Is Pokemon Go Safe for Kids?

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It is an understatement to say that Pokemon Go is popular. It is off the charts crazy! My children are regularly exiting the house saying “Going to find some Pokemon. Be back soon.” Additionally, I have received numerous texts and emails asking things like “What is Pokemon Go?” “Is Pokemon Go safe for my kids?” and “What should I be concerned about with Pokemon Go?” All great questions. So here is a quick tutorial for you.

What is Pokemon Go?

Pokemon Go is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality mobile game developed by Niantic. It was released worldwide on July 6, 2016 for both iOS and Android devices. Augmented reality means a view of reality is modified by the computer. When someone is looking for a character in Pokemon Go, he views his surroundings via the device’s camera, the reality, and imposes a digital image of a Pokemon character into the reality. The user can then capture the character by launching the Pokeball at the character. According to Survey Monkey, this is the ‘biggest mobile game in US history’.

What are the upsides of Pokemon Go?

Like most apps, there are some great benefits to this widely popular game.

  1. It gets kids outside and moving. Before I realized what was happening, my 17 year old son kept leaving the house in 15 minute increments. I asked him what he was doing, and he would tell me that he was going for a walk. The child has never voluntarily gone for a walk! I was immediately suspicious. My mind wandered to places that I did not want it to go. That same day, I noticed 2 boys outside my house on bikes, stopped on the sidewalk for about 2 minutes, staring at their phones. I asked my son what he thought about these two boys. He smiled and said that they were probably hunting for Pokemon! I laughed and he fessed up to his ‘walks’.
  2. It gives kids another way to socialize. My sons have spent time with their friends hunting Pokemon. Clearly, there is trouble galore that 15 and 17 year olds can easily find on a boring summer night. Pokemon has given kids a purpose to hanging out together. Additionally, I see kids of different ages playing together. We have a 4 year old neighbor who comes to our door multiple times a day looking to play with my oldest son. The other day, my son took the neighbor out to find Pokemon! They were gone for over an hour in the neighborhood. It was a thing of beauty to see these two boys, who are 13 years apart, sharing an activity that brought them both an hour of entertainment and fun.
  3. It’s free! During the summer, I feel like a human ATM machine. There is a lot of time to fill and so many things that kids want to do cost money. This is not only a free app to download from both the App Store and Google Play, but it is free for the kids to go out and explore. Depending on the age of the child, the child may hop on a bike, a scooter or simply walk the neighborhood to play.
  4. Poke Stops can be educational. Poke Stops are places where players can collect valuable rewards. Poke Stops are placed in important areas connecting them to historic places or land marks. Take the opportunity to go with your Pokemon Trainer and teach them about the location.

What are the downsides of Pokemon Go?

  1. It’s still a screen! Have we taken a few steps back in the battle to have conversation when doing simple things like riding in the car? I find myself asking my children to put the phone down and talk to me. The common response is “But Mom, I can catch some more Pokemon as we drive.” I know I am not alone in this increased addiction to technology and social media. A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook, when speaking of his son: “His nose is in the phone continuously with Pokemon Go!” The question remains, do we wave the screen limits because the game is getting them out of the house, moving, and being social or do we recognize that kids have found another addictive online game?
  2. Predators go where kids are hanging out. There are a lot of kids roaming neighborhoods looking for Pokemon. Most are completely absorbed in the game and aren’t paying attention to their surroundings. As they congregate in common areas, they may feel a false sense of camaraderie with strangers they meet who are also ‘hunting Pokemon’.  Additionally, people can place a lure in a real-life location. The lure will attract Pokemon to a specific location and will be in effect at that location for 30 minutes. Predators use lures to make a specific more attractive to kids hunting for Pokemon. Talk to your kids about strangers, the people they meet while playing, and then take the time to go with them on the hunt.
  3. Like most online games, there are In-App purchases available. As described by pokemongo.com, players can ‘enhance their Pokemon GO experience’ by purchasing certain items and features. Make sure that you have In-App purchases disabled on your child’s device.
  4. Be aware of data usage and battery drain when playing. Depending on what part of the game is being used, data usage can range from 2MB to 8MB of use per hour. This usage can be reduced if your Pokemon Trainer, i.e. your child, plays in areas that have Wi-Fi. Also, make sure that the apps and updates to the app are only downloaded when the device is on Wi-Fi. Similarly, the game can quickly drain the device’s battery. There is a battery saver mode that can be enabled. Open up the Pokemon Go app, and then tap on the “Setting” button on the top-right corner of the screen. Scroll down the menu until you see ‘Battery Saver’. Tap it to select it (a tick will appear), and then you can turn your phone upside down, which will dim the screen. This will save precious battery life. Turning off sound effects, music and vibration will also help keep the battery from draining too fast.

