done the legwork for you and have vetted the apps they allow to make sure they would be considered safe for your kids. If there are workarounds through the app, they let you know what those are. With the Bark Phone, you do not have this option, so you have to figure out what your child is able to do within the app in order to decide if you want to allow it.
The admin app is a little bit clunky to use. It has this great interface that helps you get to the settings you want, but it’s hard to get back to that screen once you tap into it. Finding the rest of the settings can be difficult as well, since it might be hard to understand which “mode” you are adjusting at any given time. Basically, the user interface could use a bit more work.
Finally, the last “con” is that you are unable to see the entirety of the conversation remotely. You can only see the snippet of the conversation that was flagged for concerning content within Bark. You can always grab the phone and see the rest of the conversation though, as mentioned above.
Final ThoughtsThe Bark Phone is a really great option for parents, especially if your child is ready to dip their toes into social media, since the other kids safe phone options do not give you that ability. However, even if they aren’t ready for social media, you could still get this device and make it as locked down as you want. Get your Bark Phone by clicking here.
Discussion with Bill Brady about kids smartphone use, and how to help keep them safe. Also a little bit about Troomi, a kids safe smart phone, specifically.
iGen Book Discussed – https://amzn.to/3Ycdny9
Troomi Phone – https://troomi.crrnt.app/A7pW5Yry
The Autism Dad, Rob Gorski, and Sarah discuss the best technology for kids with special needs, including apps and devices, and how best to manage the technology with your neuro-divergent child.
All links to discount codes and products can be found here https://www.theautismdad.com/shop/
Bridging Apps – https://search.bridgingapps.org/all-list
Website – https://www.theautismdad.com/
Podcast Apple – https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t…
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0Kl8mzC…
Google Podcasts – https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=…
Join me as I discuss everything from how to protect your kids on video games, and how to enjoy gaming with your kids and family! Learn about gaming in moderation and healthy gaming with your family. Andy Robertson of FamilyGamerTV and author of Taming Gaming literally wrote the book on healthy video game habits – […]
Join me for a discussion on some of the most popular tech company court cases like epic games vs apple and parents vs snapchat and other social media sites. How much responsibility do tech companies have to protect children? Should tech companies be forced to comply with certain technology standards? Why can’t I purchase digital […]
This week I interview Amy Roskelley from Health Beet! We talk about apps and technology you can use to help you lose weight, get healthy, and get fit!
Parenting technology is difficult enough, but add divorce and shared custody into the mix, and it gets even harder. Michelle Dempsey-Multack is a divorce coach and has navigated these waters herself. Find out how to coparent technology and what you can do to make coparenting technology work for both parents! Michelle’s Website – https://momsmovingon.com/ Buy […]
Get the most out of your phone by using some of the advice from Blake and me during this live recording.
Join me for a live conversation with my own teens. Use this conversation as a jumping-off point to talk to your own children about technology.
This week I sit down with Erin Woodruff from the podcast “Time is On Your Side”. We talk about the best productivity apps, tips on managing your time, and discuss if those digital assistants and smart home devices are really helping us be more productive!
Join me and the Secure Dad as we discuss the best home security system, solutions, and setup to help you get your home secured! We will talk about the best products, and how to get started with a DIY home security system, and how to protect yourself from having your system hacked.
While it’s no secret that I am not a huge fan of Apple, I promise I have the ability to be unbiased. I go where the technology fits ME best. If the features it has fits you best, then more power to you. My goal has always been to get the right information out to […]
The age that kids are getting phones is getting younger and younger. While it’s been 9 years since I gave my 8 year old a cell phone, that statement is almost common now! Since I’ve been writing this blog for almost 13 years now, I have seen several “kids safe” smartphones come and go. The […]
If you are lost on where to get started to help protect your family, listen to this episode of Family Tech Talk to help you get a handle on it!
