Kristen Chase, Author at Cool Mom Tech

Here’s my beef with Snapchat for kids. And it might surprise you.

Over the years, we’ve shared our concerns with kids on Snapchat, which aren’t really that surprising. We all know that it’s terribly difficult to monitor. And we’ve seen our kids deal with the difficult issues that arise with Snap Maps. But...

A fun family Valentine’s Day playlist that’s all about celebrating love

by Kristen Chase | Audio

As you might have heard on our recent Spawned podcast, Valentine’s Day after kids (at least for us, anyway), has become quite a family affair. Whether it’s lunchbox notes and a special school lunch, little gifts when they wake up, or a family movie (or...

How to hide your Instagram Story from users. Psst: If you can do it, your kids can do it too.

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

A few months ago, we shared how to set up the Close Friends feature on Instagram, just in case you’ve got your kids (and their friends) following you and wanted to share something that they couldn’t see. Of course, whenever you do that, then you can pretty much assume...

NBD Google just shared some private videos in Google Photos to strangers.

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

In what feels like a game of “Which Site Will Violate Our Privacy More This Week?,” Google remains consistent in their issues with user privacy and released an inconspicuous email to users to let them know that some Google Photos users might have had their...

Here’s how Facebook is stalking you. And what you can do about it.

by Kristen Chase | Social Media

If you’re like me, you’ve had a few instances where you know you didn’t search for a particular product or service on your phone or your computer, but suddenly you’re getting ads for it in your Facebook feed. Is Facebook listening into your...

The 20-20-20 rule, and why you (and your eyes) need to know about it

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

Every now and then I’ll spot a fantastic article shared by one of my Facebook friends, only to discover it was written a few years ago. Womp, womp. But in a few cases, like this Vice article about what screens are doing to our eyes (and our kids’ eyes),...

Bandolier goes pro. AirPods Pro, that is.

by Kristen Chase | Audio

If you were lucky enough to snag a pair of AirPods Pro this holiday season (or you played Santa for yourself), then you’ve got the perfect excuse to get one of the new Bandolier AirPods Pro pouches. Even though we were initially a little skeptical about the...

Digital parenting tip: How to teach your kids (and yourself) to spot fake photos

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

We live in an age of photoshop and photo altering, and quite frankly, our teens and tweens are pretty savvy when it comes to pointing out (and complaining about) a model’s face that’s been de-wrinkled. But photos of women — made to look skinnier and...

Use this browser extension to show you what Amazon books are available at your local library

by Kristen Chase | Helpful Services

If your goal is to read more in 2020, here’s a smart browser extension that could help you save a little money this year, because it shows you what Amazon books are available at your local library. Related: 3 free audiobook apps you should know about I know lots...

4 ways to try a tech detox with your family that actually work

by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks

With resolutions and goals for 2020 in mind, we know that a lot parents are thinking about technology and screen time. Wrangling screen time is a huge concern for many of you (and us), as well as the members of our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group. Let’s just...