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Five 'Children' stories January 2014 - November 2015
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Children too trusting of Google and YouTube, unable to identify paid ads, says UK govt report

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Nov 20 2015 - 4:56 am PT
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A report by the UK’s telecoms and Internet watchdog Ofcom says that children are too trusting of what they find on the web, a surprisingly high percentage of them taking search results on trust, and unable to identify paid ads.

One in five online 12-15s (19%) believe information returned by a search engine such as Google or Bing must be true, yet only a third of 12-15s (31%) are able to identify paid-for adverts in these results.

The report found that the position was even worse with YouTube … 
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Uber pushing AMBER Alerts to its drivers nationwide, after initial pilot in Colorado

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 14 2015 - 4:41 am PT
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Th Uber Technologies Inc. car service application (app) is demonstrated for a photograph on an Apple Inc. iPhone in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2014. For San Francisco-based Uber Technologies Inc. which recently raised $1.2 billion of investors' financing at $17 billion valuation, New York is its biggest by revenue among the 150 cities in which it operates across 42 countries. The Hamptons are a pop-up market for high-end season weekends where the average trip is three time that of an average trip in New York City. Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Uber has announced that it will be sending location-based AMBER alerts to its drivers across all 180 U.S. cities in which it operates, following a successful trial in Colorado.

AMBER alerts provide information on missing children, including description and last known location, so that the public can be on the look out for them. Since the launch of the scheme in 1996, a total of 722 children have been safely found as a direct result of an AMBER alert.

Robert Hoever, director of special programs at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, described the Uber program as “an incredible asset.”

The AMBER Alert program’s success is built on the ability to reach the right people at the right time with these potentially life-saving messages. Uber’s presence in communities all across the country will be an incredible asset and we are proud to team up with Uber to increase the reach of the AMBER Alert program and help bring more missing children home safely.

Apps have proven a powerful addition to the AMBER alerts program, with mobile apps from Facebook and Waze already supporting them. Google added the alerts to search and maps back in 2012.

Via The Verge

More than 30% of U.S. children first use a mobile device while in diapers, says American Academy of Pediatrics

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Oct 6 2015 - 5:28 am PT
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Updated parental guidelines are needed to help make informed decisions about the use of technology by children, says the American Academy of Pediatrics, as it revealed that more than 30% of U.S. children first use a mobile device while still in diapers. The AAP says that “digital life begins at a young age, and so must parental guidance.”

The Academy says that its existing policy statement was actually drafted before the first iPad was launched, which kickstarted the popularity of tablets as consumer devices. A two-day symposium held earlier this year generated twelve key messages, based not just on limiting screen time but also on distinguishing helpful from harmful use of technology … 
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Google working to navigate Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act w/ new kid-focused features

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Aug 18 2014 - 8:49 am PT
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According to a report from The Information, Google is working on new features that would help it better cater to children by legally allowing them to use its services. The report notes that Google currently requires users to share their age when signing up for its services on desktop, but that it’s considering also bringing that requirement to Android in addition to other kid-focused features.
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Kids tablet market gets interesting as Dreamworks and Fuhu team up for DreamTab

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jan 3 2014 - 4:37 am PT
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If there was ever a dream team for a new kid’s tablet, DreamWorks and Fuhu has to be one of the hottest contenders for the title. The animated film maker and the company behind the Nabi range of children’s tablets told the NYT they are teaming up to launch a new 8-inch tablet at CES next week, expected to go on sale in the spring.

The tablet is expected to come with a mix of animated games and educational apps, and will include content that can interact with DreamWorks toys. DreamWorks claims the device will have similar power to an iPad and be treated like a cross between a tablet and a TV channel … 
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