by Cool Mom Staff | Cell Phones, Guide to Digital Parenting, Internet Safety, Tips and Tricks
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...
by Kristen Chase | Fun Apps
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...
by Kristen Chase | Social Media
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,...
by Kristen Chase | Social Media
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...
by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks
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,...
by Kristen Chase | Fashion + Accessories
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...
by Kristen Chase | Tips and Tricks
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...
by Cool Mom Staff | Holiday Tech Gifts, Kids
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...
by Kristen Chase | Tech Toys and Random Fun
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...
by Cool Mom Staff | Cell Phones
This is a sponsored message from Relay So many parents want their kids to have the safety and security of a phone, and yet those kids aren’t necessarily ready for all the responsibility and liability that comes with owning one. It’s a major issue among...