AI-generated deepfakes are making scams harder to spot. A voice message, video or photo may look real, even when it’s fake.
In this video, ConnectSafely’s Kerry Gallagher shares a few simple ways to slow down, verify suspicious messages and talk with kids and teens about AI-enabled scams.
One good reminder: if a message creates urgency or strong emotion, pause before responding or sharing information.
To learn more and find additional resources, see the link in bio.
#AIscams #parenting #parents #digitalwellness #digitalwellnesswednesday
Many older adults comfortably manage rides on their own, but it’s nice to have options when extra support would help.
Our new Guide to Uber Senior Accounts explains how older adults can maintain independence while using features designed to make ride-hailing easier and more flexible, including larger text, simplified screens and optional family support when wanted.
The guide covers:
• Senior Accounts and Simple Mode
• Easier app experiences with fewer steps
• Safety and privacy settings
• Payment and booking options
• Optional trip sharing and caregiver support
🎯 Because transportation tools should support independence — not take it away.
Read the guide at the link in bio.
New research from Pew highlights that TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are important social ecosystems for teens. Teens visit each of them for different reasons: TikTok for entertainment and discovery, Instagram for celebrity updates and news, and Snapchat for direct connection with friends.
Too Much Screen Time?
While most teens believe they spend the “right amount” of time on these platforms, parents are often more concerned. For example, just 28% of teen TikTok users say they spend too much time on the app, but 44% of parents say their teen spends too much time there.
Impact on Daily Life
The influence of these platforms varies significantly by app:
👉Sleep & Productivity: TikTok users are more likely to report that the platform negatively impacts their sleep and productivity compared to other apps.
👉Friendships: Snapchat stands out as positively impacting friendships, with nearly half of users saying it helps.
👉Mental Health: While many teens report that these platforms neither help nor hurt their mental health, persistent concerns regarding harassment and bullying remain a reality for a portion of users, particularly on Snapchat.
Conversation Starters for Parents
Rather than focusing solely on time limits or other restrictions, use this data to encourage teens to reflect on what makes them feel confident and healthy:
1. “I read that many teens feel Snapchat helps them connect with friends, while TikTok can sometimes feel like a time-sink. Which apps do you find most helpful for staying connected, and which ones feel like they just take up too much time?”
2. “Do you ever feel like the time you spend on TikTok or Instagram affects your sleep or your ability to get schoolwork done? To get enough sleep?”
3. “How do you decide what’s ‘too much’ screen time for yourself, and do you think that matches what I’m seeing as your parent?”
#bodyimage #socialmedia #digitalwellness #digitalwellnesswednesday
In the fast-evolving online gambling landscape, many apps that look and feel like sports betting are actually classified under different legal frameworks. For parents, understanding these distinctions is key to recognizing what might be on your child's phone.
📌 The 4 Types of Betting Apps Kids Are Seeing
Traditional Sportsbooks: These are the most well-known. Users bet directly against a company that sets the odds.
👉Examples: DraftKings and FanDuel
Prediction Markets: These apps allow users to bet on the outcome of real-world events like sports, politics, traffic, and weather. Instead of betting against a house, users trade against each other at prices that reflect probability.
👉Examples: Kalshi and Polymarket
Daily Fantasy Pick’ems: These platforms focus on individual player stats with in-play bets or microbets (e.g., "Will this player score over 6 points in the 4th quarter?") rather than game outcomes. Sometimes these in-play bets are stacked into parlays. They are legal at younger ages than traditional sportsbooks in some states.
👉Examples: PrizePicks and Betr
Social Sweepstakes: These apps use a sweepstakes model where users play with virtual currency that can sometimes be redeemed for real cash prizes. The sweepstakes model allows them to bypass many traditional gambling laws including age restrictions, which makes them especially attractive to teen users.
👉Example: Fliff
📌 3 Tips for Building Proactive Awareness
Expose the Hidden Math: Use this video from Dr. Steven Rose, a gambling addiction counselor, to explain that these apps are designed to guarantee that, over time, the platform makes money and the gambler loses money.
