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...
Apps parents should know: The Burnbook app, bringing Mean Girls to a school near you. UPDATED.
See below for a breaking update about the Burnbook app If you haven’t yet heard of the Burnbook app, it’s the latest anonymous social app that’s causing a stir among teens and parents and even law enforcement around the country. Next in our series of...
The Frozen Games online that you want your kids playing, never.
It’s been a whole year since we discovered unlicensed Plastic Surgery Barbie apps for kids that made wonder what the freaking heck is wrong with people, and now, hooray! Here comes another series of games to file under Kids Games That Make Us Want to Scream WTF,...
Web Coolness: Big Minecraft news, the worst apps for privacy, and geeky DIY snowflake patterns that will amaze you.
Here are some of our favorite tech links from around the web this week. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did. These geeky holiday cards (like the one pictured above from shopsaplingpress) are cracking us up. Is your privacy at risk? You’ll want to check...
The Barbie Plastic Surgery App and the other worst apps for kids on iTunes from Corina Rodriguez
This week, parents–and anyone else with an iota of common sense–expressed outrage over the discovery of the Barbie Plastic Surgery App, whose name was soon changed to Barbara for legal reasons. As for ethical changes? Not so much. The app, rated for kids...
Aaaand the Snapchat copycat apps are here with the Selfie.im App
As if we haven’t already learned that everything lasts for ever, even a selfie on Snapchat, another app developer is pushing boundaries with a copycat version though this one gives the user a little more control. Presumably. If you have kids on social media this...
What is SnapHack? It’s the reason we warned parents about Snapchat.
Just a few weeks ago, we featured four apps kids are using that parents should know about, and noted that SnapChat was decreasing in popularity–which gives us a small sigh of relief. But with a brand new app release this week, we’re thinking kids might...
4 apps kids are using that parents really should know about
Parenting tweens and teens is challenging enough, but the prevalence of tech in most kids’ lives makes it that much more important for parents to try and stay one step ahead. Where safe internet browsing was once our biggest concern, now smart phones and social...
Talking to your kids about the Snapchat App. A.K.A. “The Sexting App.” (Eek.)
This morning, our editor Liz Gumbinner talked to the TODAY Show about the pitfalls of SnapChat, the most popular app you’ve probably never heard of. But you should. Especially if you’re the parent of a teen. Also known as the “sexting app,”...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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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!
