Netflix is using ‘The Defenders’ debut to hype ‘The Punisher’

Marvel’s latest TV series The Defenders, which brings together heroes such as Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, might have just debuted on Netflix, but that doesn’t mean that the comic book company is resting on its laurels. Marvel TV is using the series’ premiere to hype its next series, The Punisher; they released a new teaser trailer today.

We know a little about this series, starring Jon Bernthal in the titular role, as Frank Castle. He was first introduced in the second season of Daredevil, so it makes sense that Deborah Ann Woll will costar, reprising her role as Karen Page. Rumors indicate that the series will arrive on Netflix sometime in November.

Marvel and Netflix have found quite a bit of success with their joint endeavors such as Jessica Jones and Luke Cage. However, it’s difficult to say exactly how well they’ve done, given that the streaming service doesn’t release viewing numbers. Critical reception to their latest release, Iron Fist, wasn’t exactly stellar (though Netflix and Marvel did greenlight a second season under a new showrunner) so it will be interesting to see how they course correct with future shows.

Trump announces he’s elevating the role of US Cyber Command

In a statement today, President Trump announced that he’s elevating the US Cyber Command to a unified combatant command, bringing it the level of others like the US European Command and the US Special Operations Command. “This new Unified Combatant Command will strengthen our cyberspace operations and create more opportunities to improve our Nation’s defense,” said Trump. “The elevation of United States Cyber Command demonstrates our increased resolve against cyberspace threats and will help reassure our allies and partners and deter our adversaries.”

This move was at one time also considered by the Obama administration and brings with it a renewed discussion of whether the command should be split from the NSA and aligned more closely with the military. The split was also considered by the previous administration and has been in talks for some time. Secretary of Defense James Mattis will review the possibility of separating the two and will announce his recommendations at a “later date” according to the president’s statement.

“United States Cyber Command’s elevation will also help streamline command and control of time-sensitive cyberspace operations by consolidating them under a single commander with authorities commensurate with the importance of such operations. Elevation will also ensure that critical cyberspace operations are adequately funded,” said Trump.

Via: The Hill

Source: White House

The best instant camera

By Erin Lodi

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter’s independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here.

After 10 hours of new research and testing (on top of three years’ worth of work on previous guides), we think the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is the best instant film camera for most people, combining ease of use, great-looking photos, and retro-cool style at a reasonable price.

Who this is for

When it’s time to party, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is perfect for passing around. Photo: Erin Lodi

The big draw of instant cameras is that they’re fun to use. A great conversation starter, an instant camera gives you an easy way to coax even the most camera-shy subjects into posing for a portrait. Add to that the fact that you can’t share these images on Facebook at the touch of a button, and people are only too happy to offer up great, uninhibited poses. You’re also likely to draw a crowd of curious onlookers as you wait for the prints to develop.

Instant cameras are a decidedly retro proposition, with a limited set of features. You don’t have a zoom lens, and the viewfinders are tiny and less than precise at close distances. Instant film isn’t cheap, either—you’re looking at more than 50¢ for each shot you take. And you don’t get an on-screen preview of how the lighting and contrast will affect your photograph, so you can’t predict how the photo will turn out. But those shortcomings are part of the charm of shooting with an instant camera—you never know quite how the image will look until you pull the trigger.

How we picked and tested

We tested Fujifilm’s Instax offerings as well as some new instant-camera options from Lomography and The Impossible Project. Photo: Erin Lodi

Because authoritative editorial reviews of instant cameras are scarce, we talked to a number of photographers who work with the instant format about their preferences. Although everyone associates the Polaroid brand with instant cameras, when it came to recommending a current model, the resounding call from our photography experts was for Fujifilm models. It wasn’t even close.

Since 2013, we’ve compared instant-camera usability, image quality, and features by shooting in a variety of indoor and outdoor conditions. We also put the cameras through the most appropriate real-world examination we could think of: the party test. What happens when a novice shooter picks this thing up at a gathering? Is it fun to pass around and shoot with at a company holiday party or a family dinner? How do those photos look?

