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Apple’s Screen Time app to help curb screen addiction

Apple Screen Time iPhone Addiction

Apple’s Screen Time to Help iPhone Addiction

At the latest WWDC 2018 Conference, Apple announce a few upcoming iOS 12 apps to help curb our iPhone screen addiction. Screen addiction and it’s negative affects on both children and adults is widely documented. It’s also not as well known that many tech execs including Steve Jobs severely limited their own kids from using their own devices due to it’s addictive effects.

The new Apple Screen Time App will allow you to see how much time you are spending on your iPhone and what you apps you are spending time on. It will also allow parents to limit their children’s use of apps by putting specific time limits for individual apps. For example you can put an hour limit on Facebook or an hour limit on Snapchat or a game app. You can also designate “downtime” where the device will be blocked and can only be used if they request permission. Of course you can do it for yourself as well!

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New teen study shows more phone use leads to unhappiness

Anti-social teenagers on phones

New study on teenager phone usage and unhappiness

A new study on teen smartphone usage from San Diego State University showed that teens who spent more time on their smartphones were markedly unhappier. Professor Jean M. Twenge, Gabrielle Martin and W. Keith Campbell analyzed data of a survey given to more than a million U.S. 8th, 10th, and 12th graders. This survey asked the youth about their phone, tablet and computer usage as well as various questions about their happiness, relationships and social interactions. The study showed that teens who spent more time on the screen, whether playing games, browsing the internet, using social media, or watching videos, were considerably less happy than those who spend more time playing sports, reading books or participate in other face to face social activities.

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More Advertising Leading to More E-Cigarette Use Among Teens

E-cigarettes - Vaping by Teens

Did you know that almost 7 in 10 middle and high school students are exposed to e-cigarette ads. E-cigarettes are now the most popular tobacco product among children. E-cigarette advertising dollars have risen from $6.4 million in 2011 to $115 million in 2014. In high school the use of e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days have gone from 1.5% to 13.4% during that timeframe.

A 2015 study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that teens who saw a e-cigarettes ad on TV were 43% more likely to say they would try e-cigarettes than were teens who did not see the ads.

“It is unacceptable that e-cigarette advertising remains unrestricted,” American Heart Assn. Chief Executive Nancy Brown said in a statement. “Kids are encountering these ads virtually everywhere – in stores, online, in newspapers and magazines, and on television and in movies. And the sad truth is, it’s working.”

“The U.S. Surgeon General has found that tobacco and nicotine are not safe, and nicotine negatively impacts adolescent brain development and has been associated with lasting cognitive and behavioral impairments, including effects on working memory and attention in youth.”

E-cigarette Teen Use - Advertising

In a survey of 41,551 high school students in 377 schools around the country, 8th and 10th graders were twice as likely to have used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days then regular cigarettes. Not only do these e-cigarettes come in fun flavors like cotton candy and apple pie, it’s popularity may have been spurred by popular perception among teens that e-cigarettes do not harm their health. For example among 8th graders, only 15% viewed e-cigarettes to be harmful for them versus 62% believed regular cigarettes had harmful effects.

E-cigarette advertising is still not regulated. This has to change.

Everyone should be mindful that that e-cigarettes are very prevalent both in high school and in middle school. E-cigarettes do not leave the smell of “smoke” thus it would be easy for parents to be unaware of it’s use by their children. It is also important that parents educate their children on how harmful nicotine is to their brain development.

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How Our Kids Perceive Beauty In The Modern World

Beauty Perception of Children

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what if your young daughter is the beholder and she’s being manipulated by clever, yet misleading, advertisements to form her perception? Until recently, almost all popular fashion and beauty billboards have painted long, lean and skinny women who are accessorized by expensive clothes and handbags as the beauty norm. But thanks to the beauty industry’s evolving agenda and big brands backing the efforts (the real life portrayals of young women in the Dove Campaign For Real Beauty is one example) today’s modern girl is beginning to feel more confident embracing her version of beauty and style. Young minds will likely be tempted by how media outlets present beauty, but below are a few tips to help your daughter feel happy in her own skin when she’s struggling most.