Most importantly, take time to talk to your children about both the fun things they can do with Pokemon Go as well as the things that they should be aware of as they enjoy the app. I went on one of my son’s ‘walks’ with him and asked him to show me how the app works. He was happy to have me go with him and loved showing me how it works. The obsession with it is enough to drive me crazy at times, but I also look at it as an opportunity to get involved with my kids and spend some time with them doing something they are enjoying.

 

 

Snapchat Memories: A New Privacy Concern

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Snapchat just got a little more permanent!

If you are wondering if your tween or teen is a snapchatter, chances are the answer is yes. A recent survey from the research firm Piper Jaffray indicates that Snapchat has overtaken the #1 spot for preferred social networking site for teens. One of the reasons for the surge in popularity is the premise that there is a lack of permanency to Snapchat. Teens are starting to grasp the concept that Instagram posts and Twitter tweets can affect their future, and therefore are turning more frequently to Snapchat which allows them to operate under the assumption that things shouldn’t, and won’t, live forever in the online world.

As the current #1, Snapchat must continually work to add features that appeal to their audience. It appears that the leader, who has cashed in on the ‘lack of permanency’ philosophy, is moving towards the storage of these images. They are in the process of adding a new feature that allows the user to save snaps (images) and Snapchat Stories (series of images) within Snapchat. This new feature, called ‘Memories’,will allow the snaps, or memories, to be reused in a later Snapchat story or sent to a friend at a future date.

What is interesting about this new feature is how these images will be saved and backed up by Snapchat. Here is how Snapchat explains it in their announcement of Memories feature:

Memories is backed up by Snapchat. We won’t backup any photos or videos from your Camera Roll, unless you use one to make a  new Story or add it to My Eyes Only. In that case, we’ll back up only the photo or video that you used.

Our teens’ images that are stored as Memories will live on forever in a more permanent way than previously thought. This new feature can be an opportunity to communicate how all images are public once they are shared on a social media site. Privacy does not exist in the online world and certainly not in the Snapchat community. When I asked my teen, who is a heavy user of Snapchat, why he likes it so much, his response was simply ‘because it is fun’. Sure. It is fun. But let’s just ensure that they understand the appropriate behavior, responsibility, and risks that come along with all social media.

Internet Safety Hands on Workshop

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“I don’t know how to use Instagram or Snapchat.”

When parents watch, teens take notice. One out of three teens would change their online behavior if they knew a parent was watching. So the question is…Do you know how and what to watch? Are you staying ahead or even just keeping up with your child when it comes to technology and social media?

The first step to being involved in your child’s online life is to learn how to navigate the apps they are using. Please join me on Thursday, May 12th for a hands-on workshop on Internet and smartphone safety with a focus on privacy settings and social media networks. Forward the invite to a friend! Or better yet, bring the parent of your child’s friend! Get on the same page. 

Come with Snapchat and Intagram loaded on your device and an account set up. We will walk through how to navigate these popular apps. You will send your first snap! You will post your first Instagram pic!

Specifically, we will cover:

– Instagram and Snapchat hand- on demo, including how to set privacy settings

– Restrictions and privacy settings for smartphones

– iPhones, iPads, and iTouch restrictions

– What social media sites are OK and which ones are not

– Smartphone monitoring programs including Teensafe for iPhones

I hope you can join me!  Space is limited!

