As Common Sense Media's parenting editor, Caroline helps parents make sense of what’s going on in their kids' media lives. From games to cell phones to movies and more, if you're wondering "what’s the right age for…?" Caroline can help you make the decision that works best for your family. She has more than 20 years of editorial and creative marketing writing experience and has held senior-level positions at Walmart.com, Walmart stores, Cnet, and Bay Area Parent magazine. She specializes in translating complex information into bite-sized chunks to help families make informed choices about what their kids watch, play, read, and do. And she's the proud mom of a teenage son whose media passions include Star Wars, StarCraft, graphic novels, and the radio program This American Life.
Blog Post List
November 18, 2019
"School shootings" are two words no parent ever wants to hear in the same sentence. But news of these tragic events is now so familiar, the topic is unavoidable. Unlike other conversations you have with your kids about scary stuff in the news , talks about school shootings are much more emotional, for both you and your kids. Add in the facts that kids as young as 5 are practicing active-shooter drills at school, and that any kid with a phone can get notifications of every mass killing and follow minute-by-minute updates on social media -- and it's even more of a challenge to provide calm...
MomsRising
Together
September 17, 2019
Good news, folks: You can cross off pencils and paper from your back-to-school shopping list . School-issued laptops and tablets are steadily replacing workbooks and practice packets. Yes, it's exciting: a shiny new device kids get all to themselves; software that adapts to their level; and a much-reduced chance of mysteriously missing homework . But you may have mixed feelings -- and lots of questions -- about managing the device in your home (which probably already has a bunch of screens). Schools handing out devices will almost certainly send home an information package with rules (called...
MomsRising
Together
August 27, 2019
If you and your kids went a little overboard on screen-time this summer, you're in good company. According to a Harris Interactive poll , about half of all parents say their kids watch more TV, play more video games, surf the Web more, and watch more movies during the summer months. With back-to-school around the corner, it's time to re-establish some limits on media. These strategies can help you get a jump on things: Have a last blast. Plan a special media-centered event that the whole family will enjoy -- something you couldn't do during the school year. A movie in the park, an all-day...
MomsRising
Together
August 2, 2019
Before baby, you were a Facebooking, Instagramming, texting fool, sharing everything from your perfect pasta dish to your hella-good manicure. Now, looking at your little bundle of joy, you may be wondering: What's OK to share, and what's TMI? What are the easiest tech tools for preserving those precious moments without broadcasting them to the world? Is it safe to post pictures of baby? These tips can help. Keep your head in the game Think through your posts -- really. To you, an ultrasound image or the story of baby's first giggle is the most precious thing ever. To the rest of the world,...
MomsRising
Together
June 21, 2019
What kind of pizza are you? What does the kind of pet you have say about your personality? Which U.S. city is your perfect fit? Quizzes like these are all over Facebook and other social networks. For kids, online personality tests are as compelling as the Hogwarts Sorting Hat: They define you at the precise moment when the most important thing is knowing who you are. And, whether you're a Slytherin or just shy, personality quizzes sort us into social groups where we feel safe knowing that there are others just like us. But, as the Cambridge Analytica acquisition of millions of Facebook users...
MomsRising
Together
May 23, 2019
For some kids, summer means getting on the computer and not getting off 'til September. And even though a lot of parents relax their screen limits over the break, allowing a full-on hibernation is just not gonna happen . And it shouldn't. Kids need to get outside, of course. But they also need to stretch themselves in ways that they can't during the school year -- and that no app, game, or streaming TV show, no matter how educational and meaningful, can give them. The slide into the summer-screen abyss often happens innocently, before parents even catch on. Your kid starts streaming Star Trek...
MomsRising
Together
Childcare & Early Education Family Economic Security Maternal Justice Paid Family Leave Social & Emotional Development
May 10, 2019
Media has a huge influence on kids -- and as kids get older, the online world has an even tighter grip on them. You can see it in the way they imitate their favorite TV characters, pretend to be YouTube stars, or beg for T-shirts, backpacks, or comforters emblazoned with logos. But parents still have a huge influence. And moms play a major role in the development and nurturing of kids in a media-filled world. Here are five ways moms can have a positive impact on kids' (media and tech) lives: Foster positive body image Kids get lots of iffy messages about appearance from media. Whether your...
MomsRising
Together
April 19, 2019
4/20 Day -- the celebration of marijuana that occurs every year on April 20 -- gets more popular every year. And while you probably haven't heard too much about it, your kids likely have. That's because 4/20 awareness spreads mostly on the sites and apps that attract tweens and teens, such as Twitter, YouTube , Snapchat , Instagram , TikTok and other social media. Even mainstream companies including Wingstop, Lyft, Ben & Jerry's, Denny's and Burger King use the day to promote their brands not on TV or Facebook (where parents are), but on platforms with a younger following. If you're...
MomsRising
Together
April 3, 2019
Since the Internet has become the go-to source for entertainment, socializing, news, information, and more, we rarely think about how it actually works. But the essential sites you visit every day or find through search engines such as Google and Yahoo are actually only a fraction of the total Web. Beyond the commonly available sites lies the Deep Web and, beyond that, the Dark Web. The Deep Web includes perfectly benign content, including your bank account activity, Amazon address list, and even items in your social networks that you've set to "private." But the Deep Web also includes other...