Let me tell you a quick little story. I LOVE my Grandpa, and I miss him dearly. I was living with him when he passed away, so it was definitely a difficult time for me. He was a prisoner of war during World War II and spent 2 years in a German prisoner of war camp. He was a pilot and was shot down (that is how he got caught by the Germans). His story is CAPTIVATING. Every time he would speak in public, the entire audience would be riveted, hanging on every word. Fortunately for myself, and for my entire family, my brother had the foresight to sit down with Grandpa and video his entire story. From the day he was shot down in Germany until he met my Grandma on the flight home from the war. A few months after he got the recording, my Grandpa passed away. Can you even imagine if my brother had thought to himself… oh I’ll do it this summer when I have some more time. Or if he just kept pushing it back a few more weeks? These stories told in the absolute best way (by him), would have been lost forever. We have these recordings now and can watch them whenever we want. We can show them to our children who can learn about their own family history from these amazing recordings! You can watch his whole story here.
Get video recordings So, this is my plea to you. Just start. Don’t wait. It’s so easy to get these stories down, and a lot of times with minimal cost and effort from you. Especially with the holidays coming up very soon, it will be a perfect time to sit down with your relatives and get all these stories, photos, and documents digitized!
Everyone usually has their smartphone on them, right? The cameras on these phones are now sometimes even better than our actual cameras! I mean, how many of you actually have a separate camera that you use on a regular basis? Our phones are about a thousand times better than the old video cameras we had growing up, for sure! So, when you are all gathered together for the holidays, take your phone and your Grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, whomever into a small room. Attach your phone to a tripod like this one, and start recording!
I’ve even put together a list of 20 questions to get the ball rolling, and find out some really fun things about their past! Download the list here. Make sure you ask about all of your favorite stories to get them down.
Scan photos and documents While everyone is already getting together, it’s also a great time to scan all the photos and documents that you may have spread throughout your individual families. Using a ScanSnap scanner by Fujitsu is a super portable and quick way to get all that scanning done quickly and without having to connect to a computer at all!
Store everything in a shareable location Once you get all the history scanned in, you can use Dropbox to share it with the rest of your family. Or store it on a NAS (Network Attached Storage) like the Western Digital MyCloud Duo. This will allow you to share it with family members, but everyone won’t have to pay for cloud storage. Don’t forget to share it with all of your cousins as well (if the photos and stories involve your grandparents). Both are also great options to share your family vacation photos. My siblings and I go on a vacation together every other year. Once we are done, we all upload our photos to the same folder so we can see each other’s pictures!
You can also store documents, photos, and videos on ancestry.com or familysearch.org. When you upload them to these locations, they can also be discovered by long-lost relatives and 2nd and 3rd cousins you never even knew you had!
Start recording your OWN history! Now that you’ve taken care of the past and the present, let’s talk about the future. Keeping a personal journal is SO important! And don’t rely on social media to keep this history! Fun fact about me. When I was in high school I kept EXTENSIVE journals. I seriously love going back and reading what my thoughts were and what I was doing back in elementary school, junior high, and high school. I even kept a pretty good journal through college.
Sometimes when I’m reading what I wrote I can’t even remember that story or situation! Memory can be so fickle, so it’s important to get your thoughts and stories recorded! It can be just as easy as the other items above. I use Journey (a journaling app for your phone). I can access my journal from my desktop, my phone, or my tablet. This way, if there is something important I need to write down, I can use my full keyboard to get it down quickly.
For the day-to-day stuff though, I can just snap a picture and write a couple of quick sentences about my day, or use the voice to text option to transcribe it, or just record a quick audio version of it. The point is to get in the habit so that in the future YOUR grandkids will already have your history! I’ve put together a HUGE list of 201 journal writing prompts for you too, so you can have something to say for most of the year! Some of the questions won’t apply, depending on your age. Download the list here!
