Travel Apps For the Whole Family

Looking for some lifesaver family travel apps for the summer? Take a gander at 5 apps to help you survive traveling with the kids for a combination of some packing list apps, travel games, and even an app that helps you figure out where children eat free!

How an Innocent Picture Can Go Viral

The cautionary tale of how a picture can go from private to public and garner the attention of thousands in less than 24 hours was demonstrated recently on the Ellen DeGeneres Show Facebook page. A picture that a Mom thought had been on a private blog ended up on the show site as part of the "Caption This!" contest. At first the Mom was flattered but then as the “likes” on Facebook began to mount up she became rather alarmed at what had happened to her daughter’s photo. A good reminder that once you put something online the chances it can go public multiple times!  (If you are trying to make that point with your kids, you can also tell them about the Australian swimmers who have been given a social media ban by their national Olympic committee. The pair angered officials by tweeting photos of themselves brandishing guns while attending a training camp in the U.S. "Posting the photos on social networks encourages public debate, and that debate can be seen to have a negative impact on the image of the sport," Kevin Neil, CEO of Swimming Australia, said in a statement.)

Services to Keep Your Passwords Safe

Ok – we all know that we should generate a different password for every site that requires them, make them long and strong, mix in odd characters, and avoid pet names, but let’s face it, they are hard to remember and trying to keep them straight is a nightmare.  I have previously recommended that you use password management software, but USA Today recently featured an article with four services that can help you end playing the “guess the password” game and make your life a whole lot simpler.

Facebook Factoids

Researchers have come up with a 6 question questionnaire that they say can determine whether someone is clinically addicted to Facebook. People who try and fail to limit their Facebook usage, who turn to the social network to deal with negative moods or emotions, or who become irritable when denied access to the site could all be at risk of real psychological addiction, researchers say. In other polling news, it was found that of all Facebook users, 80% have yet to buy a product or use a service as a result of either ads or comments on the site. Also, about a third of users polled said they spend less time on Facebook than they did six months ago, compared with 20% who said they now spend more time on the site.

Skout Flirting App Bans Minors After Reported Rapes

The Skout networking app placed a temporary ban on under-18 users after three cases of sexual assault were reported. All three cases, reported in different U.S. states, involved children who met men posing as teenagers on the platform.

Skout, founded in 2007, is a GPS-enabled platform that lets users message and chat with nearby strangers. Prior to the new implementation of age requirements, the platform welcomed users who were 13 years of age and older. This is another chapter in the cautionary tale of the risks of using social networks and that strangers may not be who they have made themselves out to be.

Online Video Ridicules Cyberbullies

English comedian Isabel Fay and several fellow artists have posted a video called “Thank You Hater” on YouTube that ridicules the online bullies who have targeted them. While not for children, the video does point out how ridiculous some of the comments are that are sent by “haters and trolls” as Ms. Fay calls them. It’s good for a laugh and a reminder that online comments are to be taken with a large grain of salt.

Thanks to Facebook, Sad Reminders of Loss When Families Fracture

Once upon a time, a family estrangement meant that family members would cut each other off and never be heard from again. In the Age of Facebook, this is no longer true, though, there are new complications that arise from glimpses of other’s lives online, which are often painful reminders of what has been lost.

Worrying About Google

What impact has Google’s algorithms and intentions had on our lives as citizens and users of information? Siva Vaidhyanathan, Chair of the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia and author of the book, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry), warns us of our own culpability in relying exclusively on Google as a search engine and Web interpreter. In fact, he’s pretty adamant about how extreme the company’s influence has become—he says we open our lives to it in ways we don’t to even our close friends and family. “Overwhelmingly, we now allow Google to determine what is important, relevant, and true on the Web and in the world.” The author also cautions that Google is usurping the role of libraries. We should be concerned, he says, about the threat the search engine poses in its zeal to digitize every book ever published and to make them available in libraries as Google outlets. The Google Books Project was put in limbo in March 2011 when a federal judge rejected a $125-million legal settlement the company had worked out with authors and publishers, but according to him, the giant isn’t going away.

Survey Says 1 in 3 High Schoolers Text While Driving

Data from the Center for Disease Control's 2011 youth risk behavior survey of 15,000 high-school students showed that one-third said they had texted or e-mailed while driving in the previous 30 days. The survey also found fewer teens reported driving under the influence of alcohol and more reported using seat belts. The risk survey also found that one in five students said they had been bullied on school property during the previous 12 months. About 16 percent said they had been bullied electronically through email, chat rooms, instant messaging, websites, or texting.

Who Should Regulate Online Postings?

The popularity of social media and the growing influence of youths online have sparked questions over whether adults and private companies should regulate online content. At issue, some say, are posts on Facebook, YouTube, and other sites exhibiting dangerous behavior. However, others, including most young people, say the best solution is to educate people about online behavior to ensure that young people will not post inappropriate content. As one young advocate puts it, “If you never teach a child to cross the street, they won’t know how to do it,” she says. “We need to emphasize the long-term approach with education — not just block everything, but teach kids how to evaluate. Then, they won’t post inappropriate content.”