MomsRising
Together
March 15, 2019
Protesters push, shove, and yell obscenities at each other. A young refugee's body washes up on the shore. A bus driver is bullied while students cheer. A man commits suicide. These aren't scenes from a video game. Thanks to live-streaming apps such as Facebook Live , live.ly , Periscope , and others kids can watch actual scenes of real-life violence in their social media and news feeds . And these videos are unlike anything anyone has ever seen before. As kids scroll and swipe through the day's events, they're not only watching real-life violence unfold in real time, they're interacting with...
MomsRising
Together
February 25, 2019
It's not a law that you have to post a selfie before, during, and after every activity. But for kids, it's pretty much mandatory. The resulting likes, thumbs-ups, and other ratings all get tallied, both in the stark arithmetic of the Internet and in kids' own minds. For some -- especially girls -- what starts as a fun way to document and share experiences can turn into an obsession about approval that can wreak havoc on self-image. That kids have been comparing themselves to popular images in traditional media -- and coming up short -- is a well-researched phenomenon. But new studies are just...
MomsRising
Together
January 28, 2019
Beyond sharing the who, what, where, and when, explain why something happened and how big of a deal it is. This provides context and perspective. Also, tell kids a bit about how media functions, so they appreciate the relationship among news outlets, sponsors, and viewership. Take care when discussing the news, taking into account kids' ages and temperaments and any special circumstances . Here are some tips on talking to kids about what's happening in the news: Separate the important stuff from the noise. The election of a new president is important. Lady Gaga's new boots are not that...
MomsRising
Together
January 12, 2019
What do you remember from 2018? Did you share pics of your kid on Facebook? Did you sneak a peek at their texts with their friends? Did you yell at them to get off their devices ? Did you watch a movie that made you both laugh (or cry) ? Did they send you a text that filled your heart and reminded you of why you had kids in the first place? So much of our daily lives revolves around media and tech that we barely notice it anymore. But we should. Why? Because these moments are the stuff of life. And the way we use technology really matters. The start of a new year is a perfect time to reflect...
MomsRising
Together
November 28, 2018
Now that Black Friday starts at many stores on Thanksgiving night itself, holiday shopping madness is in full swing even before you put away the leftovers. And many of the season's strongest sales pitches are directed right at kids. If you want to enjoy the holiday on your terms, it'll take a concerted effort to replace holiday marketing messages with your own. Start training yourself and your kids now to think more critically about the rampant consumerism on display during the holidays. Before Things Get Too Crazy Be on ad alert. This holiday season, marketers will be using social media,...
MomsRising
Together
November 9, 2018
Hate speech is all over the internet. Fueled by trolls , extremists, false information , and a group mentality, this kind of cruelty against a religion, ethnicity, sexual identity, gender, race -- or anything, really -- has reached a fever pitch. And while some kids will be attacked, and some may be swept up in the powerful rhetoric, the vast majority of kids will be victims of everyday, casual exposure . Just by playing a game on the internet, looking up a definition, or maybe checking out some music, they'll encounter some of the most vile and offensive words and images that can be...
MomsRising
Together
October 31, 2018
The closer we get to a major election, the more likely it is that political ads will hit below the belt. Negative political ads expose kids to highly partisan, sometimes inflammatory, and even frightening images. But because they're so extreme, it makes them ideal for analyzing the devices they use to sway voters. Help your kids make sense of negative political ads: Explain that ads contain political opinion. It isn't fact or fiction but a point of view. You may agree or disagree with it. Ask how the ad conveys the candidate's position. Does it present her beliefs? Does it tear down the...
MomsRising
Together
September 20, 2018
Many parents worry that cyberbullying, trolls, and rude behavior have taken over the internet. While it may seem that the online world has worn away our empathy, many studies show that kids and teens develop strong, supportive online bonds both with known friends and those they've met online. And there are plenty of examples in which an outpouring of empathy has swept through pop culture, the internet, and other mass media. The jury is still out on whether that trend will continue. The bottom line is that kids have access to a wide variety of powerful tools they can choose to use for good...
MomsRising
Together
September 10, 2018
What teenagers look like they're doing and what they're actually doing can be two totally different things -- especially when it comes to social media. A bored-looking ninth-grader could be majorly bonding with her new BFF on Snapchat . A 10th-grade gamer may complain loudly when you cut off his internet but be secretly relieved . An awkward eighth-grader may be YouTube's hottest star . To find out what's really going on in teens' social media lives, Common Sense Media polled more than 1,100 13- to 17-year-olds in its latest research, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences...
MomsRising
Together
July 24, 2018
You know that girl from TV -- the one whose Instagram always looks perfect even with #nofilter? Or what about that amazing singer on musical.ly whom you can’t believe is only 14? And then there's that kid whose Snapchat stories of Coachella got 500 views. Your kids may be following people like this right now. Obsessing. Over. Every. Detail. And starting to feel kind of crappy about it. Keeping tabs on the rich, famous, and just-plain-cool is nothing new, of course. But social media can take that fixation to a pretty dark place. The feeling is common enough that some doctors are calling it...
MomsRising
Together
July 11, 2018
Mass shootings. Nuclear weapons. A robbery at your local corner store. Where do you start when you have to explain this stuff to your kids? Today, issues involving violence, crime, and war -- whether they're in popular shows, video games, books, or news coverage -- reach even the youngest kids. And with wall-to-wall TV coverage, constant social media updates, streaming services that broadcast age-inappropriate content any time of day, plus the internet itself, you have to have a plan for discussing even the worst of the worst in a way that's age-appropriate, that helps kids understand, and...
MomsRising
Together
- 1 of 2
- ›