Discuss the Dopamine Loop: Explain how the small, quick rewards in these apps are scientifically designed to hook developing brains. Watch this TED-Ed video with your child to start the conversation.
Audit the "Free" Offers: Many kids are drawn in by "risk-free" or "social" play that doesn't use real money initially. Use this as a teachable moment to discuss how these "free" modes are often grooming tools to transition users to real-money betting later.
For more, see the link in bio.
In the fast-evolving online gambling landscape, many apps that look and feel like sports betting are actually classified under different legal frameworks. For parents, understanding these distinctions is key to recognizing what might be on your child's phone.
📌 The 4 Types of Betting Apps Kids Are Seeing
Traditional Sportsbooks: These are the most well-known. Users bet directly against a company that sets the odds.
👉Examples: DraftKings and FanDuel
Prediction Markets: These apps allow users to bet on the outcome of real-world events like sports, politics, traffic, and weather. Instead of betting against a house, users trade against each other at prices that reflect probability.
👉Examples: Kalshi and Polymarket
Daily Fantasy Pick’ems: These platforms focus on individual player stats with in-play bets or microbets (e.g., "Will this player score over 6 points in the 4th quarter?") rather than game outcomes. Sometimes these in-play bets are stacked into parlays. They are legal at younger ages than traditional sportsbooks in some states.
👉Examples: PrizePicks and Betr
Social Sweepstakes: These apps use a sweepstakes model where users play with virtual currency that can sometimes be redeemed for real cash prizes. The sweepstakes model allows them to bypass many traditional gambling laws including age restrictions, which makes them especially attractive to teen users.
👉Example: Fliff
📌 3 Tips for Building Proactive Awareness
Expose the Hidden Math: Use this video from Dr. Steven Rose, a gambling addiction counselor, to explain that these apps are designed to guarantee that, over time, the platform makes money and the gambler loses money.
Discuss the Dopamine Loop: Explain how the small quick rewards in these apps are scientifically designed to hook developing brains. Watch this TED-Ed video with your child to start the conversation.
Audit the "Free" Offers: Many kids are drawn in by "risk-free" or "social" play that doesn't use real money initially. Use this as a teachable moment to discuss how these "free" modes are often grooming tools to transition users to real-money betting later.
For more, see the link in bio.
AI can sound human. That’s powerful ... and risky.
In Doing Tech Right, ConnectSafely’s Kerry Gallagher and Larry Magid talk about:
• Why AI feels real
• When to question it
• Deepfakes & “nudification” targeting girls
• How to respond without fear
Practical advice for parents, educators and teens.
🎧 Listen now at the link in bio.
Social media is increasingly shaping how teen boys view their bodies, often promoting unrealistic and enhanced physiques that can lead to dangerous choices. In fact, we shared information on looksmaxxing trends just last month. Recent research shows a growing link between time spent engaging with fitness content online and interest in anabolic-androgenic steroids, substances that can seriously harm developing bodies.
A 2026 study published in Social Science & Medicine found that boys and men in the U.S. and Canada who frequently engaged with fitness-focused social media were significantly more likely to report intentions to use steroids. Researchers noted that “greater engagement with appearance-focused content was associated with stronger intentions to use anabolic-androgenic steroids,” highlighting how repeated exposure can normalize risky behavior.
Coverage from News-Medical explains that even passive exposure, like scrolling through body transformation videos or gym influencer posts, can shape beliefs about what is “normal” or achievable. According to the report, “muscularity-oriented content online may influence decisions about high-risk appearance-enhancing and performance-enhancing substances.”
Mainstream reporting echoes these concerns. A CBS News segment describes how teen boys are being drawn into “extreme body transformations” fueled by viral trends and algorithm-driven content. In one case, a teen shared that social media “made it seem like everyone was doing it,” referring to steroid use. This perception of widespread use can lower perceived risk and increase curiosity.
Parents can play a critical role in prevention:
✔︎ Start by having open, judgment-free conversations about what your son is seeing online.
✔︎ Help him understand that many images are edited, enhanced, or supported by substances not disclosed.
✔︎ Encourage strength, health, and performance goals over appearance.