Details:

Date: May 12th

Time: 10:00 am

Location:  Glen Oak Country Club, Glen Ellyn, IL

Cost: $35

Please RSVP @ Liz@box5184.temp.domains by Friday, May 6th.

***Space is limited.  Please sign up as soon as possible!

Video: Can We Auto-Correct Humanity

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This is a very well done video that addresses the lack and need for balance with social media. Parents are often looking for progressive ways to connect with their teens on such topics. This video is done in a style that appeals to teens and will give them some different things to consider and talk about.

How to Set Google Safe Search Settings

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Google has become a regular word in children’s vocabulary. They “Google” things constantly. As a child, I sought my answers in the World Book Encyclopedia, but my children find their answers through Google searches.  Obviously this is an extremely popular and useful site for children of all ages, whether doing school work or surfing the internet for fun. It is a great way to quickly and efficiently gather information, but it can also allow them to Google things they should not have access to whether by accident or because they are looking for it. Google Safe Search is a great first step in ensuring the safety of children online. In Cyber Safety Consulting’s presentations with parents, we demonstrate how to set Google Safe Search settings. We are frequently asked to send out the step by step process of how to set this on laptops and desktops. But let’s first start with the basics.

What is Google Safe Search?

Google defines the feature in this way:

When Safe Search is on, sexually explicit video and images will be filtered from Google Search result pages, along with results that might link to explicit content.

When Safe Search is off, we’ll provide the most relevant results for your search and may include explicit content when you search for it.

What are the keys to Google Safe Search?

  • You must have a Google account in order to set and lock Safe Search.
  • If multiple browsers are used on a computer, Google Safe Search needs to be set for each browser individually.
  • If the computer has more than one user profile, Google Safe Search needs to be set for each profile.
  • Cookies need to be enabled.
  • Google Safe Search can be set on mobile devices.

What are the steps to set Google Safe Search settings?

  1. Navigate to google.com.
  2. Sign in with user name and password.
  3. Enter something in the Search box.
  4. Visit the Search Preferences page – To the far right side of the screen, you will see the settings image. Click the this.
  5. On the pull down menu, select Search settings.
  6. Check the Filter explicit results.
  7. Click on Lock SafeSearch.
  8. Enter your password.
  9. Click Lock SafeSearch – You should see a screen that ‘SafeSearch is locked across all Google domains’.
  10. Click Back to Search Settings.
  11. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the blue Save box.
  12. It will return you to the Google Search page. There should be multicolored balls in the top right hand corner of the screen. This will allow you to see that Google Safe Search is on even if you are across the room from your child.

Please remember that settings can never replace parenting. Even though you may use this feature on your devices in your home and on your children’s devices, we still need to continue to educate our children by engaging in ongoing conversation on appropriate and safe online behavior.

 

 

Guest Blog: Division I college coach’s perspective on social media as a recruiting tool

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Coach Sloane walking the course with student athlete

Guest blogger: Coach Renee Slone, Head Coach, University of Illinois Women’s Golf Team

Social media has now become a part of the recruiting process for prospective student-athletes and college coaches. This platform can make a significant impression on coaches and determine the course of action they follow with an individual recruit, both in a positive respect as well as a negative one.

My coaching staff at the University of Illinois often searches a recruit’s name to see if she has a social media presence. This is typically easiest to do with Facebook and a bit more challenging with Twitter. We do ask for the prospect’s Twitter handle and Skype name on our student-athlete questionnaire.  Not every prospective student-athlete has a social media presence but the majority do. For example, at the University of Illinois, we currently have a student-athlete who has no presence on social media at all. She says that she is just not interested in it nor has the time for it. On the other hand, we have student-athletes who have a strong presence on social media and we require that they show the utmost respect to the University, their team, and themselves.

