More companies are adding kid and family content to their platforms
Kids are spending time with each other in “virtual environments.”
Kids miss their friends
This was already a trend, now it has been accelerated
Tech companies are seeing kids as innovative inspiration for their products
The tech industry will see a major boom after this COVID19 crisis.
Large public events are taking place in digital spaces (Roblox awards show had 600,000 kids in attendance.)
What Parents Should Know
This isn’t going away.
This dependence on Technology was already becoming the new normal. It is now been accelerated due to lockdown. Don’t expect this to change.
Become Familiar With Your Kids’ Technology
You can’t be blind to the connected, digital world your kids live in. Focus on the difference between productive/educational time and educational time. It’s about quality of time spent more than the quantity.
Every kids loves technology and screens. How often should we allow screen time for our younger children? Companies are making tech for children of every age and much of it was on display at CES2020. We should allow our kids to use tech while allowing them to remain kids. Here are some new tech products for your youngest children that I found at CES2020.
Marbotic
Many new learning methods are founded on the fact that the manipulation of physical objects is a key factor in learning for young children. This has been discovered to be a downfall of screen-based learning for pre-school kids. Games like Marbotic give kids an opportunity to learn on their screens while using tangible letters and shapes to control what happens. This taps into the “full interactivity of the screen” to enrich their learning experience.
There are several different games available. They use a tangible item to touch the screen and answer questions, the app can tell if they are right are wrong and rewards them or help them. The app teaches shapes, letters, writing, and pronunciation by showing different pictures as a result of what you use to answer questions. They have even partnered with Sesame Street to put out a version of the app with those characters.
Roybi
Do our young ones need robots? Many companies are making robots for our kids, even our youngest children. Most of them seem to be pointless companions that are just “smart” stuffed animals. Roybi is different, though. This robot is a teacher.
Roybi is a personal tutor that interacts with your child to teach them languages and STEM skills. The team at Roybi has harnessed evidence-based practices to help your child learn through play. Listed as one of TIME magazines best inventions of 2019, Robyi Lets kids ages 3-7 learn at their own pace and focus on what they are best at and most interested in.
Roybi doesn’t move around but does see and has educational conversations with your child. The robot uses these games to teach science, math and language skills.
How Much Should My Kid Use Tech?
Seeing all of these new tech products for our youngest children brings about the question. How much should my kid use technology? The issue is not as much the amount of time our kids use tech. Experts are more concerned with what they are doing during the time they are on these products. The answer is more education and less entertainment. These products give your kids opportunity to use the tech they love while learning skills they will continue to need. Studies have shown that learning only on a screen isn’t as helpful for our preschoolers as learning with things they can touch, feel, and manipulate. These products that combine the screen, voice, and tangible items set our children up to learn important subjects that they will require throughout their education.
Walking the show floor at CES can be a major assault on the senses. Every booth has music and lights and giant screens or projectors showcasing the latest and best of their technology offerings. One thing that is cutting through all of the noise, however, is the need for tech companies to earn the trust of their target consumers. Voice control, smart home technology, and data mining for convenience in retail are on the rise. The companies who use our information to make our lives easier have to convince us that they are going to stop there. The good news is that it seems they are understanding this truth.
Protecting Your Family’s Privacy and Data
Robin Raskin, the founder of Living in Digital Times, said that trust will be a major theme at CES this year. I spent several days on the CES show floors and I can tell you this is the truth. Car manufacturers are explaining how their tech is built to keep you safe. They are saying that the information gathered about you is meant to make the goal of safety more attainable. Convenience is being showcased at nearly every booth on the floor as well. Convenience requires data, so it is no surprise to see these exhibitors featuring their privacy policies upfront for all to see. Even toy makers are touting their focus on privacy. The connected toys your children will play with shouldn’t be tracking their every move.
Trust and Responsibility
Protecting your family’s privacy and data is a huge responsibility. The responsibility for data privacy, security, and trust are shared, though. We, as consumers need to know the role we play in protecting our information. There are key factors we must keep in mind when thinking about security. Our passwords are very important. We must make sure we have different passwords across our online accounts. Also, be careful to use passwords that aren’t too easy to guess. Finally, we have to remember to set the security settings on our new smart devices when we take them out of the box. That new thermostat or camera is connected to the internet. That makes it susceptible to hacking and therefore security settings must be set. If your device offers “two-factor” authentication then set that up as well. It can seem inconvenient but it will protect you from a lot of trouble in the future.
