Cyberwise Chats

In early 2022, two teen boys took their own lives due to "sextortion." This is a form of blackmail in which the attacker threatens to send intimate images or videos of the victim to others if they do not pay them or give them additional images or videos. Although this can happen to anyone of any age or gender, attackers tend to target younger victims and in March of this year, the FBI warned of an...

Online life is complex and the list of topics kids should know about and understand includes everything from misinformation, disinformation, sexting, cyberbullying, deep fakes, stereotypes, plagiarism, web search, personal information, copyright, and much more. Digital literacy IS today’s literacy and kids unequipped with it are woefully unprepared for digital life. In this webinar we discuss how...

Just when you thought kids couldn't possibly spend more time with screens, a new study from Common Sense Media finds screen time is up 17% for tweens and teens since the start of the pandemic. And that doesn’t include time spent attending school virtually and doing homework. In this Cyberwise Chat, we dive in to the different ways kids use screens and address the million dollar question: How much...

If you think TikTok is just a fun, lip-synching, dancing app, think again. Millions of young people getting real-time information—sometimes quite graphic— about the war in Ukraine from the platform. Some posts have earned millions of likes and hundreds of thousands of comments. Even the White House has taken note of TikTok as a prominent news source about the war, recently inviting 30 top TikTok i...

Along with exciting and positive ways of connecting, social media also exposes youth to new risks—like cyberbullying, sexting, misinformation, political polarization, inappropriate content, predators, mining of personal information, possible impact to self-esteem, and more. Most parents are aware of these risks, but are less knowledgeable about what they can do to make social media safer. In this...

For many teens during the pandemic, the only option to maintain and forge new relationships with their peers has been via their devices. This includes romantic relationships. Understandably, teens are flirting, “dating,” and even meeting potential partners online. In this Chat, we’ll talk about what parents can do to ensure their kids have safe and healthy online relationships. We’ll cover the mos...

When Facebook rebranded itself as “Meta” last October, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to develop a massive “metaverse.” Broadly, this will be an immersive digital world accessed through virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (VR) devices. Still confused? Think “Ready Player One"! What the "metaverse" means for the youngest and most vulnerable potential users—children—is the topic of this...

From an iPhone to Nintendo Switch, a tablet to a smartwatch, what's on your child's wishlist? And more importantly, is your child ready for the responsibility many of these tech gifts demand? In this Chat we answer your questions about tech-readiness and how to prepare your child for the gadgets they're wishing for.

A Wall Street Journal article titled, “Facebook Knows Instagram Is Toxic for Teen Girls, Company Documents Show,” reports that “(f)or the past three years, Facebook has been conducting studies into how its photo-sharing app affects its millions of young users.” Facebook’s own researchers “found that Instagram is harmful for a sizable percentage of them, most notably teenage girls.” In this chat we...

When parents think of TikTok, usually viral dance videos come to mind. However, platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitter are being used by Gen Z — youth born after 1996 —to revolutionize activism. At just the click of a button, they can start a movement… like TikTok users who helped sabotage a Trump rally when they coordinated to register for tickets and did not show up, or young In...

Did our clickbait headline get your attention? We hope so! In this Cyberwise Chat, we tackle the topic of clickbait and misinformation. Kids today are exposed to all sorts of online information that's downright untrue, and unarmed with media literacy skills, they can fall for (and share!) headlines designed to grab their attention. Find out how you can prepare your child to face an online world fu...

One of the most disturbing problems of the digital age is how easy it is for children to access online pornography. With cellphones in their pockets, access to porn is often just a click away. In fact, the average age of first Internet porn exposure is 11 years old and whether your child accidentally or intentionally stumbles across it, the impact can be devastating. Learn how to protect your chil...

During this post-pandemic return to “normal,” kids need parents to help them re-learn how to balance screen time with real life, understand how to use technology mindfully and safely and, most of all, help them manage the anxiety and stress many have (and will) suffer during this transition. Watch Diana Graber of Cyberwise, Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and...

In this episode, we discussed parental concerns about Instagram. Here are some things that top the list: Data collection, access to inappropriate content (pornography, violence, fake news, dangerous challenges, etc.), a "compare and despair" atmosphere, possible links to anxiety and depression, and more. On top of all this, Facebook is reportedly planning to build a version of the app for the unde...

Clubhouse is one of the newest on the block, what about it is making is so popular, so fast? And Omegle has been around for a while, why the sudden resurgence in interest? Is it safe for kids? What other chat apps are kids using now and why? Join us to chat about these social media platforms and more.

Teens might use the phrase “you’re canceled” in jest, but some are taking it a step farther and actually blocking, unfollowing, and boycotting peers on social media (and in real life) because of a personal opinion or for simply saying/doing something disagreeable. “Cancel Culture” has made its way into classrooms and into teen peer groups. This new form of cyberbullying has many parents concerned...

From the "Cereal Challenge" to the "Penny Challenge," the "Blackout Challenge" and more, viral challenges born and spread on the popular app, TikTok, range from silly to downright dangerous. In this Cyberwise Chat, Dr. Pamela Rutledge and Diana Graber talk to Parentology's Editor-in-Chief, Rick Andreoli about some of the most outrageous TikTok Challenges, and what parents should know about them. H...

Some prominent public figures have had their social media accounts revoked--on Twitter, Instagram, and more--for conduct that violates the sites' terms of use, and kids are watching! In this Cyberwise Chat, we discuss how to talk to kids about these events and how it influences their own social media behavior.

2020 is gone, but COVID is still here. That means many of us are still relying on tech--for learning, work, and socialization. Listen to this Cyberwise Chat to find out what tech tools your family can use to thrive in 2021.

Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and Diana Graber, author of "Raising Humans in a Digital World," answer your questions about tech and human behavior. This week find out if your child is ready for the most popular holiday gift... the cellphone.

Here we answer your questions about how to use technology (and which tech to use) to stay connected with family and friends during our COVID-holidays. Be sure to download the show notes to get access to the resources discussed.