Our pick

Photo: Erin Lodi

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic is the best instant film camera for most people looking to experience the fun of analog photos. Intuitive controls mean it’s ready to pass around at a party, and it has a great viewfinder that makes framing your shot easy. It uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and offers additional shooting options that let experienced shooters get creative, too. What you get with all of that are predictably pleasing images with more-accurate colors and finer detail than its competitors can produce, all in a compact and durable retro design. Prints measure 2.1 by 3.4 inches, about the size of a credit card and perfect for a souvenir that’s easy to pocket, stack, or hand out.

In daylight or in brightly lit interiors, the camera’s auto mode offers image quality that is consistent and mostly color accurate for instant film (results can be a little bluish in tint). The Mini 90 Neo Classic also has more manual controls than any other instant camera we tested, including an L/D (lighter/darker) button that lets you under- or overexpose the image slightly, and options to shoot in macro, double exposure, or landscape mode.

The Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic’s small square shape can make for an awkward grip, mostly because it offers no real estate to hold on to for the middle, ring, and pinky fingers positioned to the right of the lens housing. Also, a small loop harness on the bottom of the camera body means the camera tips over easily when you place it on a flat surface. This is a strange design decision, considering that Fujifilm could have easily placed the loop on the right-hand side panel instead.

Budget pick

Photo: Erin Lodi

If you’re looking only for an instant camera to pass around at your next party and you aren’t interested in going beyond basic snapshots and fiddling with more creative exposures, the Fujifilm Instax Mini 50S makes good-looking prints and costs a bit less than our top pick at the time of this writing. It uses the same film as the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic—but its images don’t look as good, it doesn’t have as many manual controls, and you’re stuck with CR2 batteries instead of a rechargeable.

The Mini 50S has fewer controls than our top pick, with just three buttons allowing for exposure compensation, fill flash, or landscape mode, plus a timer. But this design keeps operation even simpler: We doubt anyone would take more than a second or two to figure out how to snap a photo with it. In our tests most of its prints looked a little less saturated and detailed than the Mini 90’s images, but the differences weren’t night-and-day.

For wider photos

Photo: Erin Lodi

We recommend the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300 if you like a larger print (3.4 by 4.3 inches) and don’t need extra controls such as exposure compensation. This camera is substantial—it’s twice the size and weight of our top pick but it has better ergonomics and a beefier grip, as well as a tripod socket, and it runs on four AA batteries (though there’s no reason you can’t use rechargeable AAs).

Fujifilm Instax Wide Instant Film might be slightly harder to find at the corner drugstore, but online a two-pack of 10-exposure cartridges costs about $20, or $1 per print.

Although the Instax Wide 300 makes larger prints, its image quality is not as good as that of the Mini 90, which delivers richer colors and better contrast. Bigger is more impressive, however, when you’re handing out these photos at a party: People love the larger size, and we’ve noticed that most dinner guests are rarely concerned about saturation or sharpness.

For printing smartphone pics

Photo: Erin Lodi

You don’t need an instant camera to get old-school instant prints: The Fujifilm Instax Share SP-2 can print your smartphone pics to Instax film in seconds. Setup is seamless once you’ve downloaded the Instax Share app and connected to the tiny printer’s Wi-Fi. The app is easy enough to use, and you can add a filter or a border to your image if you want.

The hamburger-size SP-2 runs on the same-size rechargeable battery as the Fujifilm Instax Mini 90 Neo Classic and comes with a USB cord for keeping it powered up.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Note from The Wirecutter: When readers choose to buy our independently chosen editorial picks, we may earn affiliate commissions that support our work.

