The ConnectSafely Report with Larry Magid

Parents should avoid 'sharenting' of their kids on social media

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Parents, says ConnectSafely Youth Advisor Trisha Prabhu, should avoid "sharenting" by limiting what they post about their kids

Helping Kids Handle Online Mistakes

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Here's advice from ConnectSafely Educatiion Director Kerry Gallagher on how to talk wih kids about online mistakes in advance or after they happen.

High school debate can teach online and offline civility

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A Silicon Valley Urban Debate League tournament demonstrated how students can learn to argue both sides of an issue which can be good for democracy by...

Some kids did well during pandemic

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pediatrician and head of the Boston Children's Hospital Digital Wellness Labs on why ome kids' learning improved during the pandemic

Kids. social media and body image

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We hear from ConnectSafely education director Kerry Gallagher about how to help teens, including boys, cope with body issues stemming from what they s...

This coming Tuesday is Safer Internet Day

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day where schools, community groups and families are encouraged to talk about how they can use technology in a safer manner

Senators grill tech execs and demand changes to Section 230

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a rare show of unity, senators from both major parties grilled and criticized social media executives around child safety. Some senators said that ...

Don't let fous on GenAI blind you to other online risks

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There's growing concern about the risks of Generative AI, but they don't change the fact that young people also have to worry about cyberbullying, onl...

Apple adds stolen device protection in iOS update

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new update to the iOS operating system requires theives to go through extra identify checks to log in if they grab your phone from a location you d...

History of Tech Moral Panics

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot of doom and gloom scenarios about Generative AI, social media and other aspects of tech. But it's not new. We've been panicing over tech...

Generative AI Privacy

17 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Watch what you enter into a Generative AI chatbox. Expert says it's not a good idea to share highly personal and confidential information

Impressions of the new Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Larry's new prescription glasses look pretty cool but they're also "smart." Meta Ray-Ban glasses have an LED to warn bystanders when he's taking a pic...

Watching programs with your teens can help them process what they see

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There is plenty of violent, sexual and controversial content on TV and in movies, which can be problematic for teenage viewers. But by watching it tog...

Online hate speech can lead to real-world violence

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Online hate speech isn't just a matter of free speech. It can contribute to real world violence. How it should be handled by services remains contrav...

Safety conversation goes along with connected holiday gifts

26 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

You're kids have unwrapped their holiday tech gifts. Now it's time to talk about using them safely.

Managing "FOMO" (Fear of Missing Out)

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher has advice on how to manage your and your teen's "FOMO" or Fear of Missing Out.

The internet didn't start out as a money machine

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

UCLA professor Leonard Kleinrock, one of the very early pioneers of what became the internet, says that one reason for the negative issues associated ...

VR program helps understand impact of racism

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A virtual reality experienced, developed by Columbia University professor Courtney Cogburn, helps people understand the impact of racism.

Internet may not be the cause of teen mental health crisis

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many blame the internet and social media for the increase in teen mental health issues, but the chief scientist of the American Psychological assocati...

Critical thinking and Generative AI

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Generative AI is great but -- for kids and adults -- a litlle bit of critical thinking goes a long way

Talk with kids about the safe use of their new connected devices

21 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you're giving your child or teen a phone or other connected device this holiday season, talk witht hem about safe and approrpatie use

Grants for schools and community groups to teach about online safety

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely is providing grants up to $1,000 to educators and non-profit community groups to present a Safer Internet Day program in February of nex...

Research shows parents and teens optimistic about Generative AI

16 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite all the angst we hear about in the media, a survey conducted on behalf of the Family Online Safety Institute found that both parents and teens...

Our brain has two systems for evaluating potentially false information

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Now that we're entering election season, expect to hear a lot of emotional appeals. There's a tendency to think about such information based on our em...

President Biden issues executive order on AI safety

09 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

President Biden issued an executive order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence based on some guiding pr...

AI conversation starters

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's education director, Kerry Gallagher, has some conversation starters for families seeking to understand the advantages and risks of gen...

Reports finds frustration wth social media moderation

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A recent report found that influencers, journalists and activits are frustrated by the harm done by social media companies' reporting mechanisms and l...

Managed Meta VR accounts for preteens

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meta is allowing preteens to use its Quest virtual reality headsets but only with parental approval and supervision

Polly Klaas tragedy changed how we look for missing children

05 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new book, In Light of All Darkness, by Kim Cross chronicles the search, tragic death and aftermath of the 1993 kidnapping of Polly Klass, including ...

Using Facebook to raise money for a cause

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher writes about how online distractions can become inspirations for good and University of Florida profe...

Internet pioneer expressed concerns about how it might be used for harm

28 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Airforce Major Josephy Haughney was manager of ARPANET, the military network that evolved into the internet when he expressed concerns about potential...

Internet pioneer Vint Cerf on benefits and challenges of today's internet

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Internet pioneer Vint Cerf pleased at much of the initial content that came out once the internet was made available to ordinary people but, like the ...