A couple of other apps I like to use are Write a Day, so I can quickly write little sentences throughout the day with what I’m feeling or what I’m doing at that moment. At the end of the day, I can import the log into Journey or just keep it there. Another favorite is called Grid Diary. This can help you a lot when you aren’t sure what to write about each day.
Now that you know you already have most of the tools necessary to complete this task…go do it! Start today! You will NOT regret starting sooner, but you MAY regret waiting.
Kids all over the United States are begging their parents for an iPhone, and even though Android devices are a better option for teens. Parents are giving in because their child is being left out! I get it. You don’t want your kid to be the one who is not getting invited places, or just plain removed from conversations. But, if more parents become aware of the situation, and the things we can do to resolve it, the more kids can actually be included, no matter what kind of device they are using.
Many people don’t understand what the problem is, and how we have gotten to this point. It’s this lack of understanding that is helping perpetuate the problem. I have been STUNNED by how many grown adults would rather exclude friends and family than use a different messaging platform. This has to stop. Did you know that this is really only a problem in the United States? Only here are we so selfish, that as long as it works well for us, we don’t need to change to accommodate others.
Since Android is actually the majority of the market outside the US, most people use a cross-platform messaging application so everyone can be included. The obsession people in the United States have with iMessage is seriously mind-blowing. Hey, iPhone users… it’s YOUR platform that is causing the problem. On PURPOSE.
The Problem With iMessage Apple devices have a built-in text messaging application. This is called iMessage. However, this isn’t just a texting application, it’s a messaging application like Facebook Messenger that just HAPPENS to also do texting. Just like any other messaging application, you need the same application on both ends for it to work properly. If you try to send someone a Facebook message, and they don’t have Facebook messenger, they will never get that message.
This is why when you try to communicate with an Android device over iMessage, it doesn’t work properly, because there is no iMessage application for Android. Instead, iMessage converts the message to a standard SMS or MMS message (short message service or multimedia message service depending on if it’s text or an image or group message).
Because of this incompatibility, Apple decides to change the color of the messages to Green to signify the messages are now transmitting over SMS or MMS, and no longer via iMessage. This new color appears to “break” the group text or messaging. Many people don’t understand why they are now seeing the green messages on their iPhone, and things no longer work. They just know that it’s now “broken”.
The Solutions There are 2 extremely easy solutions to this problem. Apple refuses to do either of them, even though their greed in this matter is damaging the mental health of teens.
Solution 1: Build an iMessage app for Android The first solution to this problem is to just build an iMessage app for the Android platform. Android plays nice with Apple, why does it refuse to play nice with anyone else. Google has released so many apps for the iOS platform. You can manage parental controls for an Android device from an iPhone exactly the same as managing it from an Android device. You can use Google maps on an iPhone (even though Apple tried to block you from doing so for such a long time!)
Apple has finally created an Apple Music app for Android, yet it still doesn’t have an Apple TV app or a way to manage parental controls on an iPhone with an Android device. The most glaring omission, though, is the lack of iMessage on Android.
Solution 2: Utilize RCS in iMessage Messaging standards are constantly changing. Back in my college days, when cell phones didn’t even have touch screens, and they definitely didn’t have keyboards, SMS was the standard for texting. This is why when Twitter first started there was a small character limit. It was the maximum size a text message could be over SMS.
The next standard for texting became MMS. This allowed for people to send images and videos over text and add more people to the group so you can text more than one person at a time. If you have someone in your group text that always ends up just responding to an individual instead of the whole group, they just need to turn on MMS. They are using SMS.
Now we have graduated to RCS (Rich Communication Services). This new platform allows for fun things like reacting to people’s messages and adding stickers, and more technical functions like end-to-end encryption. This platform is a standard that all cell phone hardware manufacturers and cell service providers are adopting… with the exception, of course, of Apple.
Including RCS in iMessage will eliminate the cross-platform issues and allow the messages to flow seamlessly from one platform to the other.