Companies can only do so much to protect your data and security. They can give you tools to protect yourself but they can’t force you to use them. Check out my other articles on data privacy HERE.
One last important tip is that you only buy smart home devices from well-known, trusted companies. Most of the time, these larger tech companies have had multiple levels of scrutiny concerning their privacy policies. Some smaller developers from other countries will have had less accountability for what they do with your information. Their products cost less and seem to work in the same way but you aren’t guaranteed the safety settings some of the larger companies will give you. All of these products are a privacy risk but you’re likely to have more transparency from a larger, more established company.
A Caveat.
Some privacy/security startups are making big waves right now. They are smaller companies that have security and privacy in “front-of-mind” as they develop their technology. My advice is to ask questions and look for more info on their privacy policies. Some of this new security tech is very cool and will be very helpful. Others are taking advantage of the new focus on privacy to sell more stuff that doesn’t work. Be a wise consumer. That is the most critical step in protecting your privacy.
Every year at CES, tens of thousands of people gather to see the latest that technology has to offer. Every tech media outlet covers CES. They’ll be talking about everything from virtual reality to massage chairs. This is your Family Tech CES2020 preview. There are a lot of interesting topics being covered at CES this year. Here are some that I think are the most interesting and some that are specifically important for families like yours.
TV Talk
Welcome to the age of the 8K television. That’s right, we’ve skipped from 4k resolution to the mind bendingly clear 8k quality. Some say that the human eye can’t even discern that kind of clarity but it sure would be fun to find our for ourselves. The 8k tvs from LG, Samsung, and Sony tout such amazing tech that you need a screen larger that 65 inches to even get the full benefit.
Voice-Enabled Digital Assistants on Everything
Voice assistants are in everything. It’s in your car, your TV remote, even your toilet and shower. That is going to continue at CES 2020. Look to find voice activated technology in more and more gadgets this year. Even our kids are being offered toys and gadgets with voice command tech built in. Voice Assistants aren’t new but seeing them integrated into everything else only proves that this concept is here to stay.
Crazy New Gadgets
There is always some crazy stuff at CES. Some is pretty unimportant but interesting. Some things are said to be the new face of technology but just seem strange to me. Foldable phones fit into that category, so do many of the robot offerings at the conference. Either way I’ll be looking for the most amusing and interesting gadgets to show you at this year’s CES.
5G Technology
5G is a bit of a buzz phrase these days but there is some actual technology behind the term. This fast, “over the air,” data connection is finally starting to spread for real. Many major cities are adding 5G to their infrastructure. It’s expensive and coverage is spotty but wherever it works, it’s lightning fast. The reason 5G is so critical is the role it will play in the roll out of self driving car technology. The connection speed that 5G offers is critical to the success of the self driving revolution.
Self Driving Car Technology
Self Driving Cars are always the bell of the ball at CES. This year will be no different with more and more companies finding ways to implement the improving technology. Not only are the cars themselves a big deal but the tech around mapping, connection speed, and entertainment inside your self driving car is becoming a major reality as well. It isn’t easy to hitch a ride in one of these vehicles at CES but I’m going to try my hardest this year.
What Parents Should Know
The future of technology is always going to include products to entice our children. Coding toys, games, gadgets, and safety tech are all being highlighted at CES2020 and I’ll be there to show you what to look out for and what to look forward to. As I look toward this year’s conference, here is a family tech preview of CES2020.
Ed-Tech
As highlighted last year, education technology is a going to be all over the show floor at CES. I’ll show your new coding games and toys as well as virtual and augmented reality classrooms. Robots will play a major role in training students for future technology jobs as well. Keep your browser open to the Family Tech Blog to see more as the conference starts up next week.
Pet-Tech
The furry members of our family have a place at CES as well. Dog toilets, cat toys that move across the ground, connected leashes, and even fenceless boundaries highlight the pet tech industry at CES. You’d be surprised how much tech can help people care for their pets and help pets care for their people. You probably wouldn’t be surprised, however, at some of the goofy pet tech that shows up at CES as well.
