How do I know when my child is ready for a smartphone: 7 essential questions to ask | Guide to Digital Parenting
We can’t tell you how much debate we’ve seen over the simple question, “when is my kid ready for a smartphone?” It brings out nearly as much stress, passion and well, sanctimony, as questions about breastfeeding or sleep training. Well, after...
Here’s what I learned after letting my tween daughter use TikTok (formerly Musical.ly)
Feeling inspired by Jordan Shapiro’s interview on NPR with our former Spawned guest Anya Kamanetz, and reading his book for our upcoming interview with him on Spawned, I decided to let my tween daughter give TikTok (formerly Musical.ly) a try. I’ve decided...
Is YouTube Kids really safe? These videos will probably make you say “no.”
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for YouTube, first with the news about their growing pedophile problem. And now, YouTube Kids is under fire. We know lots of parents, including us, have found a little sigh of relief letting kids watch videos on YouTube Kids,...
What you need to know about YouTube’s pedophile problem
Over the years, we’ve written about many issues that parents need to be aware of when it comes to the content on YouTube. But this recent report from Wired should really throw the huge red flag of caution up for parents, particularly if you have kids posting...
How can I stop inappropriate follow requests on Instagram?
Last week, we had a lively discussion about inappropriate follow requests on Instagram in our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook Group. Many parents bemoaned the challenges of trying to navigate this with their kids on Instagram, even on private accounts. Unfortunately,...
Beautiful jewelry that could help save your life
This beautiful necklace and bracelet just looks like… a beautiful necklace and bracelet, but when you double press the back, it can actually send a message to pre-selected emergency contacts, along with your location. It can even call 911. Created by Rajia...
So why are we all still on Facebook again?
If we’re all perfectly honest with ourselves, then we know that Facebook has presented many privacy issues for a long time now. We’ve been writing about Facebook privacy issues since we started Cool Mom Tech in 2010. That’s nine years. NINE. A quick...
10 reasons why this smartphone alternative makes a brilliant holiday gift
If your kids are anything like ours, they’ve got a phone up high on their holiday wish list. And as much as you want Santa to make them squeal, you also know that a smartphone is a huge responsibility that they might not be ready for just yet. That’s why...
The Tile Bluetooth trackers just got a whole lot more awesome.
We’ve been longtime fans of the Tile Bluetooth trackers since we first discovered them years ago. They’re pretty much a staple tech gadget in our home, allowing us to keep track of our keys, our phone, and pretty much every important thing we want to be...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.)
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