Blog Posts by Common Sense Media

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

For those of us who grew up with dial-up modems, it can be hard to understand what the digital age is like for today's kids. Access to information is literally at their fingertips. But easy access reduces the time it takes to think through your actions -- and makes it easier to do not-so-great things. Like copying other people's work and calling it your own. Or downloading copyrighted music or movies illegally. And the list goes on. Part of the problem is that kids may not even realize that what they're doing is illegal. Here are the top three online offenses -- and how to make sure your kid's online activities stay on the safe side.

Plagiarism and high-tech cheating

What it is: Copying someone else's work and calling it your own. In Common Sense Media's 2009 study of high-tech cheating among kids 13-17, 38 percent said they'd copied text from the web to pass off as their work. And more than 35 percent said they'd used

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Reviewer
Technology has been a great boon to parenting -- we can now keep in touch with our kids via cell phone when they're out of reach, send a handy text when we we're running late to pick them up, even see photos of them posted on a summer camp website that reassure us they're having a good time.

But is all the access we have -- thanks to our gadgets and the Web -- helping our kids grow into independent, responsible people? Or are we crossing the line from caring to intruding? Is it about safety ... or snooping? My teen daughter unfriended me when she felt I'd been checking her Facebook page too often, and she changed her handle on Twitter when she didn't want me reading her tweets!

Here are a few guidelines for a common sense approach to tech-assisted parenting that balances safety concerns with kids' privacy and helps foster autonomy and trust while staying connected.

Be a good "friend" on Facebook
Some parents insist on being

By Shira Lee Katz, Common Sense Media Reviewer

Kids viewed, shared, liked, disliked, and commented. They even criticized. By the time parents found out about Kony 2012 -- from their kids, no less -- the video had already gone viral. Way viral. Parents could only play catch-up when it came to educating themselves about generations of Ugandan children who had been forced to take up arms and the accompanying campaign to put warlord Joseph Kony under arrest. As of March 16, the video has received almost 80 million views on YouTube. Most supporters are young people. Coordinated nationwide events to bolster campaign efforts are planned for April. Now, reflect. When was the last time you heard about a major news story from your kids? What's more, when was the last time they showed genuine passion for a weighty social cause?

The "Kony effect" is clearly cause for celebration on one hand. What parent doesn't want kids who are informed and take action to eliminate social injustices? The rub

By Sierra Filucci, Common Sense Media Reviewer

One of the biggest challenges of being a mom or dad today is choosing which of our parents' rules to keep and which to toss. Finding our own style when it comes to 21st-century media management faces an extra hurdle because the media landscape we grew up in was so incredibly different (no Internet!) from our kids' experience.

Some of our parents' rules still translate -- my mom limited the amount of after school TV I could watch, and I do the same with my kids. But when it came to books, she was totally hands-off. I aim to take a more active role in steering my kids toward the good stuff and away from the V.C. Andrews novels that I used to read.

Our early experiences with media -- from TV shows and movies to websites and video games -- make a big impression. And, as parents, we have a lot of control over our kids' relationship with media. What we say and do now might one day be what our kids say and do with our grandkids.

By Ingrid Simone, Common Sense Media Reviewer


Before there were any apps for kids -- before there was an App Store, even -- my 2-year-old son was quite handy with the iPhone. Incoming call interrupting his Sesame Street podcast? Decline! Not saying this is good or bad -- it just ... is. Both my ex-husband and I tend to be early adopters, and in general we both embrace technology. This is reflected in the way we raise our kids.

So when the iPad launched, we were all over it. And while our kids have had other electronics of their own -- Leapsters, Nintendo DSes, a laptop computer, and now a Kindle -- the iPad was different. It presented amazing new opportunities, but it also raised new questions for us as parents. If you're planning to buy a new iPad for your family, consider these questions and suggestions.

Think about ownership. Deciding who the device "belongs" to can help head off problems, foster a sense of responsibility, and provide a basis for accountability. Is

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Editor

Finding the right book for your kid can be a challenge. But if you guess right and keep new ones coming, you may be on your way to raising a lifelong reader.

Every month we highlight a few books for different ages -- some exceptional titles that could be the perfect thing to perk your kid's interest, get your reader hooked on a new author, or rediscover an old favorite. Here are our picks for March:

• For kids 4 to 8, there's Penny and Her Song, by Kevin Henkes, about an adorable little mouse who makes up a song and can't wait to sing it for her family -- but she has to. The babies are sleeping, and there's dinner to cook and eat. Penny learns patience and is rewarded with attentive, enthusiastic listeners when the time is right. Caldecott and Newbery winner Henkes' knowing family tale is great as a read-aloud or for an early reader, with its short chapters and simple, engaging text.
• For 12 and up, there's Friends with Boys,

By Caroline Knorr, Common Sense Media Editor

Sometimes it seems like the more tech savvy kids become, the fewer real-world skills they're capable of. Many can easily manipulate a smart phone, but basic stuff like chores, sports -- even making eye contact -- has become a challenge.

My kid was well past his tenth birthday before he achieved true proficiency at tying his shoes, but he could rule the world in Civilization V. One friend's kid has a hard time maintaining a conversation, but she IMs a blue streak. And another friend's toddler is a genius on a smartphone but resists all efforts at potty training.

Kids are more digitally plugged in than ever. According to Common Sense Media's 2011 Zero to Eight media-use study, half of all children have access to mobile devices at home, like tablet computers and iPods. And in 2010, a study by the Internet security company AVG found that a whopping 69 percent of 2- to 5-year-olds can operate a computer mouse, but only 11 percent can tie

You've read the Hunger Games triology ... now what? We've gathered our picks of other dystopian novels -- books that imagine a not-so-rosy future under a menacing and oppressive regime, where teens and other folks must rely on their wits, courage, and strong friendships to survive. You can also check out our science-fiction, fantasy, and thiller recommendation lists to find even more choices for kids, tweens, and teens.