The ConnectSafely Report with Larry Magid

Apple beefing up parental management tools

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In addition to other parent management and child safety tools, Apple has added the ability for parents to inform app developers of a child's age range...

Social media and stress

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Social media can cause stress, but it can also relieve it.

Tech policies and their unintended consequences

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Be careful what you wish for. There can be unintended consequences from what seem to be good policy changes.

Dealing with mistakes

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's Education Director Kerry Gallagher has advice about how parents can help teens deal with online mistakes. 

California Assemblymember expresses opinion about Google and Meta

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

California Assembly Member Ash Kalra, who represents parts of Silicon Valley, isn't shy about criticizing tech companies, even when execs from those c...

Teen perspective on social media restrictions

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At ConnectSafely's Safer Internet Day conference, some of the adults proposed parental controls or restrictions on teen social media. But one teen sp...

Superintendent at Safer Internet Day

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

California's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, says that AI has a very productive use in his state's classrooms.

Teen perspective on social media restrictions

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At ConnectSafely's Safer Internet Day conference, some of the adults proposed parental controls or restrictions on teen social media. But high school ...

California school chief Tony Thurmond on AI in schools

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

California's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, says that AI has a very productive use in his state's classrooms.

Teens and false information

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just like adults, many teens have seen and shared false informatoin online. ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher said "teens face signifci...

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day which is recognized in more than 100 countries and coordinated in the US by ConnectSafely.

Teens and Scams

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The majority of teens are concerned with AI scams, but do you know what to look for?

DeepSeek

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Chinese AI DeepSeek is less than candid about some of China's problems and is not a good place to reveal personal information. 

Toll scam

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If you get a text message saying you owe back tolls, don't pay. It's probably a scam.

TikTok is back online

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok went offline last weekend but quickly returned, at least for now, thanks to a presidential moratorium.

Conversation Starters for Parents of Teen Social Media Users

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's Education Director Kerry Gallagher has conversation starters for questions you might ask your teenage social media users.

Empowering Young People to Protect Themselves Online

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Roblox VP Tami Bhaumik has advise about empowering young people on social media by giving them agency to help protect themselves online.

New Years resolutions on your relationship with tech

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Youth Advisor Trisha Prabhu has advice on New Years resolutions to improve your relationship with your technology. 

LA fires remind us to use cloud backup for precious files

09 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Los Angeles area fires are yet another reminder of the importrance of off-premise cloud backup. Lives and structures are the first priority but pr...

Parents Have a Role to Play in Their Kids' Online Lives -- Even Teens

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Catherine Teitelbaum, the head of trust and safety for Amazon Kids is also a former educator and a parent with some good advice for other parents.

Pediatrician Dr. Hina Talib on Positive Aspects of Social Media

31 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Hina Talib, a pediatrician and board certified adolescent specialist says that social media doesn't just have risks but also has advantages that c...

Advice for parents whose kids are getting connect tech gifts this holiday season

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here's advise for parents whose kids are getting connect tech gifts this holiday season

Australian law would ban kids under 16 from social media

24 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia has passed a law that would ban kids under 16 from social media with heavy fines to companies that violate the law. But there are questions ...

First rule for talking to your kids about online issues: Don't overreact

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

If your child or teen comes to you with a problem encountered online, it's important to have a conversation and not overreact.

"Nudify" apps

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nudify apps use AI to enable removing clothing from a fully clothed person, causing emotional harm to victims, including minors.

Pediatrician Dr. Hina Talib on Teen Mental Health

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pediatrician Dr. Hina Talib says that social media can play a role in teen mental health, but it's far from the only factor.

FOSI research shows surprising attitudes toward online concerns

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new survey has some surprising results on teen and parent attitudes towards online concerns.

Bluesky

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Bluesky is a fast growing social media platform and a lot of that growth has to do with dissatisfaction of Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter.

Teen feel under pressure to excel

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many teens feel pressure to excel, and while some blame social media, others argue that it can help reduce some pressures.

Instagram is adding the ability to share your location

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Instagram is adding the ability to share your location.

YouTube Kids offers age-appropriate videos for young children

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

YouTube Kids offers age-appropriate videos for young children. 

Teens and screen time

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Teens spend a lot of time online, but it's not just time that should concern parents as much as what they do online.

Holiday scams

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Beware of scams, which proliferate at this time of year.

Possible social media ban for teens in Australia

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Australia's Prime Minister wants to ban social media for teens under 16.

New survey about boys' online activities

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A survey finds that Gen Z boys use social media to enhance personal relationships with people they know.