Smart-home/ Home Security
Everyone’s homes are becoming smarter and smarter, even if the way we use the technology isn’t so wise. Technology that can keep our home network and connected devices safe is crucial and thus, a major factor at CES. I’ll be spending quite a bit of time chatting with developers about their products intended to keep your data secure. Some even offer new parental control solutions as well.
ConnectedToys
So many of our toys are connected to the internet now. Games, robots, even racetracks are finding ways to connect your tablet or smartphone. You are given an online account in order to fully play with these toys. This is introducing our kids to use of the internet earlier and earlier. What products are coming up that feature connected toys? I’ll gave updated information for you from CES next week.
Avast All-in-One Security and Safety – Omni
I’m very excited to test out one specific piece of family safety technology. Avast’s Omni device is an all-in-one way to protect your network from hackers, malware, spyware, viruses, and even set up parental controls and GPS alerts. I’m excited to have a hands on look at Omni while I visit their booth at CES. I’ll also be able to hear from their VP of Product Deliver as she shares at the Family Tech Summit on Thursday of the conference.
A Long Six Days
Hope you enjoyed this family tech CES2020 preview. This event is a lot of work and makes for long days. It is, however, some of the most useful and rewarding work I do all year. The new tech, updates on the latest trends, and marketing strategy research gives me such great information to pass along to you, parents. Thank you to those who have partnered with BecauseFamily for this trip to Las Vegas. If you would like to partner with our organization just visit our Partnership page. You can follow every detail of my adventure to CES2020 on our Facebook Page, our Instagram, and on YouTube. Thank you again, see you soon, from Vegas!
One of the hottest topics of last year’s CES was coding education. This year was no different. From the show floor to the FamilyTech Summit ed tech was all the rage. It wasn’t limited to coding, though. There were plenty of products at CES 2019 that featured ways to teach kids how to code, use their creativity, and even build their own robots. Most of them used an app on an iPad or Android device that used Scratch or JavaScript (two coding languages) to program a toy or robot.
My favorite toys were the ones that didn’t use a screen to teach coding concepts. Those were a bit few and far between this year but there were some pretty fun options. Coding Critters was one that is meant to teach coding logic to pre-schoolers. There were also a few screen free products that read stories to your children. The discussion at the FamilyTechSummit featured a lot of education talk. Mostly discussing the importance of teaching coding and creativity and how robotics, engineering, and computing can strengthen those skills.
There were train sets that are controlled with colored tiles placed on the tracks. The set then can grow with the kids as they learn to code using the app that comes with the trains. A Harry Potter wand that teaches coding through wand gestures and behaviors was a highlight and one that my kids will love to play and learn with. As was Specdrums, a set of finger attachments that can be programed to play notes or beats based on what colors they are touching. These little toys turn your world into a musical instrument based on the code you program into the circuits.
There were a lot of toys designed to teach circuitry and electronics. Many of these toys contain components that allow you to build on to them with your own legos and make your creations come to life by connecting circuits and coding behaviors into them. The ability to build and create on your own was a great feature of many toys at CES 2019, even taking over the coding robot trend. Building your robots, combining your creations with an augmented reality world, and even robots like Artie which let you program him to draw and create works of art. S.T.E.M. is becoming S.T.E.A.M. whether you consider art a part of engineering or something on its own, the toy industry is buying in to the ability to create while you work out the logic and mathematics required to build electronics.
Robots, circuits, and coding aren’t the only exciting ed tech advancements. Augmented and virtual reality are getting into the game as well. This tech takes you right into the experience you’re learning about whether a science lab, outer space, under the sea, or ancient Rome. Being able to walk around in ancient cities to learn about the lives of our ancestors is remarkable and becoming more accesible to the general public and to schools all over the country.
Ed Tech is advancing quickly and I think it’s good that it’s moving beyond teaching the same old things just on a computer. These toys are bringing new and interactive ways to learn about the topics your kids will need to understand in order to compete for that future job that doesn’t even exist yet. While it is always important to watch the amount of screen time our kids get. If we can keep the time safe, educational, and innovative, we go a long way to protecting them as we prepare them for their future.
I leave in just a few days for International CES in Las Vegas Nevada. It is my second year to attend this conference but many of you have just started following us since my last trip so here’s some background.
