DEVICE ADVICE:
Choosing Tech Gifts and Helping Kids Use Them Safely

Tablets, Smart Phones and e-Readers Are Tops for Teens; Insight & Advice from Caroline Knorr, Parenting Editor at Common Sense Media

Your kids might be the most tech-savvy members of the family, so are you ready to help them use – or stop them from over-using – this year’s crop of promising devices?

Tech gifts are at the top of most kids wish-lists, because iPads, Kindles, and Androids are gateways to fun games, homework help, connections to friends and more. But if you don’t read all the fine print in the manual, some of the bells and whistles may catch you off guard. Take that new tablet computer your daughter can use for book reports – but also late night video chats with friends.   Or the smartphone your son has to text you for a ride – but can also result in a $60 bill for playing an app with in-game purchases.

Caroline Knorr is parenting editor for the non-partisan, not-for-profit organization Common Sense Media.  In her User Guide for Parents, she explains, “The manual that comes with a device may cover the basics, but when it comes to managing how your kids use them – that’s up to you.”  From e-readers to learning tablets for toddlers, Caroline addresses every category of tech gift flagging key issues about these powerful devices that parents should keep in mind for kids at every age. 

In video here, Caroline offers valuable information your viewers can put to good use before buying, giving or unwrapping tech gift this season:

• What the manuals DON’T tell you about all of the powerful features of tech toys
• Great advice to help monitor time and how your youngsters use the top tech toys 
• How to choose age appropriate movies, apps, video games and other media gifts
• Guiding others to help them choose appropriate and fulfilling gifts for your kids

About the Talent: As Common Sense Media's parenting editor, Caroline Knorr helps parents make sense of what’s going on in their kids' media lives. From games to cell phones to movies and more, if you're wondering "what’s the right age for…?" Caroline and Common Sense Media can help you make the decision that works best for your family. She has more than 20 years of editorial and creative marketing writing experience and specializes in translating complex information into bite-sized chunks to help families make wise choices about what to watch, play, read and do.  More about Common Sense Media can be found at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/about-us/our-mission