Here at U of I, one of the goals of the recruiting process is to get to know the recruit as much as possible through watching her play in tournaments, talking to her on the phone, speaking to her high school coach, and having her visit the University. The coaching staff’s goal is to determine if there is a match between the recruit and the culture of our program. Social media has provided us with one more tool to use in this evaluation. From a positive perspective, we gain visibility into her personality, likes, dislikes, interests, and what she is willing to share publicly. It can demonstrate that she is a well rounded individual who will be an asset to the program. For example, some of our current players are gifted in the area of music and this is evident on their social media accounts. We can see a recruit’s involvement in her community or commitment to family, which all reflect positively on the recruit.

What else am I looking for on social media? My coaching staff is typically looking for red flags about a recruit. It is rare for a recruit’s social media actions to immediately dismiss her from the process. However, the recruit’s posts or pictures may alert us of something that we want to probe into a little more deeply during a phone call, campus visit, or during a competition. Or the post may confirm a question or suspicion we had about the recruit after watching her compete or speaking with her. We will look at photos, friends, as well as the language that she uses on social media. Of particular note is learning what a recruit chooses to comment on or who posts things to her page.

It is important to understand how the recruit chooses to use social media as it provides us with insight to both her maturity level and self confidence. In a positive way, as I talked about previously, it can be a wonderful way to display her talents and interests outside of golf and we like to see this. However, on the negative side, we sometimes see a recruit use it as way to gain attention or a reaction from her online world. This is a concern to us as it demonstrates a lack of maturity. One example of this is a recruit who tweeted after a poor performance in a tournament. The recruit had played poorly and reacted by being critical in the tweet about the tournament organizer. This caused us to question her level of respect as well as her ability to handle a poor performance. It did not reflect positively on her.

Photos can be very interesting as well. Student-athletes, parents and even coaches have all revealed some telling information on their sites. With this communication platform, it is difficult to decipher tone. What the recruit does not understand is that a person’s perception is their reality even if that is not the message the social media user intended. By this, I mean that as coaches look at social media, we are left to interpret and perceive a recruit’s posts and pictures without her there to explain them.  What we see is our reality even if it is not the actual reality of the recruit.

The oversharing of information tends to be a turn off for many coaches as we typically do not want to know what a prospect is doing every second of the day. Sharing frivolous things that are of little value in getting to know a person better does not warrant positive interest either. Social media can be a window into someone’s life as it allows them to paint a picture of themselves beyond the tournament results and rankings. We try to get to know the athlete well enough so that if something of particular interest arises via social media we can discuss it. In some instances, social media will eliminate a prospect from further recruitment and in other cases it will solidify continuing to build the relationship.

At the end of the recruiting process, the goal is not only to recruit the best golfer, but to recruit the best player for our program. Certainly her ability and performance is critical in this process. There have been instances where we have had two recruits who were very close in ability and rankings. We needed to look beyond the sport to determine the best fit for our program and her social media presence can be a factor in selecting one recruit over another.

Social media can be a wonderful platform to share who you are and what you believe in, but it is not to be taken lightly especially in this day and age. This becomes your personal brand for the entire world to see so it is very important to share wisely as this reveals your character. And character is certainly at the top of the list of qualities for student-athletes for the Women’s Golf Program at the University of Illinois!

Learn more about Coach Slone and the University of Illinois Women’s Golf Team.

Anti-bullying software developed by 15 year old, Trisha Prabhu

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The majority of news events that we read and talk about revolve around the problems that kids encounter online. They often involve sexting, cyber bullying, suicide, and kids over exposing their lives online.  While there is example after example of teenagers struggling with decisions involving the internet, I find it very exciting when there is positive news out there that I can share.

Here is the story an inspiring teenager, Trisha Prabhu, a 15 year old high school student from the Chicagoland area. She was bothered and upset by the story of a Florida girl who was cyber bullied to the point of suicide. She put her emotions into action and developed this anti-bullying software, ReThink. The goal, to slow kids down when posting and challenge them to think one more time before posting, is perfect. While this software is targeted at cyber bullying, I wonder if it can help to reprogram kids to pause before posting in general. Maybe one kid will think before sending the sext on to a friend. Maybe another kid will pause a second before using inappropriate language in a tweet.