What is CES?
CES is the world’s gathering place for all who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. A high-level business event that touches all industries. A platform for innovators of all sizes to build their brands, every major technology company on the planet participates in CES in some way — by exhibiting, speaking, sponsoring, attending or holding co-located events and business meetings.
CES began in 1970 where it highlighted new, world-changing technology like the videocassette recorder and the Laserdisc Player (1974.) Products that we use every day were on display and demoed at CES over the years, including Compact Discs, Satellite and High Definition TV, Xbox, BluRay players, streaming entertainment, Tablets, and Netbooks. The show now features Virtual Reality, Smart Cities, Self Driving Vehicles, and Artificial Intelligence among a lot more!
Why do I go?
The whole purpose of BecauseFamily and the Family Tech Blog is to protect children and teenagers by bridging the technology gap between kids and their parents. In order to do this, I work to be on the cutting edge of technological advancement. Our world isn’t just digital anymore, it’s connected, marketers are struggling to find new ways to market to younger, more knowledgeable generations, and psychologists are urging app makers and toy manufacturers to cut out screen time whenever possible. These are all facts I learned at CES and use to inform my workshops, blog posts, videos, podcast episodes, and meetings with parents after. There is much more to learn this year and since I am able to attend through media credentials from the blog, I’ll be there. I’ll be learning for you. The parents.
I’m going to enjoy myself at CES. Vegas is a fun city. I enjoy being around the tech industry, I love learning about marketing, kid and teen tech, social media. and video gaming. I am excited to be an authority on these topics for parents so that I can have an answer to nearly every question I am asked when I work with families.
While it will be fun, It is work, and it is important. I am extremely grateful to all who have supported BecauseFamily and who read and share my blog posts. Please stay tuned in to the blog, our social media, and our YouTube channel for coverage from the only tech blog covering CES exclusively for the purpose of educating parents and protecting kids. You can also follow me personally on my YouTube channel for daily travel vlogs from my trip. When I go to Las Vegas, what happens there, comes home, to you!
There is a tool to help you find out if your data was leaked to Cambridge Analytica. There may not be much you can do about it, but it is interesting to see if your app approval habits led to the sharing of your private data. Facebook has said that they’ll be highlighting the tool on the top of everyone’s news feeds but in case you haven’t seen it or don’t see it, here’s how to find the tool on your own.
I recommend you check this out for your own Facebook account as well as any accounts your kids may use. Just in case you don’t have a minute and a half to watch the video above, I’ve listed the steps below for you. Thanks for reading FamilyTechBlog.com and remember to be careful how much access you give apps to your social media data.
Open your Facebook App
Click on the “Hamburger Menu” to the bottom right. (Three stacked lines.)
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the menu.
Select “Help and Support”
Select Help Center
Search {Cambridge}
Select the first auto complete option.
That’s where it tells you if you’ve shared data with Cambridge Analytica.
It may have all started with “secret” messaging but it hasn’t stopped there. Soon public sharing became the norm on Snapchat, a feature that was copied by many other Social Media networks soon after it’s release. Then, Snapchat’s “Discover” page was released, this was a way for news and media corporations to reach the users of Snapchat with their messages and advertising. Lately, Snap Inc. has been working towards becoming a serious form of entertainment for it’s users, incorporating videos and even original show content into their network. Today, VICELAND has announced they’re producing several new shows exclusively for Snapchat. They’re starting with a “reality” dating show titled “Hungry Hearts with Action Bronson.”
VICELAND Productions is following several other studios in making original shows for Snapchat. Networks including NBC, CBS, and A&E have already announced that they’re making versions of their existing shows for viewing on Snapchat. These studios are seeing the growing adoption of Snapchat as an opportunity to reach a broader audience with their shows and content. One of the fastest growing demographics on Snapchat is the 18-35 age-group, one of the main target audiences for the late night and primetime television networks. With this trend towards entertainment content on our social media apps, it’s important that parents are aware of what these apps are becoming, we have to make good decisions on whether or not we want our kids consuming the media they’re producing.