Apple's new child safety features

21 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Apple's new iOS operating system for iPhones and IPads has important child safety features along with safety information provided by ConnectSafely

Meta's Oversight Board Explained

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meta, formerly Facebook, has an independent board that can make binding decisions about content, including the ability to overrule staff decisions,

Experts recommend you update your browser due to security flaw

14 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new flaw that affects Chrome, Edge and other major browser has experts recommending you do an update.

Apps to get you outside

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's no question that tech has created challenges when it comes to wellness, but there are plenty of apps that can help improve our well-being, inc...

Clear you browser history to incresae performance and protect security

07 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Deleting that cache on your internet browser can improve its performance and reduce both privacy and security risks.

Protecting your privacy on Venmo

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Venmo is a great way to send money to others, perhaps to split a restaurant bill but, by default it shares your transactions with others. In this Conn...

Google blurring explicit images with an option to view them

24 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Seeing sexually explicit or violent images can be disturbing for some adults and inappropriate at work or for children. Google isn't banning them but ...

Backing up is NOT hard to do

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Unlike breaking up, backing up your computer is not hard to do

Phone-free for a day

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's 22-year-old Youth Advisor and blogger Trisha Prabhu gave her phone to her mom for a day and lived to tell about it.

Back to School time is time for procuring tech and thinking about tech policies

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Whether you buy that laptop or tablet for your student or get one from the school, this is the time to think about what tech you need, how your studen...

Online scamming is big business

03 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Online scams are costing Americans billions. Seniors and especially vulnerable but so are young people. We hear from a cybersecurity expert, interview...

Meta's making its AI language model open source could reduce risks

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are well known risks of generative AI but Meta's decision to make its new LLAMA 2 version of its large language model open source means that oth...

Time to review your app privacy

20 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It may be time to look at the privacy features, policies and settings of the apps on your phone and to delete any apps that you're not using.

Zepeto keeping kids and their avatars safe

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Zepeto, an app that allows teens to interact as avatars, has developed numerous tools to help keep teens safe on the platform. We hear from Elyse Lee,...

Allowing family or close friends to track each other online can bring peace of mind

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Allowing family or even close friends to track each other online can bring peace of mind but do periodically review who can track you,

Meta's Threads is Kinder and Gentler than Twitter

13 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Meta’s new Threads service is the second biggest challenge to Twitter. The biggest challenge is the antics of its owner, Elon Musk.

Digital Wellness is how you feel offline as well as when you're online

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Speaking at the Family Online Safety Institute European Forum, Áine Lynch, CEO of Ireland's National Parents Council pointed out that digital wellnes...

It's important to get teens to buy into digital family rules

29 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely Education Director Kerry Gallagher says that teens crave autonomy so it's important for parents to get them to buy into family digital r...

Could a smart watch or fitness device save your life?

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are cases where people have been warned about life threatening conditions by an alert from their smart phone or fitness device.

What to do if you're being cyberbullied by relatives

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely youth advisor weighs-in on how to handle the delicate situation of being cyberbullied by a relative.

Google Lens can identify rashes and moles

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Social Media use and happiness

15 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Research shows that how you use social media impacts your mood

Dealing with sextortion threat

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce has a flyer on sextortion -- a sexual exploitation crime that mostly victimizes boys

Emotional intelligence

08 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We hear a lot about tech and teen mental health. One way to help is to promote emotional intelligence

Beware of texting scams

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you get a text from a stranger that appears to be the wrong number, it could be a scam or a spammer trying to verify if you're a real person.

Surgeon General Advisory questions whether social media is safe for kids

25 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Without reaching any conclusions, the US Surgeon General's advisory questions whether kids can be harmed by social media

Google Safe Search

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Google has a tool that helps keep children from finding inappropriate content

Voice Cloning Makes Virtual Kidnapping More Convincing

04 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Criminals are using AI to clone the voice of the supposed kidnapping victim to make the call even more convincing.

Virtual kidnapping scam

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Your host was a victim of a virtual kidnapping scam. No one was in actual danger and no ransom was paid, but it was still frightening,.

Help prevent identity theft

27 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What you need to know about ID theft

Get to know the apps your kids use

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok's Tracy Elizabeth, who is also a parent, has some general advise for parents about kids use of any apps.

We asked ChatGTP to write an AI safety guide

13 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We asked ChatGTP to write an AI safety guide

Survey finds more young adults have online safety concerns than teens

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A six country survey, from Supachat parent company Snap, of thousands of teens and adults found that more young adults have online safety concerns th...

Google wants to help you sleep

06 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Google's Nest Hub, Pixel Watch and Fitbit trackers have features designed to monitor your sleep and make recommendations on changes to promote better ...

Social media toxicity isn't inevitable

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many people blame mental health issues on the internet and social media. But there are other factors and there are healthy ways to use social media. ...

Experts call for pause in AI development to consider safety protocols

30 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

More than a thousand tech leaders and researches, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have called for a pause on sophisti...

Mozilla Foundation invests in trustworthy AI

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mozilla, the nonprofit behind the Firebox browser, is investing $30 million in trustworthy AI.

