This Facebook design flaw allowed kids to chat with unauthorized users on Messenger Kids.
Since Messenger Kids launched back in 2017, we were pretty skeptical about the messaging app that purported to offer kids a safer way to chat with friends, all without having to actually be a Facebook user. Not surprisingly, the Messenger Kids app was highly...
What you need to know about the new iPod touch. Yes, you read that correctly.
Just when you might have thought Apple was done with the iPod touch, they announced a brand spankin’ new one. You’re not alone in the head scratching because they haven’t updated the iPod since 2015. That’s like 20 years in Apple years! But...
How the Apple Watch 4 is helping me stay healthy, be more mindful, connect with my kids, and disconnect from my phone
I had an original Apple Watch way back when it first came out, and I really liked it. I also ended up feeling like it was “another thing” — another thing to charge, another thing to take care of, another thing to buy accessories for. Sometimes...
How to hide your Instagram Story posts from your kids
It’s not just tweens and teens who might be using Finstas (Fake-Instagram accounts) to throw off their parents. We parents whose kids and their friends follow us on Instagram have probably considered using them in case we want to freely post about our crazy...
Survey says: Gen Z kids are not using online passwords safely
When it comes to digital parenting, there’s a seemingly endless number of conversations we need to have with our tweens and teens. And according to a recent survey, moving “how to make a strong password” to the top of the list is pretty important....
In defense of teens with headphones
This morning my teen daughter lost her earbuds. “Did you shove them in your front backpack pocket?” I asked her. “No!” she snapped, then barked “Just pick me up before study hall!” as she stormed off into the open doors of the bus....
New study says increased screen time linked to ADHD in preschoolers
If you tend to stick to hard and fast time-limited screen time rules with your preschooler, it might actually be a good thing. According to a recent study at the University of Alberta, kids by the age of 5 who spent two hours or more looking at a screen each day were...
A new iOS 12.2 Screen Time app feature parents will want to know about.
If you haven’t updated to the new iOS 12.2, it’s worth it just to get the new Screen Time app feature that allows you to customize your child’s downtime by the day. It’s pretty easy to do once you have your phone running on the new iOS....
4 new Amazon Prime benefits, in case you’ve been holding out on a membership.
I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for many moons now, reaping the benefits of everything from free 2-day shipping to awesome bingeworthy shows, and lots in between. If you’ve been holding out on an Amazon Prime membership, they’ve added 4 new benefits...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.
Join our community for tech-positive parenting
The Spawned Parenting Podcast. (It’s won awards and everything!)
Be a savvier digital parent in under 15 minutes a week
Work with us!