What Parents Should Know
Snapchat isn’t a trend and it’s not just a messenger anymore. What was once the “Secret Message App” or the “Sexting App,” as some called it, is now a major source of media for those who use the social media platform. This means we have to treat it differently than we do many social media apps. Keeping track of who they are friends with on these networks isn’t enough anymore. We have to keep a few things in mind if we are going to allow our kids to use Snapchat, Instagram, or any of these other apps that give advertisers and media content creators a direct outlet to our kids.
Same Media as TV, Movies, YouTube, or Games.
The creators of the content that will be made available through social media (Facebook has been signing agreements with media companies too) aren’t producing special more family appropriate shows. They will be making content that will reflect every other media outlet they produce for. Think YouTube Red, Netflix, or Amazon Prime. In fact, some of the rules that apply to broadcast television don’t apply to shows that are streamed online. This means that you’re more likely to see content like on Game of Thrones or Orange is the New Black than something with more restrictions like Blacklist or CSI. Don’t let the fact that these programs are being produced for free public streaming online fool you. They won’t be family friendly or edited for content.
No Parental Control
Snapchat currently has no parental control options. Their app is geared towards teenagers so they most likely won’t feel the need to add parental restrictions any time soon. The terms and agreements on most social media services allow for accounts to be created as long as you’re 13 years old or older. The question you have to ask is whether or not you’re ok with your 14-15 year old watching online reality dating shows or politically fueled sketch comedy. If you aren’t ok with these things then you have to make a choice about whether or not snapchat is welcomed on your kid’s phones or tablets.
All or Nothing
Social media apps are basically creating an “all or nothing” atmosphere for content created by these media outlets. Once you have an account on Snapchat, you have access to all that is contained in the app. Every person can be a friend or follower, every feed can be found and viewed, and every original show, no matter the target audience, will be available for viewing. With no parental control options the question isn’t what Snapchat content will be allowed, it’s “all or nothing.” They can see all of it, or none of it, those are your only choices.
Whatever you choose, you need to be educated about what these social media apps are producing. Keep checking in to Safe.BecauseFamily.org for up to date tech news that’s relevant for your family. Also, sign up for our Safe Online Newsletter. Just fill in the short form below.
More and more schools are giving students tablets or laptops to help them with their school work. Much of the newest curriculum is either fully digital or integrated with a digital resource of some kind. This means that there are more devices being placed in our children’s hands and parents aren’t even able to decide if they should have them.Schools are required to have protections set on their in-house networks but there are no guarantees that your children are protected at home. There have been multiple instances reported of children coming in contact with adult content on school computers. This story from last fall highlights the inability for the school to guarantee their tech is safe when not in their own building. The conversation always goes to the same place. The responsibility for safe internet use outside of the school or library falls with the parents. What does that mean for us as mom and dad?
What Parents Should Know
I recieve questions all of the time about how to protect kids on their school computers. I’ve been scheduling workshops for parents at private schools and helping school leadership learn how to protect their students. Internet safety in school and on school issued devices is a serious matter. Too many schools aren’t set up properly to filter adult content and monitor messaging or internet searches. This means it’s up to parents to be sure your kids are safe.
I recommend a couple of things. First of all, if it’s all just too much for you then ask that your child be allowed to keep the tablet or computer at school. Many schools will let your child check the computer in before they leave and check it out again when they come to school the next day. This is a good option if you’re concerned about how safe your home network may or may not be. I, of course, recommend securing your home wifi network and devices as soon as possible, though.
Secondly, you can talk to your school administration about better security measures. What kind of internet safety setup does the school have in place? Do they apply safety settings per device? Per classroom? Is the school network protected? If so, is only their network safe or do they have protections that will follow your kids home as well? If you can’t answer any of these questions then you don’t know enough about your school’s internet safety policies. You need to have some conversations.
Third, I would recommend talking with your child as often as you can about how they use the internet at school and at home. These conversations will help them feel comfortable to come to you if something inappropriate turns up online. They should report anything suspicious or dangerous to school officials and you and it’s up to you to help them know that.
A New Standard
Schools will most likely not stop issuing technology to their students any time soon and it is only getting harder and harder to protect our kids from hostile content and overuse of screen time. Remember to keep track of how much time your kids are spending online and include school in those numbers. If they are doing three hours of school work on the computer and them watching videos for two hours at home they have spent five hours online that day. Is that the healthiest internet habit you can set for your family? You decide, and then implement your plan.
