If you’re a parent, you know more and more kids are using wireless devices to download music, stream video, play games, and visit social networking sites. To help customers manage their wireless budgets and stay on top of their wireless usage and their families’ as well, Verizon Wireless offers a service called Usage Controls, now more powerful with new tools to help manage megabyte usage and content purchases such as games, application downloads and ringtones. For $4.99 per line per month, customers can control data usage as well as how much, when and with whom family members are communicating.
Watch the video below from Verizon Wireless entitled “How To: Manage Usage with Usage Controls from Verizon Wireless.” The video explains how customers can harness the power of Usage Controls to help monitor and manage their wireless lives.
Tags: Families, parental controls, Parents, Usage Controls, Wireless Usage
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
We know this time of year can be overwhelming when shopping for media and technology gifts for children. This holiday season, Verizon reached out to Dr. Michael Rich, the Mediatrician, from the Center on Media and Child Health to get some guidance on buying gifts for children this holiday season.
Click here to read Dr. Michael Rich’s last minute tips for media and non-media holiday shopping.
Dr. Michael Rich, Mediatrician, and Director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Childrens’ Hospital Boston, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and Associate Professor of Society, Human Development and Health at Harvard School of Public Health, came to medicine after a 12 year career as a filmaker. As a former Hollywood filmmaker, he is a lover of media. But as a pedia
Tags: Child Health, Dr. Rich, Gifts, Holiday Shopping, Media
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
Check out Common Sense Media’s video and article below about managing this year’s top tech toys. Once all those high-tech gifts have been opened this year, consider taking the time to educate yourself about the parental controls available for specific devices. Verizon parental control tools include free Verizon Wireless Content Filters, free parental control features for FiOS TV services, as well as family protection features within the Verizon Internet Security Suite.
How to Manage This Year’s Top Tech Toys
Tags: E-readers, Gaming, Manage Technology, parental controls, Smartphones, Tablets
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
Call it Cyber Monday or Black Monday; it’s that Monday after Thanksgiving when retailers and online outlets offer incentives for shopping online. What may have been only a trend a few years ago has become a holiday-shopping tradition for many Americans. Whether it’s free shipping or discount coupons, the online offers can make the life of time-strapped shoppers easier and more rewarding. And you won’t even have to get out of your pajamas! Luckily, with Verizon technology, you’ll have lightning-fast access to online retailers so you won’t miss out on any holiday deals.
This year, we want to be sure you’re prepared all season long to make smart and safe decisions while using your PC, laptop, smartphone or tablet to find the best holiday bargains. Make your mantra this season “Prepare, Prevent, Protect” to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
Prepare Read this post (you’re already off to a good start!)Tags: Holiday Shopping, online security, online shopping, Scams
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
Verizon Foundation partner Common Sense Media offers the following tips about how to help get your family back on track when it comes to setting some limits on technology use during the school year.
Getting your family back on a school-year routine after a summer of staying up late, playing on the computer, and watching TV all day isn’t easy.
If you loosened your screen-time rules 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.
But s
Tags: Household Rules, Parents, Time Limits
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
As you gear up for the back-to-school season, check out some of Common Sense Media’s favorite Homework Help apps for kids! These mobile apps keep reference materials at kids’ fingertips and present topics in a visually appealing or interactive way.
Geo Walk HD – 3D World Fact Book (2011)
Tags: Apps, Education, Homework, Parents, Teachers
Posted in Educators, Parents, Youth | No Comments »
Dr. Walsh and his daughter Erin offer the tips below for setting Parental Controls effectively. Read on to learn more!
Will setting parental controls solve all of your family’s Internet safety challenges? Of course not. But parental controls are an essential component of your 21st century parenting toolkit. There is no silver bullet or t
Tags: cell phones, Computers, parental controls, Setting Parental Controls, Talking to Children
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
In recognition of June’s Internet Safety Month, Verizon has teamed up with leading online safety experts to bring you a series of videos and blogs about cyberbullying.
In this video, “Understanding and Preventing Cyber bullying: The Family Approach,” experts discuss how important it is to be proactive and start the conversation early with kids when it comes to online etiquette and cyber bullying. Many experts recommend starting this family conversation before kids reach middle school. Also remember that children often learn behavior from parents, so it’s important not to model bullying or negative behavior. Watch the video below to learn more!
Here are some key messages to address when starting this online safety conversation with younger kids:
Words have consequences, whether they are sTags: cyberbullying, Parents
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
Dr. Dave Walsh is an award winning psychologist, best-selling author, media personality, father and grandfather. He and his daughter Erin have recently launched Mind Positive Parenting to translate brain science into everyday practice for parents. Learn more at http://drdavewalsh.com/meet.
Dr. Walsh and his daughter Erin offer the below perspective and tips on the issue of Sexting. Read on to learn more!
Tags: Brain Development, Parents, sexting, Teenagers, Texting
Posted in Educators, Parents | No Comments »
In recognition of June’s Internet Safety Month, Verizon has teamed up with leading online safety experts to bring you a series of videos and blogs about cyberbullying.
In this video, “Why Kids Cyberbully: Recognizing Differences,” experts discuss some of the differences between girls and boys when it comes to cyberbullying, as well as steps to take if you discover that your child acting as the bully.
Here are some key take-aways:
Girls often cyber bully or get into conflicts with those who are among their closest friends, whereas boys often bully those who are not in their friend circle. If you discover that your child is the bully: Cut off their ability to abuse others so that it doesn’t continue Attend to what your child needs to get past abusive behaviorTags: Advice, cyberbullying, Girls vs. Boys, Parents
Posted in Parents | No Comments »
