The ease of access for digital data has blurred the lines between what is an invasion of privacy and what is free for the taking. Edward Snowden opened the floodgates in 2014 when he revealed that the FBI had been using data from cell companies and social networks without users consent. This was rectified by stringent security created by the device
Read more →
The minimum age for most social networks is 13 years old. Why 13? Much like 16 is the minimum age for driving, 13 was selected as the age whereby children could consiously post data that would be permanent and potentially public. It is also the age at which they could view ads and make real decisions about the products. This age
Read more →
Hold on a minute. Before you post that image, blog or tweet, consider the content. If it breaks even one of these rules, think really hard about putting it out there! DO NOT…. Send a picture to someone via email/snapchat/instagram that you wouldn’t want your boss, principal, or grandma to see! Sure you are sending them to your good friend
Read more →
Looking back at 2015, it was a busy year for Social Media. Though we had lots of competitors vying to be the new ‘it’ network, the top 7 are still the most popular: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube and Google+. Some apps, like Snapchat and Vine, have gained popularity with the younger generations, but do not have the mass
Read more →
If I had asked you to connect to the ‘internet’ a few years ago, you would have opened a browser window on your computer or handheld device. Today we can connect to the internet using any number of devices from wearables (e.g. FitBits) to thermostats to kitchen refrigerators. Collectively all these devices and connections are known as the Internet of
Read more →
Our daily lives are so intertwined with technology that you’d be hard pressed to find a current movie that doesn’t feature some kind of social media, digital device or online interaction. Much like anything in real life, the portrayal of these things on the big screen are not always realistic. If you are trying to learn more about how social
Read more →
The word ‘meta’ is used to describe something that is contained within itself. The term ‘metadata’ is then the information about other information. This is not specific to digital data, technically a table of contents in a book is data about data, but online we use metadata to encompass a lot more than an index. Though mostly helpful, sometimes the
Read more →
There is a lot of advice out there about how parents should handle their kids’ online lives. I have read articles advocating that parents should have every password for every one of their kid’s apps and check them often. I have seen people who advocate a completely hands-off approach. My philosophy lies in the middle: allow kids to develop independent lives but ensure we are
Read more →
Of all the jobs I have ever had, by far the most difficult, confusing, exhausting AND rewarding is as parent. Since it is often all consuming, it helps to be able to share the daily challenges and victories with others who can sympathize and who appreciate your pain or your pride. The term “sharenting” was created to describe the burgeoning
Read more →
Every time you go online you add to your digital footprint, or binary tattoo. The information collected is made up of what you enter online (likes, comments, posts), your behaviour (what sites you visit, how you interact with them) and what inferences companies can make based on the first two pieces of data. This data is used to target ads and make marketing decisions.
Read more →