Why schools shoud teach responsible use of AI

23 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While chatbots like ChatGPT can be used by students to create content that isn't there own, an educator who knows their student can tell, said Connect...

ChatGTP privacy advise

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Larry asks ChatGPT for advise about online privacy

Profiles let Alexa devices know who's talking to them

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you're part of a family with an Amazon Echo device, consider using voice profiles so it knows who is talking to it and gives age-appropriate respon...

Watch out for AI generated misinformation

14 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans aren't the only ones who can pass on misinformation. Machines -- especially those using AI -- can do so as well.

Teen boys vulnerable to sextortion

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We speak with Dana Miller of the National Criminal Training Justice Center about how teenage boys can be impacted by sextortion: exchanging nude or s...

Hidden Words on Instagram and Facebook blocks offensive words

09 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We speak with Meta's Director of Youth Policy Nicole Lopez about Meta's hidden words feature that helps blocks offensive content on Instagram and Face...

Take it Down tools helps teens remove nude images from online site and apps

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The National Center for Missing & Exploited, with the help of Meta, has released Take it Down, an online tool that enables young people to request...

TikTok adds time limit default for teens and has new parental supervision tools

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok now defaults teens to 60 minutes a day. They can override that default, but if they do, they'll be prompted when they hit 100 minutes. The serv...

Online grooming happens over time and may involve someone the child knows

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Calahan Walsh from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children says that some people groom children online are known to the child so it's...

Communications is key to online parenting

16 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. Sameer Hinduja, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center talks about the importance of open communications and not blaming or punishing yo...

Civility includes pausing and thinking before you post

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's Youth Advisor Trisha Prabhu, who is the creator of the ReThink Words App, says that taking a moment to pause before you say something ...

Utah Bill Threatens Internet Security & rights for Kids and Adults

09 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Utah's SB 152 would require parents to provide their government-issued ID and physical address in order for their child or teenager to access social m...

How to speak with kids about real-world violence and brutality they see on media

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The deadly beating of Tyre Nichols by Memphis police officers is one of many horrific events that young people have been exposed to on TV and on the i...

Tuesday is Safer Internet Day

02 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This Tuesday, February 7th is Safer Internet Day where school students, families and folks at work can talk about how to make the internet a safer and...

Meta's decision letting Trump back on represents the battle of competing rights

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Both the ACLU and the ADL have been very critical of Donald Trump but, when it comes to Meta's decision to re-instate Trump, the organizations disagre...

Be careful when consulting "Dr. Google"

26 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Search engines like Google can lead you to some great medical information, but sometimes it's either wrong or unnecessarily scary. That's where a doct...

How to tell if Twitter Blue Check Mark is earned or paid for

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

That Blue Twitter checkmark used to mean that a person was who they said they were but you can now buy one for $8 a month. Still, there's a way to kno...

Free Crisis Text Line is as near as your phone

19 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The free Crisis Text Line provides help for anyone in crisis via text messaging or WhatsApp

Sometimes it's OK to make screen time mistakes

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A parent and educator talks about how parents can help a teen come to their own conclusion about spending too much time online

Malware impacts online banking

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There's Android malware that can compromise online banking and other apps.

ChatGPT may be scary but it has a lot of potential

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Rather than ban ChatGPT, educators should use it as a teaching tool.

Now is Good Time to Update Apps and OS

13 Jan 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you’re using a computer with a very old operating system or even a recent version that’s in need of an update, you’re taking an unnecessary r...

Twitch offers ways to help keep teens safer

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's Parents Guide to Twitch offers advice on how to more safely use the streaming platfor.

Will Twitter's "new" CEO make it safer?

21 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Elon Musk took an unscientific poll and nearly 60% said he should resign as CEO. But, assuming he does, will his replacement make Twitter any less cha...

A virtual conference tackles metaverse safety issues

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In preparation for giving his own speech, in VR, at a metaverse safety council, Larry speaks with XRSI founder Kavya Pearlman about the mind altering ...

Twitter disbands its safety council

15 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely's Larry Magid, who served on Twitter's Trust and Safety Council, says that it was a big mistake to shut out a group of experts with a br...

Grants of up to $1,000 to schools and nonprofit for local Safer Internet Day programs

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

ConnectSafely offering grants of up to $1,000 to schools and nonprofit for local Safer Internet Day programs.

Sharing your legacy and animating your ancestors

08 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Life Stories, which is part of a subscription package from GoodTrust that also includes tools for estate planning, digital protection (including a dig...

Catfishing can be dangerous

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Most catfishing attacks aren't as tragic as the one that resulted in three deaths in Southern California but they can be dangerous to your emotional a...

The metaverse may help you express your emotions in a good way

01 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Tami Bhaumik, Vice President, Civility and Partnerships at Roblox, talks about how technology will enable people to express their feelings of sadness ...

Beware of Amazon scams by seeing who the seller really is

22 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you see a product on Amazon that's very hard to find or is much less expensive than you'd expect, check to see who's selling and where it's being s...