1. Experiencing big body changes

Puberty is a whole mess of changes and hormones. While we can hopefully chuckle at those days, for your daughter, the experience is happening now and is a very real weight on her self-esteem. If your daughter is feeling conscientious about the changes she’s going through—maybe all of her friends are taller and developing faster or maybe she’s breaking out and can’t wear makeup yet. This is a great time to help her bust through the one-size-fits-all approach to beauty. You can’t tell her enough how bright her eyes sparkle or how amazing her hair is; research shows that positive encouragement from parents positively influences children’s self-perceptions.

2. Glasses are in, but contacts boost self-esteem in teens

Most teenagers who experience eyesight issues are psyched that glasses are in style, and could spend hours online finding their favorite styles. Some kids still feel self-conscious wearing eyeglasses though, and might find a big self-esteem boost when allowed to choose contact lenses, according to optometrist researcher, Jeffrey J. Walline, from Ohio State University’s College of Optometry. By the end of his study, he found that kids wearing contact lenses were more confident about their appearance and athletic performances. Your optometrist will help your daughter find the perfect pair of contact lenses for her needs. If you’re a busy parent, order her contact lens prescription online. Internet retailers like Vision Direct even have auto-reorder features that make keeping fresh contacts on hand effortless. When they arrive, help her practice putting them in so she feels comfortable and confident.

3. Weighing in

In the past, everyone wanted to diet and lose weight to become the ultra-skinny envy of their friends and family. Unfortunately, body image experts say the “thin ideal” is still in. With today’s pressure, the new beautiful is to still be thin, but also super fit. Let’s face it, no matter how much some of us work out, the bone structure we were born with is not going to budge and that tiny waist/curvy butt combo is fought down by genetics. If your daughter struggles with her perception of weight—whether she thinks she is over or underweight—assure her that regular exercise makes her beautiful because she’s engaging in a life-long healthy activity. Encourage her to find fitness she actually enjoys doing though.

Show her how powerful the media is by showing her pictures of what beautiful was in the ’60s and ’70s. She’ll be surprised when you show her people once thought a woman holding a cigarette was “beautiful” because that’s what popular media convinced them to believe. Unhealthy habits can often be glamorized, and just helping create awareness will help your daughter begin raising her own questions about what beauty really is to her.

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Covenant Eyes Introduces Family Pricing

Covenant Eyes Internet AccountabilityCovenant Eyes Introduced Family Pricing

Covenant Eyes introduced a big pricing change this week that can save families quite a bit of money. Families can now pay a flat rate of $12.99 which comes with unlimited Covenant Eyes usernames for each of their family members and those they deem appropriate. This is great for those with several children they want to protect (or for families who were trying to save money by sharing usernames!). You can also add filtering to any username at no additional costs.

What is Covenant Eyes?

Covenant Eyes is an excellent internet accountability and filtering solution for any family. Great for both monitoring your children as well as keeping even the adults accountable to what they visit on the always precarious internet and for how long. How does it work? Simple. You install a small program that helps monitor your internet use. You pick your accountability friend(s) (or if you are a parent, you pick yourself on your children’s accounts). Then if you or your children happen to visit a questionable site, it will let the friend you chose know via email. Having that extra layer of protection can be invaluable for many. It is also a great way to curb the dangers of the internet for your children. You can also filter bad sites or if you choose, choose times your children will not be able to access the internet (think past midnight).

For a more extensive review, read our article: Covenant Eyes Internet Protection

Covenant Eyes: Highly Recommended

If you are concerned about your children’s internet use and what they may be exposed to on the internet, I highly recommend you try out this solution.

Check out these sobering stats:

  • Americans spend over 20hrs a week surfing the net.
  • Teens spend over 31hrs per week online
  • The average age of a child’s first internet exposure to pornography is 11yrs old
  • Largest consumers of internet pornography are ages 12-17
  • Over 50% of teens, 30% of children surf without supervision

If you want more information about Covenant Eyes or want to try it for one month FREE, following this link: Covenant Eyes 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

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How Facebook can Hurt Teen’s Chances for College

Facebook LogoDid you know that last year, Facebook changed the minimum age requirement for joining Facebook to 13 years old?

Yet a survey in 2012 showed that 38% of children on Facebook were actually under 13. In fact over 5 million users were under 10 years old!