✔︎ Finally, stay curious. Ask about the accounts he follows and consider exploring content together to build awareness and critical thinking.
Social media is increasingly shaping how teen boys view their bodies, often promoting unrealistic and enhanced physiques that can lead to dangerous choices. In fact, we shared information on looksmaxxing trends just last month. Recent research shows a growing link between time spent engaging with fitness content online and interest in anabolic-androgenic steroids, substances that can seriously harm developing bodies.
A 2026 study published in Social Science & Medicine found that boys and men in the U.S. and Canada who frequently engaged with fitness-focused social media were significantly more likely to report intentions to use steroids. Researchers noted that “greater engagement with appearance-focused content was associated with stronger intentions to use anabolic-androgenic steroids,” highlighting how repeated exposure can normalize risky behavior.
Coverage from News-Medical explains that even passive exposure, like scrolling through body transformation videos or gym influencer posts, can shape beliefs about what is “normal” or achievable. According to the report, “muscularity-oriented content online may influence decisions about high-risk appearance-enhancing and performance-enhancing substances.”
Mainstream reporting echoes these concerns. A CBS News segment describes how teen boys are being drawn into “extreme body transformations” fueled by viral trends and algorithm-driven content. In one case, a teen shared that social media “made it seem like everyone was doing it,” referring to steroid use. This perception of widespread use can lower perceived risk and increase curiosity.
Parents can play a critical role in prevention:
✔︎ Start by having open, judgment-free conversations about what your son is seeing online.
✔︎ Help him understand that many images are edited, enhanced, or supported by substances not disclosed.
✔︎ Encourage strength, health, and performance goals over appearance.
✔︎ Finally, stay curious. Ask about the accounts he follows and consider exploring content together to build awareness and critical thinking.
AI influencers and AI-enhanced media can quietly influence how teens see themselves and what they buy. AI influencers are computer-generated social media personalities designed to look and act like real people. AI-enhanced media is digital content that has been altered or improved using artificial intelligence to change how it looks or feels.
Unrealistic Beauty: Teens and experts agree that AI can create entirely new unattainable realities. Over time, teens may compare themselves not just to peers, but to perfection that doesn’t exist.
👉Teen Girl Perspective: “Social media makes it feel like everyone has perfect skin, perfect hair, and no flaws at all. When you see that all the time, it’s easy to feel insecure and want to fix things. But the problem is that most of those “perfect” pictures are edited too, so it becomes this cycle where no one feels good enough.” -Gabriella, Montclair High School (NY Times)
👉Teen Boy Perspective: “An example of the negative effects of altering photos is in the bodybuilding world. Many teenagers that are into this niche often follow influencers who often edit their physiques to look better than they actually are and since teenagers also want to achieve similar physiques, they often stumble upon steroids and start destroying their health.” -Adan, Glenbard West School (NY Times)
👉Expert Perspective: “Algorithms curate idealized images, push beauty filters, and prioritize content that reinforces narrow standards of appearance… Studies show 70% of teens believe AI-enhanced social media directly contribute to their dissatisfaction with their bodies.” –Ateba Whitaker (Your Teen Magazine)
What Parents Can Do
👉Get Curious: Help your teen identify AI-generated or edited content. Discuss how you can discern the details.
👉Shift the focus: Talk about how algorithms promote certain looks or products. Why would they be edited or created to look that way?
👉Encourage diversity: Follow creators who show real, unedited lives.
👉Keep communication open: Make this an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time talk.
For more, see the link in bio.
AI influencers and AI-enhanced media can quietly influence how teens see themselves and what they buy. AI influencers are computer-generated social media personalities designed to look and act like real people. AI-enhanced media is digital content that has been altered or improved using artificial intelligence to change how it looks or feels.
Unrealistic Beauty: Teens and experts agree that AI can create entirely new unattainable realities. Over time, teens may compare themselves not just to peers, but to perfection that doesn’t exist.
