Blog | Screentime Advice for Parents | Julia Storm

Aching to See A Brighter Digital Future for Our Children? Read on...

A lot of the parents I meet and work with tell me they feel not just overwhelmed by parenting in the digital age, but also helpless and hopeless. There is this pervasive feeling that the problem is too big, that we have no say and very little control over how technology modifies our children’s lives. I too slip into this feeling, but I want to share with you the amazing people and organizations that fuel my hope and my resolve that the internet can and will become a better place for kids to inhabit in the future. Let’s take a look…

How To Help Your Kid Assess What's Real Or Fake Online

Why are our kids SOOOO susceptible to believing fake stories that circulate online? The truth is they’re not alone, adults are susceptible too and it all has to do with basic human psychology. These are my top tips for teaching your child how to suss out when something feels fishy online and how to do their research before believing (and sharing!).

8 Simple Steps to Make YouTube Safer for Kids

Every parent knows that in this day and age YouTube can provide quick, easy and free content for kids – but it can also be a potentially dangerous and inappropriate rabbit hole. Let’s review eight simple steps you can take to make YouTube less of a minefield for your young viewer.

My Manga and Anime Primer for Parents

Initially, like many parents I suspect, I knew virtually nothing about manga or anime. It wasn’t long, however, before I started to notice that many of the themes and images my kids were being exposed to were a little bit more adult than what I was expecting. I found myself wondering..’is manga and anime appropriate for kids?’ Because I am a researcher at heart, I dove in to try to understand and explore this new world they were frequenting.

Parent Tips, Keeping Kids SafeJulia StormSeptember 1, 2021manga, anime, shonen, shoujoComment

Why I’ve Chosen Pinwheel as the best ‘First Phone’ Choice

Finally a first phone option I can honestly get behind! Meet Pinwheel. Pinwheel is a smartphone designed for kids by parents who weren’t happy with the tech options already out there. The Pinwheel phone is more than just a smartphone, it’s a tool created to help support you and your family introduce technology to your kids and teens in a healthy, non-addictive way.

The Red Flags Every Child Needs to Know to Spot an Online Predator

Kids are spending way more time online in the past year and for many this means time in multiplayer games, online chat forums or social media platforms where strangers and friends mingle. If your child is spending time in Roblox, Minecraft, Discord, TikTok or any other social platform, they need to learn how to spot a potential child predator early.

Keeping Kids Safe, Parent Tips, Digital CitizenshipJulia StormMarch 22, 2021online safety, predators, multiplayer, social mediaComment

Teens are Buying Drugs on Social Media - Here's What You Should Know

When we were teenagers buying drugs meant venturing into uncomfortable and potentially dangerous situations - a natural deterrent. But these days, with social media acting as the intermediary, getting drugs is as easy as 1-2-3. Let’s look at where/how kids are getting a hold of drugs and how we as parents can help keep them safe.

Health and Wellbeing, Keeping Kids Safe, Parent TipsJulia StormFebruary 16, 2021ReConnect Consultingsocial media, teenagers, drugsComment

My Super Duper Round Up of Books about Online Safety to Give to Your Kids!

You guys asked for it so here it is. My big list of books FOR KIDS about online safety, managing online drama, pornography, video games and tons of other subjects that you can read with your kids or simply gift to them. Spanning age 4 up to 18 this list will hopefully offer a little something for everyone and is a great way to get difficult conversations going through reading - one of my very favorite offline activities!

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