What my teen daughter had to say about THAT article about Instagram and body image
We’re all talking about “that” Wall Street Journal article about Instagram: Facebook Knows It’s Toxic for Teen Girls. You’re probably talking about it. Or your kids are. I know it’s all we’ve been seeing in our social feeds...
10 terrific reading apps for kids in middle school and high school | Back to School Tech
Sometimes we think of reading apps as for little kids, but reading apps for kids in middle school and high school can be extremely helpful. Whether your kids are voracious readers or a bit more reluctant to get lost in a book when there are video games to be played...
6 of the best affordable headphones for students, from kids to teens.
We spent the past year evaluating the best headphones for students who are remote learning. While this fall, plenty of kids are headed back to school in person, we know that some will still be staying home, some will be doing hybrid learning, and with the pandemic...
These smart tips and apps can help minimize distracted teen driving
We recently got a question in our Out Tech Your Kids group asking about apps that read texts out loud while you drive, which got me started thinking about some tips and apps to help minimize distracted driving for teens. As parents, we need to think bigger than just...
One brilliant tech tip for teens, before they start their college search.
This past week, we had a fantastic chat with college coach and essay consultant Betsy Cadel on the Spawned Parenting Podcast. She offered so many incredible tips on making the college search and application process easier and less stressful, but one tech tip really...
Reader Q and A: What is the best stylus for kids who are budding artists?
In our Out Tech Your Kids Facebook group, a parent asked for recommendations on the best stylus for kids who are getting into digital art, and the recommendations from our readers were so helpful that we wanted to share them here. From the top-of-the-line tools to the...
What parents need to know about YouTube’s new parental controls for tweens and teens
Parents of tweens and teens, we’ve got good news! YouTube is launching new parental controls specifically for kids in this age group. What a relief to those of us who see the value in letting them watch some of the content on YouTube…but who are exhausted...
6 smart ways to use tech to help your teen get better sleep at night. They need it!
Has anyone else’s teens struggled with interrupted sleep since the pandemic? My kids’ slower social lives and reduction in extracurricular activities certainly plays a part, but turning to tech to connect with friends is making an impact too. The American...
13 creative ways for teens to connect with friends virtually right now
Let’s take a minute to applaud our teens who’ve been willing to quarantine this year. It’s been brutal to lose so many activities they love, and they’ve handled it with flexibility and (mostly) good attitudes! While we’d hoped we’d...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!
