Instagram Project
Saturday Project with Your Children & Instagram Spend some quality time today with your child (13+) who is on Instagram. Sit down with them and: 1) go through each and every person who follows them, and ask “how do you know this person?” If they don’t – delete them! 2) Delete old pictures. Keep no more than 9 pictures on at any given time. 3) Who is your child following? How do they know them? Are they positive role models? Are they REAL people? What kinds of pictures do they post? Then decide if they should continue to follow that person. 4) Make sure their account is set to private! When done: Ask your child to pickup the phone and call a friend. Have them engage in conversation… Just like we used to do! I’m sure you remember how we fought for the phone in our homes.. so we can talk to a friend!
Thank You Good Shepherd
Sept 12, 2014
After visiting a school this week in Courtice Ontario – I saw this wonderful Tweet:
Searching Music on Youtube
Sept 7, 2014
Searching for Muisc on Youtube.
Regretfully, some artists popular with young children can’t refrain from using inappropriate language in their music.
By default, searching their music always brings up the most listened to version, which would be the unedited version.
By default again, the natural reaction would be to click one of the first few songs listed. Don’t!
Look for the clean/edited version of the music, as in the example below:
Artist: Iggy Azaela. Song: Fancy
If you Youtube: “iggy azalea fancy”
The result will be the version you do not want your 10yr old to hear (or watch).
How do we get around this? Just add the word “CLEAN” (it works 90%+ of the time)
Easy way to solve the issue (as per the above example) is by typing in the following in Youtube:
“iggy azalea fancy clean”
You will see versions that exclude the inappropriate language, and may just be the lyrics to the music, versus the music video itself.
As always, parental guidance is a must.
Note – It is not suggested that your 10yr old watch the video as used in the example above. Listening to the song and watching the video can be two different experiences.
Facebook & Videos
August 24, 2014
Facebook and Videos – Using Lots of Mobile Data?
A tip to help you save money on your data plan for your smartphone.
By default, videos are set to autoplay in Facebook. With the popularity of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, your Facebook feeds are surely filled with lots of videos – and they automatically play in your feed. When you are away from WiFi, this can add up to extra charges on your monthly smartphone data plan. Let’s make a simple change:
iPhone:
Simply go to your SETTINGS and look for Facebook. Tap on Facebook and then SETTINGS. Now tap on the AUTOPLAY settings, and choose: WIFI ONLY or OFF.
With WIFI ONLY – the videos will play automatically when you are connected to WiFi. If you turn it OFF, they wont play at all.
If you select WIFI ONLY you will still see the video in your feed, it just won’t play while you are going for a walk.
Android:
Same feature is found in the facebook settings.
Secret – A New App to Keep An Eye On
Be On the Lookout for the “Secret” App
Sad that it has come to this, but another slide in my presentation will touch on a new App that I started looking into about six months ago, that is getting some attention.
It’s called Secret. Available for iOS and Android.
Here is the description from the makers:
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Share anonymously with friends, co-workers and people nearby. Find out what your friends are really thinking and feeling.
• Secret posts come from friends, but you won’t know who.
• Write back anonymously.
• When people love your secret, it spreads to their friends and can travel around the world.
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And the founders deny any bullying issues. Right.
The App is rated 12+ (so if you put restrictions on your i-device, your child can’t download it).
If you see it on a device. Take a deep breath, Then Have a talk.
It’s become a bullying problem in Brazil, where a Brazilian judge ordered Apple & Google remove Secret from the app stores… wonder how that will end up.
Social Media & Vacation Plans
August 7, 2014
Tell people where you have been, and what you have done. NOT -Where you are going, and what you are doing..
Vacations and Social Media
Two years ago, I removed a segment from my presentations covering – DON’T POST VACATION PLANS ONLINE – as I assumed this was now common sense.
Well, it has made the news again, as some people are still posting vacation information online, and it has come back to haunt them (home break-ins).
I have always lived by the following phrase:
Tell people where you have been, and what you have done. NOT Where you are going, and what you are doing..
To recap:
DO NOT Post Vacation information/plans on Facebook
DO NOT Tweet About it
DO NOT update Instagram with pictures from the beach, while you are ON the beach.
Go “Off The Grid” – it’s therapeutic.
Just tell one friend.. and let’s help each other be safe
Seflie’s & Running with The Bulls
Why you may NOT want to take selfies at a “running of the bulls”
Teachers Share Cell Numbers with Students??
June 24, 2014
Here is a good reason (and funny) as to why teachers should NOT share their cell phone number with students.
Link to my facebook page to see the post:
Facebook “Listening” To You
An interesting update to Facebook’s mobile app:
Facebook can now listen in on your activities with a new audio recognition feature for its mobile app that can turn on smartphones’ microphones to “hear” what songs or television shows are playing in the background. Facebook identifies the music or TV shows it hears, and can tell the world you’re currently listening to. This is an OPT-IN Feature that I would OPT-OUT of. So, for privacy concerns – don’t activate that feature.