Withholding screens as punishment

What parents need to know about tech and sleep

While tech has become integrated in the lives of parents and teens, there are positives and negatives that come with it. One problem? When our handheld devices affect our sleep – and this is a particular issue for teens.

So, you want to become a parenting influencer

If you are a parent and you’ve been thinking of starting a blog, writing for parenting magazines, or becoming a social media influencer in the parent sphere, keep reading.

Filters, social media, our kids and ourselves

A few years ago, I mostly stopped using filters on my Instagram photos and stories. I had been using ones that weren’t intentionally changing the way I looked - or at least, I wasn’t trying too hard for that. I was selecting ones that bettered my lighting or made me look less tired.

Advertising is changing – how is it affecting us and our kids? 

Advertising has been constant for years even when it shows up in different media. But are people becoming more conscious of ads (especially with efforts to not target kids) or has the integration of ads into social media and influencer marketing made them harder to spot?

Building Better Tech Habits: A Guide to Digital Well-being

Screen time is one of parents’ top tech-related concerns, according to MediaSmarts’ research, and it’s the most common source of tech-related conflict between parents and young people in Canada. Kids are worried about their screen use too: almost half say they spend too much time on their phones.

A parent’s take on Instagram’s new Teen Accounts 

Instagram just announced that they are introducing Teen Accounts - with security features built in, parental controls and more. They tell us it’s for parental peace of mind. Will these new features make it safer for kids? And will they help this parent with their peace of mind?

Movie soundtrack albums – a lost art

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Which movie soundtracks did you own when you were younger? Do you still stream them or purchase them?

Family bonding through the emotional journey of the Wicked soundtrack

Last month, I wrote an article about how I felt as though movie soundtracks aren’t as popular as they used to be. Sure, some do well via streaming services, but once upon a time, many of us were collecting soundtracks to play over and over again (likely while we also had the movie poster on our bedroom walls).

Raising Digitally Resilient Kids

The Raising Digitally Resilient Kids parent workshop outlines how parents and guardians can support children’s well-being and help them balance the risks and benefits of digital media. Based on insights from MediaSmarts’ research with youth, the workshop provides an overview of online risk categories and provides resources and essential strategies that participants can take to manage these risks.