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IN THE NEWS
News Worth Knowing 🔥

🎮 Roblox Tightens Chat Rules | Roblox will require facial age verification to block kids from chatting with adult strangers, responding to lawsuits and reports of grooming risks. Concerns around privacy, accuracy of age estimation, and whether these protections will truly stop adults from targeting minors remain. Parents, active supervision and conversations matter most. Explore our Roblox guide here.

🗣️ The Rise of “Algospeak” | To avoid having posts suppressed by algorithms, many young people now use coded language like “unalive,” “seggs,” or “music festival” to discuss sensitive topics online. This fear of suppression is shaping how young people communicate and sometimes how openly they express real concerns. This is a great opportunity for a check-in with your kids. Try the conversation starters in each of our parent series.

😂 TikTok’s “Group 7” Meme Goes Viral | Students are flexing their “Group 7” status after a creator’s seventh repost unexpectedly blew up, becoming a badge of online validation. We think it’s at least better than Dictionary.com’s word of the year, “6-7.”

🦃 TikTok Saves Thanksgiving? | Viral videos are hyping up a “Lazy Susan Revolution” turntable that lets everyone grab the gravy without having to reach over the table. Now that’s a TikTok trend we can get behind.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI Chatbots: Helpful Tools, Not Friends 🙅‍♀️

AI chatbots are everywhere, and teens are increasingly turning to them for emotional support as nearly 3 in 4 US teens say they’ve used AI companions.

Our newest video explores the benefits of AI for learning and productivity while exposing the growing risks of AI companion chatbots and the red flags every parent and student need to recognize.

Your family and community need to understand this.

PARENT PROTECH IN THE CLASSROOM
It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like CharacterEd ✨

We’ve got more anticipation than students waiting for winter break… CharacterEd is on the way. 😆

CharacterEd by Parent ProTech has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education as a statewide model character education program, and it’s designed to support schools across the US.

Built for grades K-12, CharacterEd delivers engaging, easy-to-implement lessons that build essential traits like integrity, responsibility, and leadership, helping schools strengthen culture and prepare students for life beyond the classroom.

And just like break… it’s coming soon.

FOR YOU
Buy Gifts You Won’t Regret Later 🎁

Before you hit “add to cart,” make sure your holiday gifts build safety, not more stress. 🎁

The ProTech Holiday Gift Guide features expert-vetted tech and non-tech gifts that prioritize healthy habits, creativity, and real family connection, with zero paid placements.

Melvin and Joshua break down the options in this video.

TOGETHER WITH COSMO
Cosmo JrTrack 5: Built for Distraction-Free School Days ⌚︎

We’ve reviewed many smartwatches, and Cosmo is one of the best.

Cosmo is on a mission to bring families closer together with solutions that inspire the best of childhood (and parenthood), and their JrTrack 5 kid-friendly smartwatch reflects that heart.

One of the standout features is school mode, which allows parents and schools to limit smartwatch functions during school hours. This helps protect focus and support learning while still ensuring kids remain safely reachable by approved contacts in case of an emergency. Now that’s a win.

Check out our full review of the JrTrack 5 here! If you’re looking to set up school mode on your child’s Cosmo watch, start here.

To learn more about the JrTrack 5, visit Cosmo’s website. Right now, the watch is 50% off ($75.00) during their Black Friday sale.