So what’s the big deal? Teens are at a time in their neural development where they are more likely to take risks and not consider the full reach of the consequences. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the still-growing teenage brain causes teens to engage in risky behavior and act impulsively. It is no different in their user of social media. Ok so, they post a few bad pictures up on the web or they say inappropriate or explicit “teen” things on the web, what has that got to do with college?

Are Colleges looking at Social Media?

The application process for college has always been extremely competitive. Good grades and high SAT scores matter a lot, but so does extracurricular activities, a great essay, world experiences and so on. But with so many similar applicants and rising competitiveness, it is becoming more commonplace for admission officers to visit social media sites in order to gain additional information on their applicants. With the growth of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram among many social media outlets, teenagers are laying out their lives all over the net making it easier for admission officers (and in the future, job interviewers) to get a deeper look into a person’s character. In a recent 2013 survey of admissions officers by Kaplan Test Prep, they found 31 percent of the admission officers visited an applicant’s Facebook or social networking page. This is a whopping 3x more than in 2008.

Social Media Documents Everything

Unlike their parents, when teens make poor decision in life, often it is marked on the internet forever. It doesn’t simply disappear like it did for past generations. One bad picture or comment can haunt them for a long time. Teens need to be careful and recognize that what they do now can have repercussions for many years to come. Simply posting and deleting a image from Facebook or other online medium does not mean it is gone forever. It still can get picked up on the web, get caught in cache, stored in social media company servers, or copied by other readers.

Of course social media isn’t evil in itself. if your social media presence shows you are an upstanding individual with many awards and good extracurricular involvement, it can be for your benefit.

Related Post: Internet Accountability for Children

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Santa Claus is Dead. Amazon is the New Santa.

Santa Claus is dead. Amazon is the New Santa. – Clean Cut Media

Sorry kids, Santa Claus is just pen name for Amazon.

This image below needs very little explanation.

We are in a brave new world folks.

What is the first word that comes to your mind when you see this image?

Children Santa Letter Amazon Internet

ps. for those who are dying to know what that gift is.. it’s a $20 remote controlled car.

pps. also it came to light that this letter was not written by a kid at all but a comedian.

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Sobering Cyberbulling Statistics [Infographic]

Sobering Cyber Bullying Statistics

1 in 6 teens are cyberbullied.

Teens who are cyberbullied are 3,5x more likely to attempt suicide than those who aren’t bulled.

Cyberbullying is defined as the “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell
phones, and other electronic devices.” Currently 80% of teens are on cell phones and on social media sites giving them the almost unhindered ability to communicate with one another for good or bad. The most sobering of them all is the higher likelihood of suicide from those cyberbullied than those who are not, or even bullied off-line. Check out this cyberbulling infographic below.

cyberbullying online infographic

More Cyberbullying Thoughts

Cyberbullying is a real problem that often goes unnoticed by parents. We all remember our childhood and the cruelty the young are capable of. Just imagine the same thing played out online where users can be anonymous and the stage is not just 1 or 2 kids but the entire school. In previous studies some have shown that 1 in 4 kids have been targets of cyberbullying and 2 of 3 teens have witnessed cruel behavior online. Yet only 10% of parents are aware that their own teens are on the receiving end of these cyberbullying behaviors. This cannot happen.

Cyberbullying Statistics

  • 1 in 6 (16.2%) of teens are cyber bullied [22.1% girls / 10.8% boys]
  • 18.6% of white [25.9% girls / 11.8% boys]
  • 8.9% of blacks [11% girls / 6.9% boys]
  • 13.6% of hispanics [18% girls / 9.5% boys]
  • 15.5% of 9th graders [22.6% girls / 8.9% boys]
  • 18% of 10th graders [24.2% girls / 12.6% boys]
  • 16% of 11th graders [19.8% girls / 12.4% boys]
  • 15% of 12th graders [21.5% girls / 8.8% boys]

Off-line bullying rates

  • 1 in 5 are bullied offline [22% girls / 18% boys]