This is a great article to share with your kids. My kids found it interesting that a 15 year old could create and deliver this software. Like most articles, it generated a conversation about online behavior that was not parent led. My kids started talking about the suicide that inspired the development of the software. They talked about thinking through your words before you post them and the effects they might have on others. As much as I would love to think that I was responsible for this conversations and thoughts of the kids, I was not. If I had lectured them on the effects of hurtful words online, I would probably be met with a hearty eye roll and an effort to escape as quickly as possible. But there is always a much stronger effect when they see, hear, or read about something like this from a peer of some sort.

Jott Messenger: The latest app kids are using

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Have you heard of Jott Messenger? I had not until I received an email from Jott Messenger the other day. So naturally I Googled it. Here is what I discovered from Common Sense Media:

JOTT MESSENGER allows kids to send text and photo messages to Instagram connections and friends at school. To create an account, kids have to enter a valid email address or cell phone number and then enter a PIN sent via email or text. Once an account is created, the app asks permission to look at your contacts: If you and a friend both use Jott Messenger, you’ll be able to start sending messages right away. You also can allow the app to use your phone’s GPS to help you find your schools. You can add any school without proof that you attend, but to see more than the basic profiles of other students, you have to ask a peer to verify you really go to that school. There also are lots of rules regarding behavior and easy-to-block-bully features.

The next thing I wondered was how popular is this app with kids. Apparently, it is quickly gaining steam! According to an article by CNN Money, it is described in these words:

A white-hot new app for instant messaging, Jott has nearly 500,000 monthly users and one million app installs after just three months on the market.

As with most apps, there are pros and cons to be considered. Jott seems to be no different. Similar to other messaging apps, it allows messaging without data plans. Therefore, kids without cell phones won’t be left out of the texting conversations. They can participate in one to one chats and group chats. But there are some concerns with Jott:

  • Generally, parents are unaware of Jott’s existence. This allows kids to message freely, even if parents ‘check their texts’, as parents do not realize that Jott is being used.
  • Although there are lots of rules regarding behavior, the content is not monitored. It is up to users to report inappropriate activity.
  • Photos sent via Jott self destruct, similar to Snapchat. This can create a false sense of security among kids leading them to be a bit more daring in what they are willing to send to friends. Additionally, the photo can be captured by other users on their devices and kept permanently as well as shared with others.

Finally, the initial email that I received regarding Jott concerns me. The email was a notification that a young girl that I know was now using Jott.  The email stated the following (names have been changed):

Susie Smith is on Jott and has added you. Jennifer Jones and Katie Johnson have already joined.

Obviously, I know who Susie is, but I am not familiar with Jennifer and Katie. That is a significant concern that the names of other kids using the app are being shared with not just strangers, but adult strangers. I believe that when Susie created an account, she allowed the app to use her Instagram contacts to automatically connect with others. Talk to your kids about this feature and the risks associated with it. Additionally, there was a picture of Susie included in the email that I received. As a parent, I never want my child’s profile picture being sent via email to anyone.

To read a more comprehensive description of Jott, use this link to Common Sense Media.

 

News Alert: Snapchat selfie incident

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Here is a text book example of the problems that can arise with Snapchat, or any other social media app. Snapchat is probably the second most popular app among tweens and teens, with the most popular being Instagram. Snapchat, however, provides a false sense of security with the functionality of pictures, or snaps, ‘disappearing’ after a defined amount of time.

