An Interesting Take on Hashtags

Do you like and use hashtags or are you ovewhelmed by seeing them everywhere? I recently ran across this opinion piece by Daniel Stein on the DIGIDAY website. He shares his observations on the use of hashtags by advertisers. Click on the title to link to the page.

#Stopthemadness: Advertisers are guilty of hashtag abuse

Do you "Yik Yak?" Have you even heard of "Yik Yak?"

Yik Yak is a fairly new member of the social media community. According to Common Sense Media it is a "free, local social-networking app that lets users post "anything and everything" anonymously, including a lot of explicit content that's clearly not for kids. Yik Yak users post brief, Twitter-like comments, which are distributed to any 500 people using Yik Yak closest to them geographically. . ." They have determined that this app is inappropriate for kids.

For a lot more information about Yik Yak click on the links below.

Common Sense Media Reviews Yik Yak

Yik Yak app banned at Lake Forest High School amid flap

Sleeptexting - The Importance of "Turning Off"

I found this very interesting article from The Atlantic in a link from the previous post about Common Sense Media resolutions. The attachment people of all ages develop with their mobile devices, particularly phones, appears to be creating some significant health problems. Texting while not fully awake is one of them. The result could be merely embarrassing or worse.

One of the researchers studying this phenomenon said:

“It’s impacting teens and young adults, because they’re pretty much attached to the phone like an appendage. The younger generation grew up with texting and with Facebook and they’re checking their phones every two minutes during the day,” Gelb explains. “It’s just a part of their lives. This is all they know, this is what they grew up with.”


For the full article click on  Sleeptexting Is the New Sleepwalking.

New Year's Resolutions from Common Sense Media

Do you have concerns about the screens in your life? Televisions, movies, computers and mobile devices are everywhere and constantly being upgraded with new and exciting features. It's enough to make your head spin even if you understand it all.

Common Sense Media has some timely suggestions for controlling the onslaught and navigating the whole media world safely in 2014. Their resolutions are for both parents and kids of all ages and could very well provide some fun for you all along with maintaining some sanity when dealing with the ever-increasing demand for screen time.

Check out Media Resolutions Every Family Should Make in 2014.

Still looking for that perfect Christmas gift?

You might want to check out Common Sense Media's Holiday Gift Guide.

In their words, the guide includes "100+ holiday gift ideas hand-selected to inspire, educate, and entertain kids of all ages and stages. Whether your list includes young children, tweens, or teens, now it's easy to find presents that kids and parents will feel good about. All our picks are arranged by age and media type, and they include movies, video games, books, music, TV shows on DVD, apps, and websites."

Happy shopping!

How Much Do You Know About Gaming Consoles?

I am guessing that games or a new gaming console may be on a Christmas list you have been given. I admit knowing next to nothing about these things except for what I hear in the chatter in the IT room here at MHS and what I read in the blogs I regularly check. I am learning a great deal in a post titled "Your living room's new "black box"" in today's blog from MediaSmarts.

There is valuable information on such things as the features of gaming consoles (internet connection, built-in cameras, account requirements that allow players to participate in social networks as part of the gaming experience). They also stress the importance of working with the rating system. There is a link to Understanding the Video Game Rating System in the article (it is a pdf document that may download or your computer or open in a new browser tab).

No matter the age of your gamers, it sounds like it is very important to work with them in setting up the game system and learning about and evaluating the features available. It appears that there is a lot of room for customization of the system for your family's needs. As I indicated in an early post to this blog, making this a family activity can be both fun and educational for all involved.

Family Game Night Reinvented

Do you ever lament the fact that families, perhaps even yours, don't play games as a group any more? Of course I realize that some families still have fun playing board and card games together but, even if that is not your family, you still have options for family fun in keeping with ever-advancing technology. According to author Jordan Shapiro, who contributed this article to Forbes Magazine, there are many "benefits of intergenerational video game play," including "a positive impact on adolescent development and long-term family outcomes."

No better way to become familiar with what your kids are playing than to play right along with them.