Top 15 Highest Cyberbullying Rates by State

  1. New Hampshire [21.6%]
  2. Maine [19.7%]
  3. South Dakota [19.6%]
  4. Montana [19.2%]
  5. Indiana [18.7%]
  6. Wyoming [18.7%]
  7. Louisiana [18%]
  8. Michigan [18%]
  9. Kentucky [17.4%],
  10. North Dakota [17.4%]
  11.  Idaho [17%]
  12. Arkansas [16.7%]
  13. Utah [16.6%]
  14. Wisconsin [16.6%],
  15. Iowa [16.8%],

Current Cyberbullying Laws

  • 49/50 states have bullying laws (Montana does not)
  • 47/50 include electronic harassment.
  • 44/50 include school sanctions.
  • 18/50 specifically include “cyberbullying”
  • 12/50 include criminal sanctions.

cyberbullying childCyberbulling and Suicide Correlations

  • Teenagers who are cyberbullied are 3 times more likely to commit suicide.
  • Teenagers who are traditionally bullied are 2 times more likely to commit suicide.

Suicide attempts that require treatment:

  • 1.5% for youths not bullied
  • 2.3% for youths physically bullied
  • 5.4% for youths cyberbullied
  • 6% for youths physically and cyberbullied
  • Only 1/10 victims ask their parents for help.
  • Leaving 9/10 to deal with the abuse alone.

Tips for Parents against Cyberbulling

Tips for Educators against Cyberbulling

  • Teach that cyberbullying is wrong.
  • Listen and respond to all reports of bullying.
  • Have students work on projects against cyberbullying.
  • Have a system for complaints to be documented.
  • Host speakers on the topic of bullying.
  • Ensure that school is a safe place; free from cyberbullying.

Chime In: What Cyberbulling Statistic is the most Sobering to you?

  • Have you or your children ever been targets of cyberbulling?
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Facebook Now Allows Teens to Post Publicly

Facebook Like Dislike Image

Facebook allows Teenagers to Post Publically

Facebook is now allowing teenagers of age 13 to 17 to post publicly and get followers on their profiles. Previously, teens were not allowed to post publicly. They were only able to share content with friends, friends of friends and custom groups. Now teenagers are allowed to post anything they’d like for the whole world to see.

Facebook LogoGood Idea or Bad Idea?
Like or Dislike?

On a Facebook blog post: “Teens are among the savviest people using of social media, and whether it comes to civic engagement, activism, or their thoughts on a new movie, they want to be heard… While only a small fraction of teens using Facebook might choose to post publicly, this update now gives them the choice to share more broadly, just like on other social media services.”

The change happened on Wed (10/16). It does not affect historical posts.

Can 13-17 Year Olds Discern the Dangers?

We know the dangers of Facebook especially for children. How one bad photo can haunt you for the rest of your life. One piece of information you probably shouldn’t have shared leading to destroyed reputations or even burglary of homes. Inappropriate links shared by other friends. Will 13-17 year olds have the discernment to discriminately know what is publicly appropriate to post on Facebook and what can cause trouble down the line? Do they know how best to protect their privacy?

Good Idea or Bad Idea?
Like or Dislike?

Chime in below!

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Internet Protection & Accountability: Covenant Eyes Review

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability

The average age of child’s first exposure to internet pornography is 11 years old

Did you know…

  • Americans spend over 20hrs a week surfing the net.
  • Teens spend over 31hrs per week online
  • The average age of a child’s first internet exposure to pornography is 11yrs old
  • The largest consumers of internet pornography are ages 12-17
  • Over 50% of teens, 30% of children surf without supervision
  • 92% of children already have an online presence

Covenant Eyes is an excellent internet accountability & filtering solution. It’s great both for monitoring your children as well as accountability for adults. It’s simple. You can pick accountability partners you trust whether that be a parent, a friend, or a mentor. If you visit a questionable site, it’ll let your friend know. Trust me, it is a really strong and helpful preventive measure that can save you or someone you love from a lot of heartache and shame whether it be with spending too much time on the internet, visiting inappropriate sites or pornography that leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Parents! Protect your Children Now!

