Author: TDSU Team

Texts or posts that require tone, context, and knowledge of intention to make sense are what TDSU calls problematic. Online written communication can become problematic in the absence of tone, context, and knowledge of intention because people have to make a host of assumptions about what they are reading or seeing. Words aren’t always enough. …

At TDSU we believe that there are a set of Thumbs Down skills kids can be taught to help them be responsible and eventually independent online. But how do you know when your child is developmentally ready to start learning these skills? What signposts should you look for to know if your child is ready …

When to Thumbs Down  In order to act responsibly online, children need to know when and how to disengage from social media. We call this Thumbs Down. When our children started engaging with social media, we did what the experts advised. We turned on parental controls, monitored their activity, had them sign technology contracts, and …

Thumbs Down. Speak Up. (TDSU) bridges the gap between merely monitoring our childrens’ online behaviors and supporting them on their journey towards independent and responsible social media use. How It All Started Like many of you, we were blindsided by the emergence of social media in our childrens’ lives. We found ourselves playing catch up. …