USA Today teams with Instagram to livestream the solar eclipse

The USA Today Network has announced that in collaboration with Instagram, it will livestream the total solar eclipse on August 21st. The feed will feature real-time video broadcasts by journalists in areas along the eclipse’s path of totality. Reporters in Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina will cover and record the event. You can see a schedule of who will be broadcasting from where and when here.

Along with the Instagram livestream, USA Today will also broadcast eclipse coverage through Facebook Live across all 110 of its news sites. And its eclipse-dedicated web page will feature the rotating livestream, a real-time map of the eclipse’s path and eclipse FAQs. Coverage will begin at 9:00AM Pacific time.

We’ve put together a guide on how to watch the eclipse including tips on seeing it in person and where you can watch online. Along with USA Today, CNN and of course NASA are offering live coverage of the event.

Source: USA Today

Apple Insists It’s Not Responsible For Distracted Driving Accidents Involving iPhones

Apple appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday to argue that it shouldn’t be held liable for iPhone-related distracted driving accidents, in response to a lawsuit filed against the company earlier this year.

California resident Julio Ceja filed a class action complaint against Apple in January, accusing the company of placing profit before consumer safety by choosing not to implement a lock-out mechanism that would disable an iPhone’s functionality when being used behind the wheel by an engaged driver.

Ceja said his vehicle was involved in a collision with another vehicle in which the driver was texting on an iPhone.

Apple, however, told the court that it’s a driver’s fault if they choose to misuse an inherently safe iPhone while operating a vehicle. Apple essentially said it cannot be blamed simply because it manufactures the device, according to court documents filed electronically and obtained by MacRumors.

Just yesterday, a U.S. district court in Texas dismissed a similar distracted driving lawsuit brought against Apple last year. In that case, Meador v Apple, Inc., the plaintiffs accused Apple of failing to automatically disable a user’s ability to operate an iPhone while driving, and of improper marketing.

However, judge Robert W. Schroeder III said the plaintiff’s injuries stemmed from neglecting to safely operate her vehicle.

When a driver negligently operates her vehicle because she is engaging in compulsive or addictive behaviors such as eating food, drinking alcohol, or smoking tobacco, it is the driver’s negligence in engaging in those activities that causes any resulting injuries, not the cook’s, distiller’s, or tobacconist’s supposed negligence in making their products so enticing.

Similarly, her decision to direct her attention to her iPhone 5 and maintain her attention on her phone instead of the roadway is the producing cause of the injury to Plaintiffs.

Apple has faced similar lawsuits in the past. In response to one filed in Texas in 2015, Apple indicated the responsibility is on the driver to avoid distractions in a statement provided to The New York Times:

“We discourage anyone from allowing their iPhone to distract them by typing, reading or interacting with the display while driving,” Apple said… “For those customers who do not wish to turn off their iPhones or switch into Airplane Mode while driving to avoid distractions, we recommend the easy-to-use Do Not Disturb and Silent Mode features.”

Ceja’s lawsuit mentioned a patent for a motion analyzer that would detect whether a handheld device is in motion beyond a certain speed. A scenery analyzer would then determine whether the holder of the handheld device is sitting somewhere other than the driver’s seat. Otherwise, the device could be disabled.

In other embodiments, a vehicle or car key could transmit a signal that disables functionality of the handheld device while it is being operated. To a lesser degree, a vehicle could also transmit a signal that merely sends the device a notification stating that functionality should be disabled.

Apple hasn’t gone as far as implementing any of those functions, but in iOS 11 it introduced Do Not Disturb While Driving.

Do Not Disturb While Driving is an optional setting that, when enabled, turns on whenever an iPhone connects to a vehicle via Bluetooth or detects rapid acceleration. While active, the feature mutes all incoming phone calls, notifications, and text messages, and the iPhone’s screen stays off completely.

Phone calls are allowed, so long as an iPhone is connected to a car’s Bluetooth or a hands-free accessory, allowing drivers to respond without needing to pick up their phone. If not connected to Bluetooth or a compatible accessory, calls will be blocked like text messages and notifications.