Why Apple Refuses to Implement Either Solution Back in 2013 an Apple executive brought up the idea that they should bring iMessage to Android. Cue mentioned that Google already has the best search, mail, free video (YouTube) and browsers, so they should make sure that iMessage becomes a standard platform and they would need to have an Android app to make it so. Craig Federighi countered that “I am concerned [that] iMessage on Android would simply serve to remove an obstacle to iPhone families giving their kids Android phones.“
These internal communications were brought to light during the case Fortnite has brought against Apple. The case shows how Apple purposely keeps people “locked-in” to their devices, as they make it extremely difficult for users to make the switch. They leverage iMessage as the main thing keeping people on their platform.
Since my background is in IT, particularly Managed Services Providers (which generally provide IT Services and Support to small to medium-sized businesses that do not have internal IT departments), I am very familiar with what it takes to keep a client happy with your services. As we pitch to a potential client, we come across a ton of different ways people do business. I have always said to run as fast as you can away from someone or something that makes it difficult for you to leave.
You should be so confident that no one would ever want to leave your products or services because your platform is the BEST. You shouldn’t have to rely on shady tactics to keep them locked in. At that point, you don’t have to be the best. You don’t have to innovate. You have forced your customers to stay with you, even if they aren’t happy.
This just makes me wonder… do all iOS users in the US just have a massive case of Stockholm syndrome?
I don’t hide the fact that I do not like Apple. I am a HUGE fan of technology. I love how I can use it to best suit my needs and my family’s needs. I LOVE being able to choose how I use technology to fit MY LIFE. The main reason I do not like Apple is that I feel like they take those choices away. They tell you how you can use their devices, and you are not allowed to use them another way.
What can we do, since Apple refuses to? The first thing we can do is to stand strong as parents. So many parents just give in and get their teen an iPhone. If more parents didn’t give in, there would be more teens on Android, and this problem wouldn’t be so big. Android gives you way more options for monitoring and parental controls. You are so limited when your child has an iPhone. Don’t give in to peer pressure and stand your ground.
If you have already given your child an iPhone, PLEASE encourage them to use an app like WhatsApp or GroupMe to communicate with their friends. These apps will include every platform and won’t exclude their friends. Talk to your kids about how would they feel if all of their friends were on a messaging thread except for them, and help them understand how they could be hurting their friends.
Just like you would be upset if they wouldn’t let their friend sit with them at lunch, make sure your kids are not excluding people that should be included. This problem is seriously damaging teens’ mental health, as they feel excluded and “less than” for having an Android device. Teens are even being bullied for having Android devices and this is mainly due to iMessage’s hold over the US population.
When I asked him why he made the jump, he sounded a bit remorse. It all came down to being left out of group chats. His quote verbatim, "we would start a new group chat, and the group would realize I was the reason it was green, and they would start another group chat without me
— Ben Bajarin (@BenBajarin) August 15, 2019
It is happening to adults, and it is happening to kids, and we have the power to stop it, so why aren’t we?
These days we do everything in our power to be more inclusive. We verify pronouns before we assume. We try to be more inclusive in our speech and actions. Except, of course, if you use an Android device, because there is no way I’m messaging anyone with a green bubble.
This attitude is so prevalent among kids and adults. Lets erase this stigma, and take back the power to use technology however WE want to use it, not how some large tech company wants us to use it.
Introducing a new segment of the podcast… Family Tech Tips! These are short episodes that tackle a specific tech question I have been asked. If you are interested in me answering your question, feel free to hit me up on the DMs in Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. My username is FamilyTech on all three!
Today’s episode tackles the question I probably get asked the MOST. Kids will tell their parents they need this application to help make their phone faster or work better. The app they want is a VPN app. Listen to this episode to find out why I would never let my child install a VPN app and how you can check to see if one is already installed, and how to prevent your child from installing one in the future.
VPN tunnel
Yesterday Hulu quietly released an update to their app to allow parents to set a PIN on their account to restrict kids from accessing a parent’s profile. This is great news for parents everywhere who don’t exactly want their 8 year old accidentally watching the Handmaid’s Tale!
