Parental Concerns and Help

Parental Concerns
Thank you for taking a concerned interest in your child's online activity and exposure.  In Onslow County Schools we use an Internet filtering service provided by the State to keep kids as safe as possible.  While at home the best Internet filter is an aware parent.  We understand that the Internet is a big place with lots of information.  "Kids of all ages are swiping and scrolling, totally transfixed by screens of all sizes. Welcome to the new frontier of parenting. If you have questions on how to take control of the technology in your kids' lives, you came to the right place" (CommonSenseMedia).

All links below will direct you to CommonSenseMedia - our approved provider for Digital Citizenship, media reviews, and family guides.

 Parent Concerns Website (CommonSenseMedia)

	Setting screen-time limits -- and helping kids moderate their own habits -- are all about finding the right balance for your family's needs and lifestyle. We offer advice for creating a realistic schedule, settingage-appropriate guidelines on TV time, finding the first websites for young kids to use, handling violent media, and managing kids' cell phone use.
	Once kids go online, their chances of finding cyberbullies, haters, and trolls is, sadly, quite high. Find age-specific guidelines, videos, and articles to help with tough conversations -- whether your kid is a bullyor is being bullied. We answer all your cyberbullying questions, offering age-appropriate advice, school resources, and more from parents and experts.
	To help kids maximize the Internet's benefits -- while minimizing the risks -- we offer the latest research, tips, and tools on what really keeps kids safe. Which privacy settings should you use? What are the ins and outs of parental controls? Get tips on everything from the basics, such as smart usernames, to the big stuff, such as appropriate sharing.
	Social media isn't simply a way of life for kids -- it's life itself. To help them keep their online interactions safe, productive, and positive, we offer the most up-to-date research and guidance on social media basics. Learn about the latest apps and websites, and get tips on talking to your kids about sharing, posting, and avoiding digital drama.
	Getting a cell phone has become a milestone for most kids. We can help you lay the groundwork for responsible cell phone use, and manage the challenges and opportunities they bring. Learn how todecide when your kid is ready for a phone, set rules, choose the right phone and service plan, and stay on top of what your kid is doing on his or her phone.
	If you think there's a lot of violence in your kids' movies, games, and TV shows, you're right. While studies show watching violent images can lead to aggressive behavior and other negative results, parents can help ease the impact. Our advice can help you select age-appropriate content, wean kids off violent video games, and better understand the research on media violence.
	Media messages play a big role in shaping gender norms, ideas about sex, and body satisfaction, from the time kids are in preschool to their adolescence. Common Sense Media's latest research paper Children, Teens, Media, & Body Image (2015) highlights the latest pressures kids are facing and offers helpful tips for parents.
	With marijuana marketing, vaping videos, interactive alcohol ads, andpopular shows that glorify drug use, it's tougher than ever to limit kids' exposure to alcohol, drugs, and smoking in the media. Our articles, advice, and videos will help you discover what's appropriate at each age, find out how kids are influenced, and learn how to prevent your kid from starting harmful habits.
	Commercials have been around forever. But with viral marketing, data tracking, product placements, and other promotional tricks, today's advertising landscape is a whole new ball game. Want to ad-proof your kid? Find out the real impact of advertising, which ages are the most vulnerable, and how to help your kids view ads critically so they'll become savvy consumers.
	Learning with technology, whether with a math app, a video how-to, or a wiki, opens up a new world of discovery for kids. And as they access information in novel ways, kids are preparing for life in a new interconnected, global world. Learn how to spot the good stuff, find the right products for your kids' needs, and foster a love of learning.
	Books open up the world for kids like nothing else. The transition from being read to, to sounding out words to becoming a full-fledged cover-to-cover reader is something to celebrate. Wherever your kid is on his or her reading journey, our expert advice can help. From our Essential Book Guide to tips on building literacy skills to teen reading concerns, we will help you raise a reader.
	For kids with special needs, the right tools can make a huge difference. Games, apps, and devices offer access, information, and inclusion to kids with learning differences, autism, vision and hearing loss, and more. Learn how to configure your child's device, boost your kid's social skills, and determine the best digital media for your family's needs.
	With a dizzying array of smartphones, tablets, ereaders, and on-demand services, today's toddlers and preschoolers are the most media- and tech-saturated generation ever. Our research-grounded guidance can help you find answers to critical early childhood issues such as how to find digital media that's best for learning, how much screen time is really OK, which devices are worth it, and more.