Parental Guides for Instagram and Snapchat

For those parents already feeling a little overwhelmed by Facebook, the stunning popularity of instant photo-sharing services like Instagram and Snapchat can feel like the final straw. How can you possibly keep up with everything your teen is doing on all these social networks, particularly Snapchat, where photos disappear 10 seconds after they have been viewed, leaving no trail of what’s been posted?

Sensibly, the folks at ConnectSafely have decided that a little knowledge is a good thing – at least as far as parents are concerned – and they have come up with two new Parents’ Guides to both Instagram and Snapchat. These latest guides join A Parents’ Guide to Facebook and A Parents’ Guide to Google+, which have already been published by ConnectSafely.

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Five ways to deal with online haters

By Stacey Ross

Four years ago I experienced my first "hater." She posed as an interested client, but in reality was calling me to vent. From the grapevine (or maybe just my About page), she was aware that I am a happily married mom of two and had some luck early on in building my blog.

Somehow, I allowed myself to remain on the phone with her while she tore my brand new website apart and shared with me that, while she was barely pregnant, her husband went off and cheated on her, leaving her high and dry.

I believe right now that she had no intention of becoming a client, what-so-ever. She needed to vent. She wanted to elevate herself with someone who might take offense to her words. Yeah, I knew my site needed work, but I was just getting started. I stayed on the phone, because I thought I might close a deal.

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Monitoring Our Kids’ Social Media Activity

By Naomi Broderick

In today’s world, social media is the new norm. Everyone is linked to one another in a growing network of connectivity and sharing. While it’s surely a positive evolution for the globe, the transition does lend itself to potential consequences. One specific one is the influence that social media can have on young children across America.

Parents from all walks of life struggle to balance their children’s development with the societal transition to online activity. There’s a fine line between appropriate and unsafe social media use when it comes to the youth of our world. This article focuses on children aged 11-17, as the range includes the point when children generally become active online and also when they transition to adulthood. Parents have an inherent obligation to monitor and control Internet use for the benefit of everyone involved.

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10 Apps to Help Monitor Your Health

Today’s mobile devices are designed to provide us with instant feedback on all the issues that we care about the most, so it’s no surprise that medical and health-related apps are some of the most popular downloads. Some apps help analyze symptoms, some apps help you get the best price on prescriptions, and some apps just encourage a healthier lifestyle.

While medical and health-related apps should never be relied on as a substitute for professional diagnosis or proper medical treatment, they can be useful tools in bridging the knowledge gap in an area that is vitally important for all of us. Here are some of our favorites:

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10 Must-Have Travel Apps

Spring is finally here and it’s time to start thinking about those wonderful summer vacations. And if you have some travel to organize, your smartphone and tablet can help!

There are some great apps for choosing flights, booking hotels, renting cars, and more. And there are hundreds of additional apps for making sure you have a fun time once you arrive at your destination. From finding a great restaurant to conversing with the locals to keeping track of your finances, your app store has you covered. Here are 10 must-have travel apps to get you started:

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