Description
Book SynopsisHow to equip your children to survive in the digital jungle.
Trade Review“Bex is clearly passionate about helping people engage with the digital world in a positive way, and… sets out some great ways to achieve this.” -- Reg Bailey CBE, Chief Executive of Mothers’ Union
“A refreshingly direct and thoughtful guide for parents.” -- Professor Sonia Livingstone OBE, London School of Economics, author of Children and the Internet
This book is certainly unique in that it is not just the spouting of technologies but the revealing of how ordinary folks see and perceive technologies but the revealing of how ordinary folks see and perceive technologies. I appreciate the way Lewis weaves in the various snippets of her survey and study to give us a very down to earth picture of the technological landscape at a very human level. -- Conrade Yap * Netgalley *
This book is well written and informative. A definitive guide to avoid your kids dealing with the nastier side of the internet (grooming, cyberbullying, internet addiction). -- Kerry Marsh * Netgalley *
`This is a book which every family with young children can benefit from.’ * The Irish Catholic *
`This book is the go-to guide for all our digital worries.’ -- Lloyd Kinsley * Childrenswork *
Table of ContentsContents
A Chance to Say Thank You… 7
Meet @drbexl 11
Introduction: What Am I Going to
Gain from this Book? 13
Should we truly be fearful? 15
Who is responsible? 17
Questionnaire 18
Navigating this book 19
Chapter 1: Challenging Fears:
Brief Lessons from History 20
The development of a “risk” society 22
Changing families 25
Common fears 26
Looking hopeful? 28
Chapter 2: Digital Culture: Why it
Matters that We Join In 30
The need for “digital literacy” 33
Technology: “The bad guy”? 34
Focus on the positive 36
Improving social skills 37
The benefits of digital technology for those with special needs 38
Online/Offline 40
Chapter 3: Technology: The ToolBox 44
What’s hot right now? 45
Audio services 45
Blogging 46
Bookmarking 48
Facebook 48
File-hosting service 50
Foursquare 51
Google Search 51
Google+ 52
Instagram 53
LinkedIn 53
Pinterest 54
Snapchat 54
Skype 55
Twitter 55
YouTube 56
Don’t forget the “old” technologies 58
Chapter 4: Children in Digital Culture 59
The myth of “the digital native” 60
Children online 62
Making positive choices 63
What changes in the teenage years? 64
Buy me! Buy me! 67
“Digital divide” 70
Where do children turn to for advice? 71
Chapter 5: Communicate,
Communicate, Communicate 73
The question of an Internet Safety Agreement 78
Chapter 6: Practical Advice for Parents in a Digital Age 81
Appropriate at what age? 82
Legal limits? 84
Privacy and permanency 87
Monitoring 90
Filtering 92
Location services 95
Managing your digital fingerprint 96
Chapter 7: Identity: Values and Authenticity 99
Role models 102
Anonymity 103
Chapter 8: Relationships (Online) 104
Friendships 105
Cyberbullying 109
Bystanders 119
“Stranger danger” lurks… 122
Chapter 9: Increasingly Mobile 127
An intruder? 130
An e-babysitter? 131
Managing phone use and costs 136
At what age should I buy my child a mobile? 138
Texting and short forms 141
Chapter 10: Sex Talk (Porn, Paedophilia, and Sexting) 143
Porn 144
Grooming and child abuse 148
Sexting 152
Chapter 11: Keeping within the Law 155
Plagiarism and copyright 156
Music, film and apps 157
Viruses 159
Chapter 12: Health Works 160
Physical set-up 160
Dodgy health information 162
Brain change? 165
Addiction 166
Attention spans and multitasking 170
Conversational ability 170
Couch potatoes? 173
Chapter 13: Screen Time and Family Dynamics 175
Recommended screen time 176
Bedroom culture 178
Digital time out 180
Reading online 181
Chapter 14: Gaming 184
Finding age-appropriate games 187
The positives of gaming 188
Violent, addictive, and expensive? 190
Chapter 15: Does Digital Offer Life
Opportunities? 192
Criticality and avoiding the scams 194
Working together: collaboration 196
Clicktivism, activism, and social justice 197
Chapter 16: Some Thoughts for
Others Working with Children 200
Grandparents 200
Some further resources 202
Teachers 203
Some further resources 207
Youth workers/leaders 209
Some further resources 211
Chapter 17: Looking to the Future 212
Predictions are made 212
The future is here 213
Core parenting skills retain value 214
Chapter 18: Never Forget 215
JargonBuster 218
Find other terms 224
Websites You Might Want to
Connect with 225
Want to Read a Little More? 229
Some specific web resources 231
Notes 232