For text messages, there is an option to send your contacts a message that lets them know you’re driving and will get back to them later. In an emergency, a person who is attempting to contact you via text while you’re driving can break through Do Not Disturb by sending a second “urgent” message.

Do Not Disturb While Driving can also be activated manually in Settings > Do Not Disturb or in Control Center.

Tags: distracted driving, Do Not Disturb While Driving
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Essential Phone hands on: 72 hours later

A forefather of Android has brought a new smartphone vision to life – the Essential Phone – and we have been able to use this latest creation for the last few days: a phone with basically no branding, high-end specifications, supposed future-proofing, and a laundry list of possibilities. A phone that begs the question posed in its own name: what is truly essential?

See also:This is how the dual-lens camera on the Essential Phone works

This is how the dual-lens camera on the Essential Phone works

3 weeks ago

As one of the most anticipated phones of the year, it is interesting to see that a device with such hype is actually quite understated. Our time at the Playground – where the phone was conceived and developed – wasn’t full of fanfare or grandiose presentations, but rather a deeper look into the philosophy that birthed the Essential brand and phone.

After a number of demos showcasing the phone’s various features, we were greeted with what will be the sales kiosks for the Essential Phone – eye catching, to be sure, but not in your face. And the device itself continues this projection.

Essential’s smartphone comes in black or white, glossy and matted in texture, respectively. None of the devices have any sort of branding on them, despite the exclusive carrier rights currently afforded to Sprint. And with the screen off, first glances at the Essential show a slab of tech just waiting to show what it can do.

The essential Phone has a 5.7-inch QHD display with a 19:10 aspect ratio and some of the most minimal bezels we’ve ever seen.

So let’s get straight to the marquee feature, as powering up the phone makes it clear off the bat – this phone is different. A 5.7-inch QHD display is sprawled out as much as it can possibly be on the Essential, making for a 19:10 aspect ratio and some of the most minimal bezels we’ve ever seen on a smartphone.

Besides a bit of chin, it truly feels like you’re holding something that is all screen, all the time with this phone. All that really breaks the immersion is the 8 MP front facing camera, which has been given its own cutout at the top that peeks through the top of the screen. But that little bit of interruption in this very pleasing display only adds some more uniqueness to the Essential.

The body of the Essential Phone is made of titanium, with ceramic as the backing for at least our Moon Black unit. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen a phone tackle a similar design element before, from Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Mi Mix (and the Essential, for that matter) is not the first phone to attempt to go bezelless, but it is the first one to garner a ton of attention for doing so. In my review of Xiaomi’s attempt, I languished over the large size of the handset, wishing for a smaller version of it. That is, essentially, what we get with the Essential Phone.

Ceramic is a very slippery material but the titanium build doesn’t dent or scratch as easily as aluminium.

And the titanium/ceramic combination seems to be holding up quite well to everyday wear and tear – ceramic is a very slippery material that can slide easily off pretty much any surface, and this has resulted in a few very small accidental drops. As Essential has touted, their build doesn’t dent or scratch as easily as aluminium – this seems to be the case so far.

What I might possibly like the most about the phone though is how it manages to make handling quite easy despite the 5.7-inch display. This is a feat that has already been achieved by the likes of Samsung and LG, but the Essential manages to do so without going too narrow or too tall in form. And there is a bit of a throwback vibe to the Essential thanks to the thicker, flatter sides. This phone doesn’t shy away from being a bit blocky – in fact, it plays in its favor as this phone is easier to handle in one hand than similarly sized competitors.

The intriguing display design requires a little bit of creativity on the part of app developers.

The display is, naturally, one of the main draws and so far has been performing really well. The intriguing design aspect where the notification bar goes all the way up to the very top of the device requires a little bit of creativity on the part of app developers. Some applications take to it just fine while others (like Facebook) don’t move their top bars all the way up.

