Teaching Digital Safety in Schools

Teaching Digital Safety in Schools

Children engage with digital media and devices at very young ages. According to a March 2020 poll by the Pew Research Center, parents reported that 35% of children two years or younger interacted with tablet computers. For this same age group, parents reported that...
Teen Pornography Use and Sexting at School: What Administrators Need to Know

Teen Pornography Use and Sexting at School: What Administrators Need to Know

In January of 2023, Common Sense Media released a report regarding teenagers’ use of pornography. Whether intentionally or by accident, approximately three out of four teenagers reported that they’d encountered pornography. As many as fifteen percent of respondents...
How Can Schools Protect Children Online?

How Can Schools Protect Children Online?

School-aged children spend more time online than ever. Recently, Common Sense Media conducted a survey regarding the amount of time children and teens spend online. They discovered a spike in online activity for individuals between the ages of eight and eighteen. In...
The Risks and Dangers of Anonymous Question Apps

The Risks and Dangers of Anonymous Question Apps

In 2009 and 2010, anonymous question-and-answer apps exploded in popularity. These apps, which target young users, include Spring.me, founded in 2009, and ASKfm, launched in 2010. Newer apps, such as NGL and Sendit, integrate with social media sites such as Snapchat...
Instagram and Teen Mental Health

Instagram and Teen Mental Health

Instagram is incredibly popular among teenagers. In 2018, the Pew Research Center found that 72% of teenagers used the app. That percentage is even higher now. Over the course of the pandemic, teen social media use increased by 17%. Moreover, the pandemic also led...
Hate Speech on Social Media: What Schools Need to Know

Hate Speech on Social Media: What Schools Need to Know

Today’s students are digital natives: they grew up with the internet and modern technology. In other words, the online world is a very real and integral part of their daily lives. This includes social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Over the course of the...