Media literacy in schools

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A report finds that many students don't understand the difference between types of media such as news, opinion, advertising and even propaganda. 

Interacting with others over election results

07 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many people were happy with the election results, but many others weren't. Even though it's over, there could still be some angry reactions between fa...

Shadowbanning limits your online audience & sometimes creators don't know why

31 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shadowbanning isn't exactly censorship, but it does limit who can see your content. It happens on social media, sometimes for good reasons, but creato...

Harder to be a teen now than 20 years ago

30 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A study from Pew Research finds that many parents and teens say it's harder to be a teen now then 20 years ago. ConnectSafely education director Kerry...

Sports betting

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Online gambling, including sports betting, is becoming very popular but it's not for kids or even some adults. 

Sexualized deepfakes

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Generative AI is making it easier to create exploitative nude and sexualized deepfake videos and images.

Instagram's new campaign to help protect teens from sextortion scams

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Instagram is launching a campaign to help protect teens from sextortion scams.

AI regulation is necessary, but experts urge against over regulation

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Speakers at the Generative AI Summit at Oxford University generally agree that regulation is necessary, but some urge against over-regulation.

Remote mental health therapy

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even after the pandemic, there are advantages to remote mental health therapy.

AI can promote creativity young children

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

AI can promote creativity and learning in young children.

Meta's New Augmented Reality Smart Glasses

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Meta has announced a prototype of its first augmented reality smart glasses.

Election Countdown: How to Spot and Stop Disinformation

26 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the election draws closer, we're going to see a lot more disinformation and misinformation and it's up to us to verify it before we share it. 

How AI Might Help Rural Communities

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A conference in a rural part of Oregon focused on how AI can be used in regional settings.

Building Trust with Our Kids

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Teens are sometimes reluctant to seek help when they encounter problems online, but there are things parents can do to help. 

Smartwatch safety features

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Smartwatches can detect falls and car crashes.

Pediatrician on screen time and young kids

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A pediatrician has advice about screen time and background TV when infants are present. 

PlayStation parental controls

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

PlayStation and other gaming consoles have parental controls to enable parents to limit who children can communicate with and when they can use the co...

States banning or limiting phones in schools

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Many states have banned cell phones in schools or are considering doing so. While this might help promote mental health and reduce cyberbullying, the ...

Here's an idea -- use your phone to speak with friends rather than just texting and social media

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Youth Advisor Trisha Prabhu suggests that maybe it's time to start using your phone for the purpose it was originally intended for by ac...

Discord is a popular communications app used by many teens

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A brief explanation of Discord and its new Teen Charter

Dating app privacy

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new study finds that popular dating apps leak personal information.  

Google helps remove fake explicit content from search

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Google is making it easier to remove non-consensual sexually explicit fake images from search results.

Autonomous vehicles

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Autonomous robotaxis are already on the roads of some cities and, unlike Tesla's Full Self Driving, they almost never have serious problems. 

Smartwatch security and privacy

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Smartwatches are very popular, but they can collect some very personal information, so they're not for everyone.

Revisit phone settings before school starts

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Back-to-school is a good time to revisit phone settings, including screen time limits.

Sleep and the school year

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As summer comes to an end, consider gradually adjusting your child's sleep schedule so their circadian rhythms are in sync with their school schedule.

Family Online Safety Institute sponsors summer challenge

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Family Online Safety Institute's Summer Challenge features safety advocate Elizabeth Molovidov and her son Maximillian. 

Senate passes Kids Online Safety Act

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

By a vote of 91 to 3, the Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act. It will face challenges in the House and oppositiion from some groups, including t...

A more diverse security and software eco-system would limit damage from outages

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

That giant outage that grounded flights and disrupted computer networks worldwide might have had less impact if we had a more diverse software and ser...

Smartphone bans in schools are well-intentioned but not ideal

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

California is about to join several other states by enacting a law limiting or banning smartphones in schools. It's well-intentioned but not necessari...

Innovation is essential when it comes to protecting children online

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation is essential when it comes to protecting children online

Positive social media trends for youth

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Youth Advisor and ReThink CItizens CEOTrisha Prabhu on positive trends in social media. 

Google to offer free dark web monitoring

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Google will soon let all users with a Google account acess reports on their personal information on the dark web.

Scam targets Apple users with phishing attacks

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A leading security firm is warning about phishing attacks aimed at obtaining Apple IDs, passwords and user informatoin.