For any applications that don’t try to change UI colors throughout, the notification area just goes black. This change can be a tiny bit disappointing – we were excited to see how the screen would handle media like YouTube but found that pillar-boxing was still the practical solution. Still, we have had no issues with this display, even in broad daylight where it was plenty visible at its highest brightness levels.

Underneath that are all the proper high end specs – the Snapdragon 835 with 4 GB of RAM. One interesting development was the move to 128 GB of internal storage throughout, which is good because users cannot expand the storage with SD cards. Though Sprint will have the Essential Phone available on their network, unlocked versions are available if you aren’t using their services.

Despite the high-end specs, there is no headphone jack on this device, a feature most users still believe is essential.

A semantic argument can be made at this point regarding the term ‘essential,’ as there is no headphone jack on this device. One could argue that leaving it out is contrary to what most users believe is required in their devices; on the other hand, it is possible that the company is trying to redefine the term.

Nonetheless, a USB Type-C adapter for headphones is included in the box and in our short testing thus far it does seem that the Essential can power headphones pretty well. We will see what the output and sound is like on higher end headphones for our full review. Speaking of sound, the built-in speaker is so far a low point on the phone, as it gets tinny and piercing at its admittedly very loud maximums.

That USB Type-C port supports fast charging for the 3,040m Ah battery unit that we will be testing further for our full review.

Charging might not require the charging cable all the time for much longer, however, as Essential is planning on using those two connector dots near the camera combo for numerous accessories, including a secondary charging method.

For now, the unfortunately delayed Essential 360 modular camera add-on is the current Essential accessory. It will take 360 photos and video, processing data in and out of the connector area that the company says will be part of future Essential devices, too. We’re excited to see what the possibilities are with Essential’s take on modularity.

Related: Are modular phones the next big thing?

Without the 360 camera, there is still the built-in dual 13MP cameras. This dual combination puts together a RGB and monochrome sensor for getting more detail out of any given scene. It is possible to take fully monochrome pictures using just the mono sensor, and so far that has been one of the most enjoyable parts of the camera experience.

More camera testing will be done for the full review, especially since we were sent an OTA just before the release of this article that added HDR support. On that note, the camera app does need these updates, as the app can run a bit slow when changing between sensors and is lacking in extra features, like a manual mode.

With Andy Rubin’s name part of the Essential’s being, it should come as no surprise that the company has put some real thought into what the Android iteration would look like in this phone. As simplicity, minimalism, and honestly essentialism are all part of the philosophy here, I was really happy to see one of the lightest versions of Android ever.

As simplicity, minimalism, and essentialism are all part of the philosophy here, the Essential Phone ships with one of the lightest versions of Android ever.

Representatives at Essential posited that aside from Android’s intrinsic applications, only about half a dozen extra are further added. And so far the result in this Nougat build have been speedy, smooth, and consistent. Even when throwing in a Sprint SIM card forced installation of three Sprint apps, it didn’t bog down the experience one bit. If there is one ‘essential’ piece of the puzzle, the lightweight but totally functional Android software in this phone nails it.

Don’t miss: What to expect from Android 8.0

The Essential Phone feels like a phone trying to cater to many people at once, all of whom have different definitions of the word. Essential could mean everyday specifications and features that no one can live without; or, these visions of modularity, easy to harness 360 media, and a screen that won’t quit could become essentials.

Reaching for both makes the Essential a continuously intriguing phone to use. It is unassuming at first but then bursts with capability, but we will see where the lines are drawn in our testing of the ‘essentials’ for our full review. Stay tuned for that and let us know your thoughts on the Essential Phone in the comments below.

Apple store is now stocking refurbished 2017 27-inch iMacs

Why it matters to you

A refurbished 2017 iMac from Apple can offer good savings over buying new, and they all come with a one-year warranty.

