What are your kids doing in the Digital World? Common Sense Media can help you out.

It is Saturday night and I thought I would share something outside the classroom. Common Sense Media is a "nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century." Their goal is to provide information to families to help them make decisions, stay safe and how to talk about difficult situations.

On this website you will find book, video game and movie reviews with age appropriate targets. The reviews list what to expect so parents can make an educated decision on letting their children see a movie or play a video game. There are articles on keeping children safe online and dealing with real-life situations. Articles provide scenarios and provide suggestions how to handle the situation. As found in this article on cyberbullying, you may even learn what some jargon kids are saying today. For example, ghosting is when you cut off online contact with a friend. I only recently heard of this term. Griefing is a term I have never heard but it refers to online gaming when a co-player intentionally kills you off or steals your loot. As a parent it is good to know the new jargon kids talk about. This site will definitely help.

Common Sense Media also has several videos that you may find interesting. I found the review on the newly released Halloween movie to be very informative. It lets you know what to expect and offers a violence scale. On the more pleasant side, There was also a video showing recommendations for the five best Halloween books for kids. You will also find videos on digital citizenship, different apps kids use, what they are watching and more. Visit their YouTube Channel to check them out.

I think you will find what they share very informative. Perhaps in future posts I will share more of their articles and videos to start a discussion.