Parents! It is also a great way to regulate internet use for your kids. Whether on desktops, laptops, iphones or itouches, children and teens now have unfettered access to the internet and we all know how dangerous that could be. Did you know 55% of teens own an iPhone which gives them direct access to the internet. Many who are younger have iTouches. Covenant Eyes has a great filtering program to block bad sites as well as gives parents the ability to limit internet hours. It really is a great peace of mind for the parents as well as can save a child from the numerous dangerous and inappropriate sites on the web. Perhaps it will also get them off the computer and play some sports or actually talk to someone offline.

Covenant Eyes also allows group accounts, so open an account together as a family or with a group of friends to take advantage of the discounted prices. One person can open the account and others can add onto the first account. It’s super cheap too.

If you do not have accountability or filtering solutions, I strongly urge you to give it a go. You can always cancel if it isn’t for you, but why not protect yourself and your family. Some basic details below. Covenant eyes is both an accountability software and a filtering system.

Interested? Use this link to TRY COVENANT EYES

Covenant Eyes Accountability Software

  • Monitors and reports internet use
  • Each site is rated (T for Teen, M for Mature etc)
  • Reports are sent to a person(s) you choose: a parent, friend, mentor, etc
  • Use reports to have conversations about online dangers
  • Available for Windows/Macs, Androids, iPhones, Tablets, iPads etc

Covenant Eyes Filtering Software

  • Blocks inappropriate content
  • customizable block/allow lists
  • Decide the amount of time the web may be accessed
  • Choose the times of day the web may be accessed
  • Available for Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch

Covenant Eyes Internet Accountability

How Does Covenant Eyes Work?

1) Set it up

  • Create a Covenant Eyes account
  • Download the software on devices you want to protect
  • Covenant Eyes will monitor internet use and rates sites that are visited

2) Get accountability reports

  • Covenant Eyes sends reports to your accountability partner you choose (parent, friend etc)
  • Reports will show how you are using the web

3) Be Accountable

  • Any red flags and inappropriate sites will be flagged
  • An accountability partner can keep you accountable with a simple email or quick call.

4) Experience Freedom

  • Remove secrecy and experience freedom.
  • Uphold your values, and be able to resist bad sites or overloading on the web.

So give Covenant Eyes a try. It really may be the best thing you did for yourself and your family. Don’t be naive about what kind of content your children are exposed to. Most children first get exposed to online pornography at the average age of 11. That is the average, meaning many are exposed even younger. The endless inappropriate videos on youtube that go viral grow at an alarming rate. Don’t get caught off guard. It’s a great way to keep them safe as well as yourself.

Interested? Use this link to TRY COVENANT EYES. Nice. Protection & Savings.

  • Are you a Covenant Eyes user? Tell us your experience. How has it been helpful?

Update: Covenant Eyes has introduced family pricing.

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Are Teenagers bored of Facebook? [Infographic]

Are Teenagers bored of Facebook?

Did you know…

  • Facebook usage among teens in the US has declined 7% in the last 6 months?
  • Facebook users are getting older?
  • Tumblr has become the biggest player in teen usage?
  • Mothers are taking over Facebook!?

Amidst the article after article describing the growth of social media or the ill-effects of Facebook on children, there are some statistics that suggest we are seeing a shift away from a Facebook dominated world. As more mothers come onto Facebook and it becomes more popular among the young, the ever “trendy” teens may be seeking other venues to share their lives. Instagram, SnapChat, and Tumbler are being adopted quickly especially as more and more teens are being granted smartphones and thus constantly connected to the internet.

Enjoy this, bright and slightly nauseating infographic from Right Mix Marketing.

  • What social media app do you use the most?
  •  Have you unfriend your parents before?

Teens Facebook Social Media Use

[poll id=”17″]

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What Happens Online in 60 Seconds [Infographic]

Online in 60 Seconds Infographic

In our hyperconnected world and ever growing presence of social media, the question is asked – what exactly happens online in any given minute? How about…

  • 2 million searches on Google
  • 72 hours of video uploaded on youtube
  • 1.8 million likes on facebook
  • 11,000 searches on linkedin
  • 20 million photo views on flickr
  • 278,000 tweets on twitter
  • 204 Million emails sent
  • $83,000 worth of Sales on Amazon

see what else below!

  • Which online activity statistic do  you contribute to the most?

Online Internet 60 Seconds Infographic
Infographic by Qmee

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