According to the help topic you can easily turn on this PIN protection by going to Hulu.com and then hover over your profile icon in the top right corner.
- From there select “Manage Profiles”
- Toggle the “Turn on PIN Protection” to the on position
- Tap “Manage PIN” to change your PIN at any time.
- Save Changes
Your Hulu password will be required to make the adjustments. Once the PIN is created, viewers will be prompted to enter a PIN to switch to any of the profiles that are not specifically set as a “kids” profile. So the same PIN works across all of the adult profiles.
I love that more and more individual apps are realizing the importance of adding parental control features to the apps themselves. This is the FIRST layer of a good parental control strategy. In-app controls are one of the most important lines of defense for our kids, and more apps need to hop on board as soon as possible.
Yes, it can be a pain to manage the various parental control settings inside every app your children want to use, but this is the world we live in now. Protection of our children takes extra vigilance and effort. I think it’s worth it.
So, GREAT JOB HULU! Keep it up!
Phishing emails continue to get harder to spot these days. The malicious attackers are getting better at crafting legit-sounding emails, which makes it difficult for regular everyday folks to stay safe.
Most recently, my sister sent me an email that was sent to her asking if it was legit or not. Upon looking at the email, I knew it wasn’t legit right away. I had received something similar recently and dismissed it as bogus. The email reads like this…
Dear Valued Customer, Thank You For Your Recent Purchase With Lamphered LLC by Amazon.
Your account has been set for Auto Debit from your saved billing on the account in next 24 hours. The items will be shipped in 48 hours and you will receive a confirmation email once they are shipped. You will receive another email with the Tracking Number.
If you want to cancel/modify your order, get in touch with us before it gets delivered @ 1 831::525::9405
Please find your order information below:
Order Number: OIU8-JHG5-CXZ2 Order Date: 10th July 2021 Order Name: Forex Machine 56” Dual Delivery Mode: Express Free Amount Spent: USD 789.23 Mode By: Your Checking Account
We hope you shop with us again soon.
Amazon Inc Helpdesk : 1 831::525::9405
Another one I have seen looks like this…
Thank you for choosing Geek Squad again.
Dear Geek user, We are glad that you chose the
best security for your devices
Thank you for subscribing Geek Squad Virtual Subscription for 3years for $379.99 USD.
Your services will be valid until next update.
Your susbscription id is #GSS74818DQ4711
We are glad to have you as Geek Squad Member.
This subscription comes with 7 days money back guarantee.
If you have any issue with the service, please contact Geek Squad Support on +1 (833) 351-2470
*Working days – Mon-Sat (08:00 – 19:00)
I refer to these types of emails as Invoice email scams or subscription email scams. These emails are designed to scare you and make you act on it without thinking. You see that your checking account has just been charged $789.23! At least according to the email. First things first, the email is NOT legit. This is a scam.
The email is phishing for information and wants you to call them to hand it over. In this case, they want you to call the number, and then they will “verify” your checking account information, or your credit card information. While they pretend to verify your information, you are handing them the keys to your financial kingdom.
This is a successful email because it doesn’t get picked up as spam. There isn’t any language in the email that is particularly spammy, and there are no links in the email for the spam filters to flag.
There are a few tell-tale signs that this is a phishing email though.
The grammar is poor One sure-fire way to tell an email isn’t legit is to pay attention to the language in the email. This sentence alone should be a red flag “Your account has been set for Auto Debit from your saved billing on the account in next 24 hours.”
CHECK: When you get an email that makes you think it could be spam, read through it VERY carefully and pay attention to the grammar errors.
The email scares you Anytime an attacker gets you to react before you think, they win. They try to make sure to get an emotional reaction from you right away, and fear is usually their “go-to”. In this email, the fear is that you just paid a LOT of money for something that you weren’t aware of or planning on. You want to make sure the email isn’t true, so your first reaction is to call them right away.
