"It sounds like the stuff of sci-fi nightmares - a stranger hacking your baby cam and shouting abuse at your toddler. Someone controlling your home's lights and power points via a system that should only respond to your smartphone. Criminals watching you and your family from your smart TV without your knowledge. But each of these has already happened, and mark the beginning of a cyber crime wave threatening business, governments and individuals around the world. The number of smart devices being connected online in what's called the "Internet of Things" will rocket from 13 billion to an estimated 50 billion by 2020. The problem, says LA security consultant Marc Goodman, is that they're all hackable."

"Being a teenager in 2015 is very different than it was in 1995. While most teenagers spent their free time watching a little TV in the 90s, there were far fewer screens to put in front of their faces. A social network was the group of friends you hung out with at school. Now, things have changed. Technology has opened all kinds of new things to teens, some good and some bad. So just how as being a teenager changed from the 90s? Are things better or worse? Take a look at the infographic below from TeenSafe that presents true facts about teens and media and decide for yourself."

Do Not Track is a personalized documentary series about privacy and the web economy. If you share data with us, we'll show you what the web knows about you. This documentary series will explore how information about you is collected and used. Every two weeks, we will release a personalized episode that explores a different aspect of how the modern web is increasingly a space where our movements, our speech and our identities are recorded and tracked.

"Today's schools are focusing on boosting kids' technological proficiency and warning them about the perils of the web. But something critical is missing from this education. When Reuben Loewy took up his first teaching gig in 2012, he had a major revelation: The digital revolution has dramatically transformed the way that kids perceive reality."

"What you're about to lose is your privacy, and the cause is the internet of things (IoT). Actually, you are not just going to lose your privacy, the very concept of privacy may be rewritten under your nose. That's because while the IoT is going to add a lot to our lives, it's probably going to take our privacy in payment, whether you want it to or not."

"Perhaps that makes the 55-year-old teacher sound like a dinosaur. What he discovered is, after all, one of the most obvious realities shaping education policy and parenting guides today. But, as Loewy will clarify, his revelation wasn't simply that technology is overhauling America's classrooms and redefining childhood and adolescence. Rather, he was hit with the epiphany that efforts in schools to embrace these shifts are, by and large, focusing on the wrong objectives: equipping kids with fancy gadgets and then making sure the students use those gadgets appropriately and effectively. Loewy half-jokingly compares the state of digital learning in America's schools to that of sex ed, which, as one NYU education professor describes it, entails "a smattering of information about their reproductive organs and a set of stern warnings about putting them to use.""

"Nowadays, kids want to use smartphones. Of course, most parents aren't willing to actually buy their kids a device, but plenty have no problem letting them play with one. Of course, when a child uses a cell phone they can potentially be exposed to all kinds of dangerous things that aren't meant for young eyes. But the risks aren't just for the children, but they can affect you, the parents, too. Kids could make unwanted in-app purchases, make calls to people you don't want to talk to, they could even share photos you don't want the world to see, and they can do plenty of other bad things. So what can you do? Check out the infographic below for the answers."

"I've mentioned last year that Google tested a download feature for search history. It looks like this feature is available for everyone. Just go to Google Web History, click the gear button and select "Download". "You can download all of your saved search history to see a list of the terms you've searched for. This gives you access to your data when and where you want," informs Google. "When you download your past searches, a copy of your history will be saved securely to the Takeout folder in Google Drive. You can download the files to your computer if you want a copy on your computer.""

"Learn the fundamentals of digital citizenship through animated, choose-your-own-adventure interactive experiences, designed for grades 6-9. Invite students to explore digital dilemmas, make good (and not-so-good) decisions, and try out possible solutions through stories and mini-games - all without risking their real-world reputations. Discover how Common Sense Education's award-winning digital literacy and citizenship curriculum seamlessly integrates into blended-learning environments. Coming soon as an iOS app, Android app, and Edmodo app!"

"I took an informal poll of my 150 students at the beginning of the year, and 60-80% of my students don't even have a facebook. They connect with each other on Kik, an app that allows users to text each other without exchanging phone numbers. They use Snapchat, an app that allows users to send pictures that supposedly disappear forever after ten seconds. They use Whisper, an app that a user can "anonymously" tell their deepest secrets to a vast community of other secret sharers. They use Yik Yak, Vine, Tumblr, Twitter (do you know about subtweeting? you should.), Instagram, Oovoo, WhatsApp, Meerkat, and sometimes even dating apps, like Tinder."

"A new app allowing parents to look at their children's call history, text messages and internet use will soon launch in Australia. The app, called Teensafe, already claims 1 million users in the US. But Australian police are warning that while the threat to children from online predators is real, spy apps allowing parents to track their children's smartphone usage are not a 'silver bullet' and could breach trust."

"Published on 8 Jan 2015 'I saw your willy' NSPCC - Be Share Aware. We tell our children it's good to share - but online it's different. In fact sometimes it can be dangerous. That's why we're asking parents to be Share Aware - and keep children safe online. Find out more here: http://bit.ly/1tPXBVj"

"Parents have taken over Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Twitter. This has sent device-laden students flocking to social media apps such as Instagram, SnapChat and Yik Yak, and the shift has created new challenges for administrators trying to root out cyberbullying and threats of violence. Garnering the most concern in many districts is Yik Yak, a free app created in 2013 that connects users within a 10-mile radius to a message board, and allows anyone to read and post anonymously. The app, meant for college students, is blocked on most K12 campuses thanks to technology called geofencing."

"The infographic shows that nearly 80% of recruiters check for your postings and frequently reject applicants because of their online presence. The infographic provides a checklist of sorts to guide you in posting the right things. We typically know what is best for us. We all should know what is legal and illegal. What we do know is what is private and what is not. That goes for our thoughts, our whereabouts, our pass-times. If we are responsible and forward-thinking, then we know that not everything we do is for everyone to know."

"#GameOn is a cybersafety video series following the online experiences of a group of lower secondary students. Over five short episodes, the students find themselves in situations that catch them off-guard and teach them the consequences of making poor decisions online."

"If you've ever searched for something on Amazon, and then saw multiple online ads for that product over the next few days, you've seen how advertisers can use your personal data. On desktop, that's a fairly straightforward process: A website uses cookies to track you wherever you go. As the infographic, below, explains, mobile is a lot different:"

"Bu​llying is a serious issue for everyone in a school community. It can happen anywhere, anytime, and can have devastating consequences. Any child can be bullied. That is why Bully Stoppers calls on all Victorians to make a stand and lend a hand to prevent and respond to bullying behaviour. Bully Stoppers supports students, parents, teachers and principals in working together to make sure schools are safe and supportive places, where everyone is empowered to help reduce the incidence of bullying in all Victorian schools."

"From cyberbullying and photo sharing to digital footprints and online safety, the Connecting Families program helps parents and kids address important topics and have meaningful conversations about making great choices in their digital lives. This free, year long program includes everything parent facilitators need to encourage their schools and communities to use connected technologies in ways that are both fun and safe. Our resources include a step-by-step hosting guide, conversation topics, and printable resources to share -- all carefully researched and crafted by Common Sense educational technology experts. Get started with the Program Overview, and then follow the steps below."

"Generate a random fake name, address, username, password, and (usable) email address for use with online message boards, social media, or whatever else."

"Published on 21 Jan 2014 A short documentary about a Chinese boot-camp-style treatment center for young men "addicted" to the Internet."