Talk, Trust, and Trade-Offs: How and Why Teens Use AI Companions

 

Read more: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/talk-trust-and-trade-offs-how-and-why-teens-use-ai-companions

72% of U.S. high school teachers say cellphone distraction is a major problem in the classroom

A June 2024 Pew Research Center report highlights growing concerns over smartphone use in schools, especially among high school teachers. 

Read more: 
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom/

13 ways gaming affects your mental health

Gaming is a double edged sword when it comes to mental health. An OII study outlines 13 distinct ways gameplay can boost wellbeing, yet also spiral into obsession, financial strain, loneliness, and even exposure to sexualised content. Read the full article on how gaming affects mental health, for better and worse.

AngelQ - A Kid-First Super Browser

AngelQ - A Kid-First Super Browser

Bring your child’s interests to life with voice-activated Q+A. AngelQ delivers personalized, age-appropriate, engaging content with compelling images and videos.

https://www.angelq.ai/

Common Sense Media just scored App of the Day on the Apple App Store!

Common Sense Media just scored App of the Day on the Apple App Store! Turns out, helping parents find actually good entertainment is kind of our thing. Ready to make screen time smarter (and way less stressful)? Download the app and dive in. 

Prescreen Your Kid’s Screen Time : App Store Story https://apps.apple.com/story/id1781346728

Year One of a Phone-Free School

 By Sameer Hinduja
April 8, 2025

Tags:  cell phones school

In my last piece, I shared about the inconclusive research findings associated with banning student phones at school and the outcomes of academic achievement and positive mental health and well-being. I argued that we shouldn’t treat these devices as a singular crisis, because social, cultural, and contextual factors all strongly affect how students do scholastically and personally, and also are inextricably linked with how exactly they use their phones. Today, I wanted to share a conversation I recently had with Rabbi Dr. Hillel Broder, who serves as Head of School at Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy in Rockville, Maryland. Let’s dive right in!

Rabbi Dr. Broder, you and I have worked together for about 1.5 years now, and we’ve had multiple conversations on student device use at school. Over the last year, you’ve implemented a Wait Past 8th Initiative, and I think enough time has passed to have a meaningful conversation about lessons learned.

Read more: https://cyberbullying.org/phone-free-school

How the Great Rewiring Of Childhood Impacted Everything – And What We Can Do About It