CHECK: If an email makes you want to react right away, stop for a minute, take a breath, and think about what the email is saying logically.
The email address looks strange This particular email came from a regular Gmail address. Something that is really coming from a company would have a company-branded email address like amazon.com. If it DOES have a legit-looking “from” address don’t take that as gospel that the email is legit. Email addresses can be spoofed so they appear to come from an address that the email doesn’t actually originate from.
CHECK: Expand the email header and look at the “from” and “to” addresses for any oddities.
If you are still unsure about the validity of the email you have received, you can open a web browser, or your phone and independently check your back account for any pending charges. Never click a link in a suspicious email though! always type in the URL yourself if you are unsure about a phishing email message.
Today a huge win for parents came in the form of an announcement from Google about some brand new parental controls for its YouTube application.
According to Google you are now able to set up Supervised YouTube accounts for your teens and tweens. Although, during this beta stage the option is only available for the Google Family supervised accounts that are under age 13.
For several years now, this age group has only been able to access YouTube Kids under their supervised accounts, so this opens up the standard YouTube app to them. With access to the main YouTube app, your children can explore a broader range of videos.
YouTube states that there are going to be three levels you can set for your tween.
- Explore: For children ready to move on from YouTube Kids and explore content on YouTube, this setting will feature a broad range of videos generally suitable for viewers ages 9+, including vlogs, tutorials, gaming videos, music clips, news, educational content, and more.
- Explore More: With content generally suitable for viewers ages 13+, this setting will include an even larger set of videos, and also live streams in the same categories as “Explore.”
- Most of YouTube: This setting will contain almost all videos on YouTube, except for age-restricted content, and it includes sensitive topics that may only be appropriate for older teens.
I love that there are levels here so you can move your child up to fewer restrictions as they prove themselves in the more restrictive settings. By the time your child is ready to leave the house, they should be able to manage themselves on the app if you’ve held their hand in the beginning and loosened the reigns over time.
Additionally, YouTube will be disabling personalized ads, and ads altogether in specific categories for supervised accounts. The company will also disable access to the comments for the videos as well. We all know that the comments section is probably the worst part of the whole application for many videos. Disabling these will definitely help keep kids safe when browsing videos.
The company did state that they may be working on a way to enable limited versions of comment creation and viewing, but during the beta, it will be completely disabled.
One of my favorite features of this new ability is access to a watch and search history for supervised accounts. This has been a long-awaited feature for many parents. Monitoring the content your child is viewing is important to help you have conversations with them about what is considered appropriate for your family.
My main concern right off the bat is whether they will be able to prevent the child from logging out of their supervised account. I will test it out and write a post on exactly how it works and if this ability is disabled. I think it would be a very important component to add if it’s not already there.
You can check out more information about the new features here.
I am thrilled Google is really trying to take this problem seriously, and I wish more applications would hop on board to help parents protect their children on their apps (I’m staring DIRECTLY AT YOU Instagram!)
We have apps that can do just about everything we want these days. Although, there are definitely some features I’d like to see added to some of my favorite productivity apps. The phrase “there’s an app for that” really holds true now. With the plethora of Facebook groups to choose from, you should be able to quickly find the best Facebook groups for your to join!
Now that social media connects, and sometimes disconnects us, you can find like-minded people anywhere you turn. There are trending hashtags in TikTok for Mom’s over 40, or people who love the show Friends. And while Reddit has been around for quite a while, many people still aren’t using the platform, especially Moms.
Where a lot of middle-aged women generally spend their social media time is Instagram and Facebook. While Instagram is pretty limited in the group interaction front, Facebook has really taken the lead here and become a great spot for like-minded people to gather and discuss various topics.
You can literally find the best Facebook groups for anything you are interested in. Hate MLM’s? join the Sounds like an MLM, but OK? Facebook group. Love skincare? There are about a thousand groups dedicated to that. Of course, if you have tech questions you need answers to, join Family Tech Help!
