How do you feel about technology and social media for kids? Are you for it or against it? Leticia Barr, from Tech Savvy Mama, joins us as our guest for today’s show. For a long time, Leticia has embraced and amplified technology for kids. There are many parents however, with teenagers, who are trying to figure out the best way to manage their kid’s use of social media. In today’s episode, we have a great conversation with Leticia. Be sure to listen in, to hear her story and find out how to make your kids smart and savvy when it comes to technology.

Leticia is a teacher and a mother of teens. She started writing her blog, Tech Savvy Mama, in 2008, when her daughter was four, and her mother-in-law gave her family a hand-me-down computer. Leticia started blogging from a place of personal interest and also to share some of her resources. Although the teacher in her knew about the incredible potential that a computer held for fostering learning and education in a young mind, she and her husband still felt conflicted with the idea of bringing a computer into their home. Back then, the world was in a very different place, technologically, and things have changed a lot since then. Tune in, to find out more!

Show highlights:

• Leticia took what she knew from training teachers in the classroom, and applied those to her blog.
• The landscape of technology in our homes has changed a lot over the years.   
• There is a nice middle-ground when it comes to kids and technology. 
• You can get to a place where you have a sense of what is going on with your kids technologically, and you’re not just letting them do everything they want to on the internet.
• Kids love it when they get to teach you something!
• Opening up a conversation with your kids about technology is easy. 
• Some of the benefits of the online world for kids right now. 
• Why kids like watching videos of kids playing video games. 
• There are some great ways that kids are learning from Youtube videos.
• The difference between productive screen-time and passive screen-time.
• Google has a free wellness website.
• Honesty opens doors for communication.
• Take a critical look at your relationship with technology before criticizing your kids.
• Leticia shares a great tool for family contracts.
• Some guidelines for kids and technology.

Links and resources:

Tech Savvy Mama - https://techsavvymama.com/ 

Google’s free wellness website - GoogleFit

The Smart Talk - https://thesmarttalk.org/ 

Bark - https://www.bark.us/