Social media can seem like a scary, gnashing machine ready to chew up your precious darlings and ruin every job interview they have from now to forever, amen. Sexting. Bullying. A forever footprint. These are just a few of our least favorite things.

But just take a moment and relax, friend. This is a soft place to land because we are the best tour guides ever. Not only do we understand the hostile environment because we are navigating the social media mire every day with our own teens and tweens, we have the resources and knowledge to help you, too. In addition to our working-in-it-every-day internet savvy, Erin is a middle school teacher showing kids the internet ropes each and every day.

Parenting favors the well-prepared. Behold all that you need to arm yourself with information (and lots of it) to stay one step ahead of your tech savvy kids.

We’re all living in the twenty-first century, but some of us are embracing it a little more than others.  If you are completely clueless, start with Teach Parents Tech. This site makes our heart sing. It will walk you through nearly every step of basic computer functions. What to do, how to do it, step by step. It’s digital hand-holding at its finest. Back in the beginning of blogging when Erin was a bit of a tech spazz, we would BOTH have loved this site.

If you are competent, but want to be cool, you are ready for Cool Mom Tech. Seriously,  Kristen and Liz are our go-to girls for all things tech-y fun. All the latest and greatest are compiled on their site. Your kids will be so impressed and your friends will start thinking you are the tech guru.

Finally, you want to stay committed to being on top of the ever-changing world of tech, so become acquainted with TechSavvyMama. From her fabulous tech gift guides to her great, thoughtful posts about digital parenting, like this one about 10 Things Families Should Discuss to Have Healthier Relationships with Devices, we pretty much love what she has to say about technology and kids. Things are changing all the time and she’ll keep you at the forefront of what is coming down the internet.

And speaking of the internet, we love these great websites too. Whether we are looking for reviews or resources, these websites always deliver.

Edutopia

Ok, full disclosure: Erin is a huge Star Wars fan, but this site would be awesome even if it wasn’t the brainchild of George Lucas. This clearinghouse for all things that are working in education is not just a treasure trove for teachers but parents as well. In terms of educating parents on how to navigate the confusing world of tech, the site is top notch. Check out its Digital Literacy Resources for Parents. You will be glad you did, and while you are here, poke around a little, TONS of great resources on all things related to education.

Common Sense Media

This is the MacDaddy of digital citizenship. From lesson plans for teachers to reviews of everything digital (LITERALLY!) (video games to movies to television), this site has it ALL. You can be confident that all the resources you find here have been compiled by smart people who are committed to keeping kids safe on the internet and giving parents useful tools for parenting in a digital age.

ConnectSafely 

Every parent will say one of their chief concerns about having their kids interact on social media is their safety, and well it should be as the internet is a bit like the wild west. This site is great for allaying fears while also being incredibly honest and informative about exactly what your kid will face in each social media outlet.

Which brings us to the next important issue: Do you know where your kids are? Back in the day, this meant checking out street corners. Today, it means you should be looking at your browser history.

We are here to tell you that THESE sites are where your kids are online. Follow the guides. Educate yourself and make a plan with your kid about how your family will treat technology.

Parents Guide to Facebook

Parents Guide to Ask.fm

Parents Guide to Snapchat

Parents Guide to Instagram

Parents Guide to Youtube

Parents Guide to Twitter

Parents Guide to Vine 

There are also some great  digital workshops  where you can explore exactly what it means to be leading a digital life. Your family will find great resources to launch a conversation about good citizenship online, the potential dangers of the internet, and even some of the benefits of social media interaction.

Finally, we are not espousing any particular way to treat technology in your family, but we want you to have all the information you need to parent through the thorny digital landscape.  We respect that each family has its own needs and therefore will develop its own relationship with social media, so we will just say this: take your time. Thoughtful, reflective, informed, and available parenting is the very best kind in our opinion. Let kids know that you care and you want to keep them safe.

If you also want to set some limits, here are some ways to lock the internet down a little. Just remember: nothing is foolproof.

10 Great Apps for Parental Controls

 Parental Control Apps for Android

Parental Control Apps for Apple

And if you really, really, really want to set some tight controls, here are some Internet Filtering Tools that for a nominal fee will keep your kids far away from anything you deem unnecessary for your family.

Securly

OpenDNS

See? It’s all not-so-scary. Hope you enjoyed this five cent tour of social media. We hope these tips allay your fears and help you do the job we’re all trying to do well—parent in this new digital age.

Feel free to leave a question if there is a resource you are still looking for. We might be able to help you find it.

—Erin and Ellen

Check out the new parental control app to manage your child’s phone use that we love here!

You can follow us on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Check out our books, “I Just Want to Be Alone” and “You Have Lipstick on Your Teeth.”

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