👉Teen Girl Perspective: “Social media makes it feel like everyone has perfect skin, perfect hair, and no flaws at all. When you see that all the time, it’s easy to feel insecure and want to fix things. But the problem is that most of those “perfect” pictures are edited too, so it becomes this cycle where no one feels good enough.” -Gabriella, Montclair High School (NY Times)
👉Teen Boy Perspective: “An example of the negative effects of altering photos is in the bodybuilding world. Many teenagers that are into this niche often follow influencers who often edit their physiques to look better than they actually are and since teenagers also want to achieve similar physiques, they often stumble upon steroids and start destroying their health.” -Adan, Glenbard West School (NY Times)
👉Expert Perspective: “Algorithms curate idealized images, push beauty filters, and prioritize content that reinforces narrow standards of appearance… Studies show 70% of teens believe AI-enhanced social media directly contribute to their dissatisfaction with their bodies.” –Ateba Whitaker (Your Teen Magazine)
What Parents Can Do
👉Get Curious: Help your teen identify AI-generated or edited content. Discuss how you can discern the details.
👉Shift the focus: Talk about how algorithms promote certain looks or products. Why would they be edited or created to look that way?
👉Encourage diversity: Follow creators who show real, unedited lives.
👉Keep communication open: Make this an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time talk.
For more, see the link in bio.
Artificial intelligence is already part of teen life, but parents and teens are not always on the same page about AI. Studies just released in the past 2 months from Common Sense Media and Pew Research Center highlight important differences.
Teens are using AI more and in broader ways than many parents realize.
✔️ About two-thirds of teens report regular AI use (Common Sense Media)
✔️ A majority have tried AI chatbots and about 30% use them daily (Pew Research Center)
✔️ 54% use AI for schoolwork and 57% for information gathering (Pew Research Center)
Parents are more likely to view AI as risky. For example, most teens see AI as a helpful tool for learning, while many parents associate it with cheating (Common Sense Media). At the same time, both groups share concerns:
✔️ 70% of parents and 62% of teens worry AI may reduce creativity (Common Sense Media)
✔️ Large majorities in both groups express concern about data privacy (Common Sense Media)
Looking ahead, teens are generally more optimistic, believing AI will help them in the future, while parents are more cautious about long-term effects like jobs and misinformation (Pew Research Center, Common Sense Media).
Here are some ideas for having conversations about AI at home:
👉 Ask how your teen actually uses AI and listen without judgment. Focus on their thinking by asking them to explain how AI helped.
👉 Talk openly about when AI supports learning and when it replaces it. Find out where your ideas align with your teen and where there might be differences.
👉 Discuss privacy in concrete terms, including what information gets shared.
👉 Try using AI tools yourself so you can stay part of the conversation.
#digitalwellness #wellnesswednesday #parents #wellbeing #digitalwellbeing
Artificial intelligence is already part of teen life, but parents and teens are not always on the same page about AI. Studies just released in the past 2 months from Common Sense Media and Pew Research Center highlight important differences.
Teens are using AI more and in broader ways than many parents realize.
✔️ About two-thirds of teens report regular AI use (Common Sense Media)
✔️ A majority have tried AI chatbots and about 30% use them daily (Pew Research Center)
✔️ 54% use AI for schoolwork and 57% for information gathering (Pew Research Center)
Parents are more likely to view AI as risky. For example, most teens see AI as a helpful tool for learning, while many parents associate it with cheating (Common Sense Media). At the same time, both groups share concerns:
✔️ 70% of parents and 62% of teens worry AI may reduce creativity (Common Sense Media)
✔️ Large majorities in both groups express concern about data privacy (Common Sense Media)
Looking ahead, teens are generally more optimistic, believing AI will help them in the future, while parents are more cautious about long term effects like jobs and misinformation (Pew Research Center, Common Sense Media).
Here are some ideas for having conversations about AI at home:
👉 Ask how your teen actually uses AI and listen without judgment. Focus on their thinking by asking them to explain how AI helped.
👉 Talk openly about when AI supports learning and when it replaces it. Find out where your ideas align with your teen and where there might be differences.
👉 Discuss privacy in concrete terms, including what information gets shared.
👉 Try using AI tools yourself so you can stay part of the conversation.
#digitalwellness #wellnesswednesday #parents #wellbeing #digitalwellbeing