Here are a couple suggestions to help you prevent your child from making the mistakes the kids in the article made:

  1. Ensure that your child has the Snapchat account set up properly with privacy settings. In an earlier blog, Snapchat: Do those pictures really disappear forever?, the dangers and privacy settings are described and outlined for your convenience.
  2. Show your child the news article. This is current, relevant, and very relatable for kids. Do not simply tell them about it. The most effective way to help kids really understand the dangers and pitfalls of social media is to let them read, see, or hear real, live examples. While they can tell a parent that they don’t know what they are talking about or that it wouldn’t happen to them, they cannot deny what actually happens to someone else.
  3. Ask you child some open ended questions related to this incident. Let them share their knowledge with you. You may be surprised by what you hear and learn. I have heard things like ‘this happened to my friend’ or ‘so and so tried to get me to send an inappropriate selfie’. When parents stop talking, sometimes the kids start talking.

If you feel like you have had this conversation with your child before, DO IT AGAIN! I am certain that the kids in the article had heard it before. It takes lots of conversations, examples, stories, etc. to get tweens and teens to connect the dots of behavior to consequences.

Cell phone rules and tips for teenagers

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Cell phone rules are one of the most common dilemmas for parents of teenagers: How do I establish rules around the use of my child’s cell phone? There are so many challenges that go along with this. First of all, for both parents and kids, this topic can quickly become a source of negativity. Nobody, parent or child, wants another thing to nag or be nagged about: grades, curfew, friend choices, how they dress, etc. Personally, I much prefer to take away subjects from this list rather than add to it.

Cell phone rules are similar in discussion to technology limits that I wrote about in How Do You Set Technology Limits in Your Family. Certainly you need to determine the needs of your family as a whole and specifically for your child when establishing rules around the use of the phone. It is definitely not a ‘one size fits all’ solution. However, I think that this article from Your Teen Magazine suggest some great starting points in thinking through what might work in your home.

In my opinion, the most important thing to remember is to think this through before you get that very first phone for your child. It is nearly impossible to backtrack on the rules after they have the phone in their possession. Personally, we present the rules of the phone BEFORE we actually purchase the device. If there is push back from the child on the ground rules then we hold off on purchasing the phone. It is a very simple conversation….if you don’t agree to the rules, then no phone.

About a year ago, I was challenged on this very topic. When my daughter was 9 years, she decided that she wanted to save her money to buy an iPad. I figured that after a week or two, this idea would die on the vine. Nope. She pulled weeds, walked dogs, washed her grandmother’s patio furniture and anything else she could do in order to earn a buck. As the summer progressed, it became clear that she was going to save $330 for her ‘very own’ iPad. As she neared the finish line and started talking about the purchase and use of the iPad, I decided it was time to establish the ground rules. She agreed to all but one: Mom takes the iPad at 9:00pm for the night. Her argument was that she was buying it and it was ‘all hers’. I simply and calmly stated that yes it was hers, but we were allowing her to buy this and if she didn’t agree to the rules, she could not purchase it. Not unlike her mother, she is a stubborn and determined child. She said ‘fine, I won’t buy it’, trying to call my bluff. I then suggested that she could buy 3 American Girl dolls with all that money she earned! This was not the response she was looking for. I left the topic alone. After a few days, she came to me and agreed to the rules. A few hours later, we went to the store and purchased the iPad. Had she purchased that iPad and then I tried to establish the rules, it would have been parental suicide for me!

The other big rule that I am a stickler on is no phones, or devices of any kind, at the dinner table. The dinner table includes eating at home or in a restaurant. It also includes family gatherings even if their cousins are using their phones at the table. Meal times are one of the only times that we truly come together as a family and talk. Everyone, including me and my husband, can put their phones down for 30 minutes and talk to each other. This rule started when my children were babies and playing with Leapsters, Nintendo DS, or any other hand held device that entertained them over the years. While I understand that your meal may be much more pleasant if the kids are entertained at the table when they are little, you would be shocked at the quality of conversation you can have at a meal as the kids get older. It is truly priceless. Because we started it young, suffered through a several uncomfortable and quick restaurant visits with toddlers, we now reap the benefits as they are teenagers.

Finally, realize that you can always adjust the rules as your child gets older. Start with stronger rules in place and loosen them where you feel it is appropriate with age and maturity. Remember, as they grow up, the goal is to teach them appropriate technology behavior and to create independence in them.