Nigeria hands over two suspects in sextortion case linked to suicide of Michigan high school athlete

In a rare move, two Nigerian men were extradited to the U.S. to face charges in a sexual extortion scheme that authorities say prompted the suicide last year of a 17-year-old Michigan high school student. “Here was three Nigerian men that conspired from across the planet and came into my house in the middle of night while I was sleeping, and murdered my son,” his father John DeMay told NBC News in May. In most cases, families of sextortion victims never see justice served.

Finding the right technology balance for your kids

The goal is to make sure our children are not tech illiterate, but also not tech saturated. In other words, how do we find the proper amount of exposure to technology to make sure our kids aren’t overwhelmed by it? This article gives great ideas for creating healthy technology habits in your home, and ones you can begin from an early age. One of the best habits we recommend is to designate specific areas of your home as tech-free zones, such as the dining table or children’s bedrooms.

NYC principal threatens to suspend students who follow specific Instagram accounts

A New York City principal issued an unusual threat this week: All students who follow anonymous social media accounts connected to the school community could face suspension and lose out on a recommendation letter for college or work. This is an attempt to curb many of the anonymous confession type pages that are posting “horrifying content” including “graphic and direct threats to specific children with bullying comments,” which can be the source of many student behavior issues.

Top Parental Concerns? Screen Time and Social Media

This comes as no surprise to many: As kids head back to school, many parents are worried about technology use. Specifically, the use of screen time, social media, internet safety and the effects on student’s mental health. One of the solutions mentioned is technology safety education for students and we couldn’t agree more!

Being 13: What it’s like to be a teenage girl in the digital age

If you have teenagers, this is a must read!  This article gives a great in depth feel for what it’s like to be 13 in the age of social media, as the journalist worked with 3 teenage girls for over a year’s time, studying their social media habits. The article includes links to more information about how social media affects the teenage brain, and advice to create healthy phone habits.

UK’s Online Safety Bill finally passed by parliament

In their effort to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online, Britain’s long-awaited Online Safety Bill has been agreed by parliament and will soon become law, setting tougher standards for social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and TikTok. The bill will be focused on child protection and the removal of illegal content from popular platforms. It will also be expected to prevent children from accessing harmful and age-inappropriate content like pornography by enforcing age limits and age-checking measures.