Apple has now begun selling refurbished 2017 27-inch iMacs on its web store, marking the first time fans have been able to get their hands on one of these all-in-one systems from an official channel without buying new. Although all of them pack Intel Core i5 CPUs, there are options for memory and graphics chip, at prices that offer decent savings over new models.

Although Apple hardware regularly lands at the top of our lists for reliability, like any electronics range, there are occasional problems. When those crop up, Apple often refurbishes them and packages them back up for resale and that’s where you can really save some money if you want to buy Apple without the high price tag.

There are a lot of different refurbished models available through Apple’s online store, but this is the first time that the 2017 iMacs have been put up for sale there. Priced between $1,530 and $1,950 depending on your selection of hardware, there is plenty of choice across the range, but all of them come with significant savings over buying new. As MacRumors reports, with the right choice you could save yourself upwards of $300.

If you have a particular model in mind though, you’ll want to get in there soon, as stock will fluctuate once people begin buying them up. At the time of writing, there are only a handful available, though you do have your pick of a few different configurations. The lowest cost version comes with the standard 27-inch, 5K retina display, powered by a Core i5 CPU at 3.4GHz, 8GB of DDR4 memory and a Radeon Pro 570 graphics chip. Storage-wise it offers 1TB of hard drive space with some flash cache storage.

If you have deeper pockets, you could opt for the 3.8GHz model. It still uses a Core i5 chip, but has a higher clock speed and a more powerful Radeon Pro 580 with 8GB of video memory. It also comes with an expanded 2TB of storage space.

There are a few intermediary models with different clock speeds, some offering 16GB of system RAM, too. However, be wary when looking to buy any of them. The new iMac models are listed alongside much older variants from 2015 and even 2014. As good as those were, their internal hardware will offer much less bang for your buck.

Own an iPhone 7? Try these 15 iMessage apps, sticker packs, games for iOS 10

We reviewed Apple’s iOS 10 last year, and it came with a host of improvements. Most importantly, the iMessage App Store lets you download stickers and install games or apps for you to play and use directly within a conversation. The whole iMessage platform, announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference earlier this year, is quite similar to the Facebook chat bots craze. You can install apps like The Weather Channel if you want to pull up the day’s highs and lows directly within a chat, or OpenTable, which lets you vote and book your favorite restaurants.

There are three types of iMessage Apps you can install — games, apps, and stickers. You can access the iMessage App Store from the Messages app by tapping the App Store icon near the keyboard in a conversation. The list of stickers, games, and apps for iMessage are continuing to grow, and plenty more will come. For now, we’ve picked five in each section that we think you should download. Check them out.

If you want a complete gaming experience, don’t forget to check out our picks for the best iPhone games and the best iPhone apps.

Best iMessage Stickers

Super Mario Run Stickers

Nintendo’s second major app to come to a mobile operating system after Miitomo features the company’s most iconic character, Mario. But game aside, who doesn’t want to spam Mario stickers in every conversation? These stickers allow you to embed the popular plumber within your messages, and you can even send a selfie with Mario’s hat and mustache layered over your face.

Download for iOS

Grammar Snob ($1)

If you’re the type to constantly correct your friends on their grammar and spelling, you should download Grammar Snob now. The app lets you playfully place misused or misspelled words over errors in a red, handwritten-like font.

Download for iOS

Aardman Face Bomb

These face bomb stickers are extremely fun because they’re interactive. To use the face bomb stickers, simply drag them on top of any picture in your conversation. You can use two fingers while you’re dragging the sticker to resize or rotate it. You can also drag the sticker on top of a message, if desired.

Download for iOS

Cookie Monster Stickers

Cookies aren’t the only time you need to bring up Cookie Monster. OK, they kind of are, but Cookie Monster is cute and goofy so he deserves a place in your Messages. Like the Disney stickers, you can drag the blue fur ball to your chat bubbles, over images, and on top of other stickers as well.