The truth of the matter is that there is literally a group for you to join no matter what you are passionate about and interested in.
You might be asking me now, “if there are a thousand skincare groups, which one should I join??” It’s a valid question. So here’s my 3 step guide to figuring out if a group is worth your time and effort.
How do I find the best Facebook groups to join? First, when you are in the Facebook app on your phone, tap the magnifying glass icon, and search for the topic you are interested in finding a group about. Tap the “Groups” tab and you should see a list of groups that have that word in the name of the group. You can also tap the “groups” next to the home button on your Facebook app.
If you don’t pull up groups right away, you can tap the “discover” icon in the Groups tab as well. As you browse through the different groups it will show you how many members it has and if you have any friends that are in the group. If you are browsing through groups you can also see how many posts a day the group averages.
What kinds of groups should I join? First, many neighborhoods have created their own Facebook group, and if there isn’t one for your specific neighborhood, maybe you should create one! It’s a great place to go when you are cleaning out your closet, or need to borrow some butter. Similarly, there is probably a Facebook group for the city you live in as well.
Other groups I like to join are support groups for various things. Whether you are trying to live on a budget, you have a chronic illness, or are in a stressful career, there’s definitely a Facebook group for you. My Crohns and Colitis group is one of my favorites, especially when I’m having tough symptoms.
Next, you can find groups that have similar interests as you like political or religious beliefs, sports you like to participate in like running, and SO MUCH MORE!
How many members are there? You don’t want to join a group that doesn’t have very many people and has very little interaction (meaning posts per day). Don’t completely judge a book by its cover though. If it’s a real niche topic it may have a lot of good information and not very many followers.
When a group gets too large it can become a little overwhelming to try and get answers to your questions, or to interact and find people to connect with. I think the sweet spot for a group is around 5000-20000 members. Once it gets above 20k, you get the same sorts of questions over and over again, and the group can become overwhelming and stale when only new people interact regularly.
What are the group rules and privacy settings? Prior to joining the group, you can also check out their rules and settings. Some groups are public, which means any posts you create in that group can also be viewed by anyone, and sometimes those posts will even show up in your friend’s feeds. If you can’t agree to the rules, it’s definitely not the group for you. To view them just tap on the group itself for some more details.
Once you find a group you want to join, click the “join” button. They may have some questions for you to verify you will follow the rules and that you are a real person. Make sure to fill out the answers to these questions. Most groups will reject you if you don’t answer the questions.
Enjoy your groups!
Most parents these days have the same complaint. Trying to manage kid’s cell phones is almost impossible. Of course there are many solutions to this problem, and generally you need to use at least a couple parental control tools to get the job done properly, but the operating system manufacturers seem to be bent on making this process as difficult as possible.
I know that both Apple and Google have their own parental control platforms. You can add parental controls on an iphone through the built-in iOS Screen Time settings, but it is lacking some very key features and is frequently failing or not working. Similarly, the free parental controls for Android devices is called Google Family Link and also lacks some features.
I generally recommend parents use these built-in controls in addition to 3rd party parental control apps like Bark and Boomerang Parental Controls. One of the things I love the most about technology, and the reason I prefer using Android devices, is that I can choose how to use it. If I want to use a 3rd party app to control my children’s devices, I should be able to do so.
Here is where the problem starts, and both companies are guilty of limiting 3rd party apps that offer parental controls. Apple devices are just plain hard to monitor and manage. Most of the 3rd party apps can’t even monitor an iPhone as well as they can with an Android device. This is due to the privacy and security built into iOS.
The 3rd party parental control apps have to come up with creative ways to monitor the device, like using a computer to scan through the iPhone backup. This doesn’t help if your child deletes texts when they are away from home. With Android devices, generally, texts and other social media apps can be monitored in real-time.
