Is Social Media the Devil? And More...
#NEWSLETTER | The tech industry is always a decade + ahead of us, which means for all the peacocking in front of Congress last week social media is in the rearview mirror. What that means to kids...
LAST WEEK big tech visited Congress to talk about social media and children. It was largely symbolic, because for all of the show (…including Mark Zuckerberg being prodded to get up and apologize publicly to families) there is no sign of regulatory changes on the horizon. Why? Well, it’s too late. The industry has moved on. So, we need to teach our kids instead how to manage their digital footprint because the future danger is now how their data is being siphoned and used to create something even bigger and more (potentially) disruptive. But it can be empowering too — we can show kids the power they have over their data and include them in the discussions around what’s next.
Now that GOOGLE CLASSROOM is used in millions of classrooms, SURPRISE AI is being rolled out! While many families are still catching up as it is 🙋🏼♀️ with what a post-Covid digital classroom looks like, Google has moved right into nestling AI tools into its suite of services. Now this doesn’t mean we should be alarmed and immediately prepare for battle, per se, but parents should start to engage and better understand how Google is using AI in the classroom, and in Chromebooks, and how to harness its potential while avoiding pitfalls.
Oh look, a new $3,500 toy! This week APPLE LAUNCHED its new Vision Pro device. The mysterious illuminated shape outside of Apple stores last week was no doubt immediately recognizable to kids on top the impending launch of Apple’s “mixed reality headset.” While it’s not a new concept, Apple bringing to life an “immersive” computing capability is notable for many reasons not the least of which its brand acumen. There is actually an interesting upside to “augmented” reality and its possibility for encouraging engagement with our physical world. It’s something I actually wrote about in 2017. But considering its currently out-of-reach price point there is time to talk with kids about what it could mean to their future.
This Week’s Tips & Tricks
(Each week I’ll share ways to engage and educate kids, protect our data, and embrace the opportunity of new technology. Have an idea? Let me know!)
Check out Consumer Report’s “Permission Slip” app. The useful app shows what information you are “consenting to” when signing up for websites and services. It also allows you to send a notice to delete, or a request to not sell, your data. At the very least it’s an excellent exercise in understanding what you are giving up when signing up and how to mitigate.
Stop making it so easy! Do you sigh and say “well they have all of my info anyway, why start now?” Well don’t. You shouldn’t immediately just give in to sharing every bit of data about your life. Imagine if we all stopped making it easy and started to really understand and value the exchange we are making? This is something I will repeat a lot. So what does it mean in practical terms? You don’t need to give your exact birthday (unless we are talking a bank or government site). You can turn off tracking. You don’t need to accept cookies. And so on. Not making it “easy” means reclaiming your power. Give it a try.
Question everything — especially sensitive medical/mental health “pre-registration” questions. New York City launched a co-branded service for teens in partnership with mental telehealth business Talkspace. Well, it had a sneaky little “feature” that was downright alarming. And while we hope that NYC addresses the problem pronto, it has served as a great lesson about vetting sensitive services. Read more about what it could mean to you and your family.
Have a thought? I would love to hear from you…