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Agent Derek Meister From The Geek Squad spoke to Bill about Back-to-School Tech Questions Answered - Are AirTags a good idea for kids? - Is Chromebook safer for kids? - Should my student use AI?
Click Here To Listen Live https://www.iheart.com/live/news-radio-wtam-1100-174
More Back-to-School Tech Questions Answered:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/09/02/back-to-school-tech-tips/70716700007/
Are AirTags a good idea for kids?
Several friends with preschool and elementary-age kids start off with an AirTag ($29) or Tile Tracker ($30). They put the little quarter-sized Bluetooth-enabled GPS discs in backpacks, on lanyards, and in wrist-worn bands to “see” their child’s recent location on a map.
This is not an Apple or Life360 (the company that owns Tile now) approved way to use its devices. Both companies say their trackers are for inanimate objects only, not kids or pets, but that hasn’t stopped anyone.
Accessory makers are getting in on it too. I just reviewed Watchitude’s $22 Tag’d slap-band-style digital kids watch. It’s designed to slide an AirTag (sold separately) underneath the watch face, and it’s one of thousands of similar tracker accessories aimed at kids.
If you decide to go this route, realize the limitations and potential privacy concerns involved, and don’t think of it as a substitute for paying attention to your child.
“Parents get in trouble when they think of technology as a stand-in for good parenting,” family tech expert Sarah Werle Kimmel said over the phone. “It’s a tool, nothing more, nothing less.”
Is Chromebook safer for kids?
If you have more than one child and the family PC gets major traffic, consider an inexpensive Chromebook, which is great for basic-level computing. Just be sure to set it up as a “child” device out of the box, so that you can control settings and what kids’ can access. (I often recommend setting time limits, so the device automatically turns off when time’s up. Also, consider turning off access to YouTube, video games, all social media, and anything with violence, especially without adult supervision.
The main con: the lack of storage and memory, especially if it’s super low-cost (in the $200-$300 range). While almost everything gets stored in the cloud, there will come a day when students need memory and storage on the device, too.
You can either use a backup storage drive − Like a $70 2TB WD Drive for Chromebook or look for a Chromebook with at least 64GB of storage and 8GB of memory. That should be fine even as they get older and need to access several assignments offline.
Should my student use AI?
A recent survey by digital security company McAfee found that less than a quarter of parents (21%) have discussed AI with their children, despite a majority being concerned about it. The biggest worry? That kids might use it to cheat, or that it could empower a whole new level of deepfakes and cyberbullying.
On the other though, many educators think it could be a powerful tool to help kids learn. As a result, several new “kids safe” AI chat tools are popping up to make sure youngsters have a way to explore this next frontier of modern technology, including:
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- Furwee - for children ages 3-7, uses an animated character to introduce young children to interacting with an AI chatbot
- PinwheelGPT - for kids 8-14, based on ChatGPT. Removes explicit language and adult content, and enables parental monitoring of all chats. (This is from the same company mentioned above that makes the kid-safe phones.)
- Khanmigo - billed as Khan Academy’s AI-powered guide that can tutor students and act as an assistant for teacher.
- AI Chat for Kids - fun chat with AI for kids.
- AI Kids Club - AI chat learning app for children.