Recently, though, my favorite parental control app has been flagged by Google as a malicious application because it prevents uninstallation. This feature is incredibly important for a parental control app, so your children can’t uninstall the application.
Boomerang has been approved in the Samsung Galaxy Play store, and even installations from there are being flagged and automatically uninstalled or disabled from children’s devices.
I recently got a message from my daughter notifying me of the situation. Luckily, my child is honest enough to let me know the parental control app was no longer working, but this could be a really bad situation for parents with kids who are a little more sneaky.
JP, the co-founder of Boomerang has been appealing to Google for months, and his pleas seem to fall on deaf ears. This is completely unacceptable. One quick look from Google will find that this app is NOT malicious and is helping parents monitor and manage their children’s devices. In fact, disabling access to 3rd party apps and enforcing the use of their own parental controls could land both Apple and Google with monopoly lawsuits.
Even JP’s pleas via Twitter are going unheard by Google, like this one.
So, my question to both Apple and Google is what are you afraid of? Do you hate parents? Many kids are getting smartphone devices these days. Typically children are getting smartphones by Junior High now, and several kids are getting them even earlier than that.
Parents are desperate for choices in how they want to monitor and manage the device, and offering choices will only help parents feel more comfortable giving their children devices. Isn’t the goal for both companies to sell more devices? Making it difficult to manage only pushes parents to find other solutions like the Pinwheel.
My plea to Apple and Google is to put parental control apps in their own category in the app store and play store. This category should be tested and managed by real people, not AI, to determine if the app is ok to appear in the store or not. These apps should allow access into the guts of social media and communication apps and video apps like YouTube, and the operating systems need to allow it.
Give parents choices, and let parental control apps have more access so parents can use these apps to help teach their kids proper use of technology.
The recent pandemic has been causing a lot of companies to pivot their business model. The restaurant and entertainment industry has definitely been the hardest hit. Other companies have seen their business take off in ways they could have never predicted. I’m looking at you Phone Soap.
Samsung is one of those companies that have seen a significant shift in the way we are living our lives stuck at home. People are cooking more, stocking up on food, and generally just around the house more than they have ever been.
The company recently launched a new campaign that is featuring this fact. This new campaign “demonstrates how Samsung home appliances empower people to live lives that are more creative, flexible, and connected than ever before.” According to Samsung, “These days, Americans are cooking at a scale not seen in 50 years. For many, cooking has evolved from a necessity to a passion. In fact, 71% of Americans—and 80% of Gen Zers—are trying new recipes.”
An interesting statistic Samsung shared with the press during this campaign announcement was that prior to COVID 5% of households with children were cooking more than 10 hours per week. NOW over 12% of the same demographic are cooking more than 10 hours a week. That is a HUGE jump!
One highlight of this new campaign is a new Front-Control Slide-In Range.
The range looks quite a bit like my current Samsung Convection oven with an Induction cook-top. One key difference is this has gas burners, and now features the currently hugely popular “air-fry” mode. During the pandemic so many people have gone out and purchased a separate air-fryer. Seeing this trend, Samsung has included the option inside this range, so “you can quickly prepare your favorite fried foods right in your oven. Now you no longer need to store that extra appliance, so you can save some precious cabinet or countertop space.”
Another feature that will help people take the guess work out of cooking is the new Smart Dial. This feature will learn your behavior and create shortcuts to your cooking preferences, which will simplify your menu settings. For someone like me, who isn’t the greatest cook, I use maybe 3-4 options on my current range. If I only had to pick between those, it would make cooking so much smoother.
From smart mops to smart ovens, Samsung has definitely gone to work to find the right tools to help modern parents during this Pandemic. I love this video they created to help show how the world is changing during this strange year.
It’s really great to see companies involved in finding out what is making families tick during 2020 and adjusting their game plan to fit current needs. Can’t wait to see what else Samsung has in store!
Disclaimer: While all of my current major appliances are Samsung, I paid for them all myself, and was not sponsored or compensated in any way for this post.