Download for iOS

George R. R. Martin Stickers

Winter is coming. No really, it is. But instead of typing those words out, why not use the sticker from George R. R. Martin‘s A Song of Fire and Ice collection? You can send stickers of iconic phrases, house sigils, and artifacts such as swords and crowns, and you can also place them on top of other images.

Download for iOS

Best iOS app deals of the day! 6 paid iPhone apps for free for a limited time

Everyone likes Apple apps, but sometimes the best ones are a bit expensive. Now and then, developers put paid apps on sale for free for a limited time, but you have to snatch them up while you have the chance. Here are the latest and greatest iOS app deals available from the iOS App Store.

These apps normally cost money and this sale lasts for a limited time only. If you go to the App Store and it says the app costs money, that means the deal has expired and you will be charged. 

Sky Guide

A star app has never been more beautiful and easy to use. Just hold it to the sky to automatically find constellations, planets, satellites, and more. It’s stargazing fun for all ages and experience levels.

Available on:

iOS

Thunderspace 5k

During the day, Thunderspace won’t let you focus on all the noise around you. And at night it will make you very sleepy.

Available on:

iOS

Student Planner

The student planner designed for the modern student with powerful features all designed to be used quickly and easily.

Available on:

iOS

Pilsy

Track your cycles and mood changes. Customizable, powerful, and intuitive design will help you to prepare for your cycles and help you avoid missing birth control pills.

Available on:

iOS

ListBox

The most important thing about this reminder app is that it won’t leave you alone until you notice the reminder, and when you do, it suggests an action.

Available on:

iOS

Pointillisted

The Pointillisted app generates pointillist artwork using images from the Photo Library, including those shared in iCloud. Become a 21st-century Seurat with your iPhone.

Available on:

iOS

A parent’s guide to managing their kid’s social media presence

If your child hasn’t created an account on at least one social network by now, chances are the question has come up.

Besides being easier to connect with entire groups of friends and classmates through these services, schools are becoming increasingly involved in sharing group accomplishments on social media for all of the parents to see at once. Combine that with the relatively recent appearance of social network celebrities, regardless of inspirational or aspirational interest, and you’ve got plenty of reasons for your child to want into this world they are currently denied access to.

Truth be told, social media is almost exactly as great as it is terrible. It only gets weirder if you’re not an active user yourself, and that can raise a lot of perfectly valid concerns you may have before allowing your child access to these apps and websites. To help you better understand how to talk to your kids about the potential pitfalls and to help you understand exactly what is going on and how to ensure your child is as safe as possible, we’ve assembled this little guide to help!

The basics

It may seem like social media is its own special language with complex concepts you’d need a textbook to figure out, but these apps and websites have more in common than you might know. There are some basic rules of the internet as a whole that are important to demonstrate to your children before they start playing with friends in these new digital playgrounds.

First things first: There is no such thing as deleting something on the internet

When you post something on the internet, regardless of whether it’s a selfie on Snapchat or a screenshot of an embarrassing conversation, to a friend on Facebook, it exists forever. It doesn’t matter if you delete the post or if the app you’re using promises the thing you shared will “go away” after an hour; a record of that post and its contents exists somewhere and that information is stored forever with your username stamped on it.

It’s also important to remember that your username is almost always connected to you in some way. Some social networks ask for your phone number, and some ask for an email address, but everything on the internet records your IP address when you access a website or app to do something. In some small way, everything you do and say on the internet is captured and cannot be deleted simply by removing a post or closing an account.

You do have some control over how much information you share

Just because you’re sharing a little bit of information on Twitter or Instagram when you use those apps doesn’t mean you have to also share it with everyone else. These apps have features built in that allow you to share your location and mood and whatever music you’re currently listening to, but it’s all optional. A great way to stay safe when you’re using these social apps is to disable the ability to share your location when you share a photo.

