Author Archives: Marje

My son has discovered the joy of Skylanders.  Skylanders is an E rated video game that he plays on his Wii.  He loves it.  He plays alone or with a friend.  He would play all day long if I let … Continue reading →

Missing the Point For the past 5 years we have been recommending waiting until age 15 or 16 for access to Facebook, Twitter or MySpace.  Usually kids and parents tell us we are out of our minds.  Recently, however, we … Continue reading →

A mother of a 5th grader called me recently to say she finally gave in and let her son buy Call of Duty: Black Ops.   I hear this a lot from parents who feel overwhelmed by their 9-12 year old … Continue reading →

The New York Times recently wrote an article http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/garden/beyblades-a-japanese-phenomenon-invade-american-homes.html?emc=eta1 about the phenomenon of BeyBlades.  BeyBlades is a game where kids launch plastic and metal tops in stadiums.  The last top standing wins.  It is hugely popular among elementary school aged … Continue reading →

It seems harder to say NO to kids today.   I see it in parent presentations when parents ask me for advice on what to do when their children won’t listen to their rules for technology.   I see it in the … Continue reading →

I showed a group of 4th graders an old black dial/rotary phone.  I asked the group to tell me what that phone could not do.  Hands shot up and they excitedly answered: speed dial, move around, surf the Internet, text, … Continue reading →

When speaking to parents I like to tell them that Internet Safety is not about technology, it is, in fact, all about parenting.  The other night while saying this to a crowded room, a woman jumped to her feet and … Continue reading →

I met recently with groups of 9th and 12th grade boys about technology use.  The boys were polite, respectful and for the most part engaged in the discussion.  When asked what they were doing online, both groups of boys listed … Continue reading →

A good friend called me recently to brainstorm how to handle a Facebook problem.   My friend is Facebook “friends” with her 15-year-old nephew and came across a posting that worried her.  Her nephew had written about having a crush on … Continue reading →

While speaking to a group of parents recently about social networks, a parent at the end of the presentation stood up to ask a question. “Why” she asked, “aren’t more parents outraged at the issues facing our children online?” The … Continue reading →