National Association for Media Literacy Education making an impact

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We have had some progress when it comes to media literacy thanks in part to the work of the National Association for Media Literacy Education

Internet has benefits and challenges for LGBTQ Youth

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A survey from the Human Rights Campaign and the University of Connecticut found that nearly all LGBTQ+ youth go onlikne but most f them encounter nega...

LGBTQ+ Community Underrepresented in Tech Workforce

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Youth Advisor and blogger Trisha Prabhu says that members of LGBTQ+ Community are underrepresented in the the workforce, which impacts u...

Surgeon General's call for a warning label on social media is a bad idea

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has called for a warning label on social media platforms, but ConnectSafely CEO Larry Magid thinks it's a bad idea.

Video explains GAI to parents

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A ConnectSafely animated video explains generative AI to parents, including benefits, risks and how to talk with your teen about how they're using it....

There is help and hope if you're a victim of a sexualized deep fake

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Even if you become a victim of a sexualized deep fake, there are things you can do to get it taken down. And, even though it can be traumatic, you wil...

Misinformation vs Disinformation

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher explains the difference beween misinformation and disinformation and the need for media literacy. 

Could your sleep tracker be giving you too much information

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Logan Schnieder,  a sleep doctor and Clinical Lead for Sleep Health, Google Health.says that it's important to put the data from your sleep track...

Good and bad news from Pew survey on teens and video games

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

80% of teens say that harrassment is a problem with video games, according to a recent Pew survey. But video games, says ConnectSafely education direc...

Using ChatGPT to structure your thoughts

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some people worry that ChatGPT can be used to create content and misrepresent it as if it's your own, but ConnectSafely Youth Advisory Trishia Prabhu ...

Teen mental health issues not all a result of tech use

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There has been an increase in mental health issues among teens and some blame social media but there are other explanations for these issues and the r...

Helping teens understand phone distractions

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

During the course of a one hour class, 20 students got 190 notifcations from their phone. ConnectSafely education director Kerry Gallagher suggests th...

News Literacy Project

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Larry speaks with News Literacy Project's Peter Adams about the election and misinformation

Talk with your kids about cyberbullying

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Advice from ConnectSafely education director Kerry Gallagher about talking with your kids about cyberbullying

Catfishing can break your heart and your piggy bank

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Advice from ConnectSafely education directory Kerry Gallagher on how to avoid being a victim of catfishing, when a person uses false information and i...

Summertime and screentime

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Kids will soon be out of school for the summer, but that doesn't necessarily mean lots more screentime. Advice from ConnectSafely CEO Larry Magid and ...

Are self-driving cars dangerous?

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are worries about the safety of self-driving cars, including Tesla's so-called Full Self Driving. But they have come a long way and are moving t...

TikTok teen safety policies on par with competitors

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok is in the news because of a potential ban, but when it comes to teen safety, it's on par with its competitors.

Potential security dangers of public USB chargers and Bluetooth

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely education director Kerry Gallagher on the dangers of hack attacks from plugging devices into public USB chargers or leaving your Blueto...

Neuralink technology has great potential but it's not without risks

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Neuralink technology already makes it possible to implant chips in the human brain to monitor or help patients use their brains to manipulate objects....

Will AI take over your job?

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely blogger and youth advisor Trisha Prabhu says that it depends on the type of AI, the type of job and your timeline.

Some young people have a gambling problem

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely education director Kerry Gallagher says that too many children and teens have an onlne gambling problem

Smartphone wellness settings

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Your and your children's smartphones can be intrusive but there are ways to turn off notifications and other interuptions, at least for a little while...

Dealing with stress from constant news reports

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our phones, along with TV and radio, can be an almost constant source of disturbing news, says psychologist and Emerson College professor Dr. Jessie Q...

Combatting online hate speech

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to hate speech, words can be harmful. 

How to protect yourself against ransomeware

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Full backups and good computer hygene are your best defenses against ransomware.

The FCC investigating Amazon for selling cell phone jamming devices

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The FCC is investigating Amazon and other retailers for selling cell phone jamming devices, which can prevent calls to 9-1-1

Sharing personal info with Generative AI Systems

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Some people share intimate information with generative AI systems which is why we need assurances of anonymity and confidentiality

Fun ways to teach young kids about passwords

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There are fun ways to teach children about how to use passwords, said ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher.

Parents Real-world safety experience applies online too

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A lot of parents don't think they're tech savvy enough to advise their kids about how to stay safe online, but knowledge of real world safety applies ...

Beware of fake malware warnings

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Beware of fake malware warnings but do install legitimate anti-malware apps on your computer