This information isn’t just available in the apps you use. Location information can also be shared with people through your camera app, depending on the app you use. You can also disable location services on your camera, which will remove the information that includes the exact location of the app when you’re taking the photo.

It’s also a good idea to make sure there’s nothing obviously identifying about the photos you’re taking and sharing publicly. Avoid including the name of your school or the name of your street in your photos, and it’s instantly much more difficult for a stranger to randomly discover your location by your photos.

Hashtags are amazing and terrible at the same time

Everything has a hashtag nowadays. Just about every show on every channel on television has some kind of hashtag for adding to your posts, and for a good reason. Hashtags make it easy to pick a topic and see what everyone is saying about that thing. It’s instant feedback for any live event or a fun way for friends to share an inside joke across the vastness of the internet.

But it’s also the easiest way to discover new people, which means it’s something that can be easily abused. Bullies can use hashtags to find people to shame or easy targets to trick into doing something they normally wouldn’t. Combine a hashtag with photos that have location data on them, and it becomes easy to track down a group of people in the real world.

Like anything, hashtags need to be used responsibly. Don’t engage with strangers who are out to pick a fight, and avoid sharing anything too personal with an easy-to-search hashtag in the post.

Keeping kids as safe as possible

Now that I’ve finished scaring the hell out of you with some of the big dangers that could be lurking behind every corner, it’s important to know there are plenty of tools built into apps and websites to keep your kids safe well before they make their first post.

Make that account private

The easiest way to avoid a random stranger stumbling across your child’s account is to control how many people can see it in the first place. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and almost every other social network allow you to make your account private. This feature makes it so only people you have confirmed should be on the friend’s list can see the posts made by your child, as well as limit the amount of information visible on the profile itself.

This is a great first step, but it’s also important to teach your child when it is appropriate to confirm people on the Internet as friends. It’s fun to see you have lots of people on your friends list, but it’s important to know who those people are in some way. This level of control lets you and your child choose between only having friends that you’ve met in person or only friends from school, as an example.

Almost everything wants to know your location

This is one of those things that can’t be repeated enough. With rare exception, the answer to the question “Would you like to share location data with this app” should be a firm “no” for your child. Social networks, in particular, offer the ability to share your location along with your posts, which tells anyone reading those posts almost exactly where you are.

Facebook is perhaps the most egregious offender here, with a feature that will also pop up a frequently visited location to let anyone on your friends list know if you’ve recently been to that store or restaurant. This data adds up quickly and can paint a very clear picture of what your child is doing as well as where and when.

Selfies and other things cameras can do

There’s no shame in taking a great selfie, especially with friends, but if your child is using their phone out near the house or in front of the school, it could reveal more information than intended. The background of that selfie might reveal the name of the school they go to or the name of the street you live on. It’s easy to accidentally set a photo with that kind of information as your profile photo, effectively broadcasting to the world where your child lives or goes to school.

It’s also important to remember you aren’t the only person with a camera on your phone, and we live in a world where videos and photos of people doing embarrassing things are celebrated by certain segments of the web. Your best tool against this kind of exposition is awareness. If your child sees someone with a phone out in a place they should have a phone out, make sure they know to tell someone in charge as well as come talk to you about it.

Being prepared and informed is not the same as being afraid

It’s easy to read all of this and be concerned about your child having a phone at all. There are stories everywhere of terrible things happening to children and access to the internet is one of the things that helped make that child a target. It’s easy to become concerned to the point of isolation, but it’s also important to know how to teach your child how to use the internet as a positive force in their lives.

These tips are a beginner’s guide to awareness, and that alone is a powerful tool to have for anyone of any age. It’s easy to see these phones as little boxes of magic with apps your kids use that you don’t understand. It’s also easy to become involved and explore these experiences with your kid. Together, you’re both better informed and better able to make the best choices for staying safe and having fun.

What suggestions do you have for parents who are new to social networks with a young kid? Share your tips in the comments and we’ll add the best to the article!