5 free parental controls for cable TV that you may not know about
One of parents’ biggest concerns about kids today, is the access they have to inappropriate content. Parents are often asking us for parental control devices, services and apps to help them moderate what kids’ can see and keep them safe. And there are...
Blue light filtering glasses: The one back-to-school item you probably haven’t thought to buy. Yet.
If you’re like us, you’re deep into back-to-school shopping, but there’s probably one purchase you might not have thought of yet: children’s blue-light filtering glasses. Blue light from our computers, iPads, and every other device we have...
Burst mode is the iPhone camera feature every parent should be using.
With some of us still in summer vacation mode, and others of us heading back to school, the one thing we all have in common is that we’re taking a crapload of photos of our kids. I realize we do this every day out of the year, but vacation and school time seem...
The one battery-saving iPhone feature you might not be using.
There is a chance that you’ve seen your iPhone ask you to turn on Low Power Mode when it gets to 20% battery life, but what you might not have known is that you can toggle it on and off manually when you’re out and about to help you save battery. This way,...
How to post photos from your Instagram Feed to your Instagram Story
If you spend any time on Instagram, then you’ve probably seen feed photos popping up in Instagram Stories. And no, I’m not talking about screenshots! Finally, you can post clickable photos from public feeds (either yours or someone else’s if you want...
Did you know your screen time could be causing skin damage? Ack!
I’ve become extremely diligent about using a moisturizer with an SPF that I slather all over my face and hands on a daily basis, but I had absolutely no idea that staring into my phone and computer could be causing skin damage. Well, that’s what...
Did you know you can request what movies and TV shows you want on Netflix?
Thanks to comedian Chelsea Peretti, Netflix is about to get a whole lot of movie and TV requests. She recently discovered a link on the Netflix site that allows you to submit your suggestions for what you’d like to see offered. Related: These secret Netflix...
Yes, it’s true. Amazon’s Alexa has been recording your conversations.
So, we were all a little freaked out about the story that an Amazon Echo had recorded a private conversation in a user’s home, then sent that conversation to someone else. Because, oof. Beyond embarrassing, this is a major privacy breakdown on Alexa’s...
The best way to sign-off on your emails. Hint: It’s not “best.”
Back a couple of years ago, Liz and I addressed our email pet peeves in one of our first Spawned podcast episodes. It was actually Episode 4, to be exact. Aw. Sniffle! Well, apparently, the debate about how to sign-off on your emails is back, except now, with actual...
These 3 tips can help you simplify your tech life. Try them!
We declutter our closets, and rotate our kids’ toys, but what about all those apps on your phone right now? Or the notifications pinging you every few minutes? Do I even need to bring up how many photos you have on your phone? Related: 6 ways to simplify your...
If you’re a Twitter user, you must update your password STAT. That’s 330 million of you.
As Twitter has just informed all 330,000,000 of its users in an apologetic but so far underreported post, you should really change your Twitter password right now, this very second. Not to be alarmist — but out of an abundance of precaution. Evidently, a bug...Hi! We’re Kristen + Liz
We started Cool Mom Tech in 2010 to help make our increasingly digital lives easier, more organized, more meaningful, and more fun, however old your kids may be.
We love that it's grown to become the go-to source for millions of parents who want commonsense info about tech delivered with a smile.
We even have the privilege of sharing our tips + tricks with The TODAY Show, CNN, HLN, GMA, Nightline, newspapers and magazines around the country, and our favorite -- regular parents who stop us at PTA meetings and ask us how old kids need to be to get a smartphone, and whether they really need to panic about Snapchat.
(Answer: It's complicated.)
We're so glad you're here! And we hope we can help you too.
Our Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
Parents have questions, we have answers
NEW For 2019!
Atomic Habits by James Clear :Oct 1
No More Mean Girls, by Katie Hurley
The Yes Brain, by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
How to Break Up with Your Phone, by Christine Price
The New Childhood, by Jordan Shapiro
How to Be a Happier Parent by KJ Dell'Antonia
Raising Empowered Daughters by Mike Adamick
Radical Kindness by Angela Santomero
“We just had our first instance of one of our kids lying about a social media account. Any advice is appreciated on how to handle this in as positive a way.”
So they want to get a smartphone…
Work with us!
