Back to school means more than just books and homework. Parents, check your kids’ devices now for school-installed spyware that uses AI to monitor texts, searches, and online activity, even at home, and may be watching your entire family. Here’s what you need to know.
Tech that makes long flights not feel like a prison sentence
Boeing
When I was a kid, my kindergarten teacher called my mom and said, “We think Kim might have a problem. She’s convinced she went to Paris last weekend.” My mom laughed and said, “Oh no, we did go to Paris.”
See, my dad worked for United Airlines, so I grew up in the air. Flying standby, getting bumped off flights, running through terminals like other kids ran through playgrounds. So yeah, I’ve been flying my whole life, and I’ve seen how much it’s changed.
If you’ve ever sat on a 12-hour flight and thought, “How in the world do these giant birds even stay in the sky?” you’re not alone. And if you’ve staggered off a plane feeling like a dried-up raisin with jet lag that lasted for days, you’ll love what I’m about to tell you.
💺 Flying has quietly become way better
Jets like the Boeing Dreamliner (787) and Airbus A350 are game changers. They’re built with super light carbon composites instead of heavy metal, meaning they burn less fuel and fly more efficiently.
Here’s the part you’ll actually notice: The air is more humid, the pressure is more natural, and the oxygen level is higher. Translation? You don’t land feeling like you’ve been vacuum-sealed in a giant Pringles can.
And the engines? They’re quieter now. Those carbon-fiber fan blades hum along without rattling your brain, so you might actually get some sleep.
📶 Yes, the Wi-Fi finally works
Not perfect everywhere, but on these new planes, it’s a huge step up. You can stream shows, send emails, even browse without waiting a million years for a page to load.
Add in larger windows that dim electronically (no more slamming that plastic shade) and wings that flex midair to smooth out turbulence, it’s like the plane is working with the sky, not against it.
Next time you’re choosing a flight, look at the plane model. If it’s a Dreamliner or an A350, book it. Even if it costs a little more, your body, your sleep and your sanity will thank you when you land.
✈️ I recently wrote a sitcom about airplanes. It never took off. The pilot was terrible. (lol)
⚡ ChatGPT gets babysat: OpenAI’s finally adding parental controls to ChatGPT three years after launch. Parents can link accounts, set “age-appropriate” rules and get alerts if the AI thinks their kids are in crisis. The bot will also tap into a global physician network for mental health referrals. Basically, Mom just joined a group chat that was long overdue.
2 hours
That’s the school day for core subjects at Alpha, the AI-powered private school. Kids in this $40K-to-$65K-a-year program blast through math, reading and science on personalized software before lunch, then spend afternoons on bike rides, hobbies or “life skills.” Imagine that.
👨👩👧 Make Netflix profiles for everyone: Netflix recommends shows based on what you watch, so don’t let cartoons mess up your rom-coms. Go to Manage Profiles > Add Profile > name it > Save. FYI: It also makes it easier to track what your kids are watching. Go back to Manage Profiles > their profile > Viewing activity.
Teens trading hacks for clout: The FBI says criminals are recruiting kids on Discord and video games into “The Com,” an online world where a hack gets you street cred. Thousands are caught up, some just for bragging rights, thinking it’s all fun until someone knocks on the door with a badge and felony charges. Parents, talk to your teens.
🎮 Protect your kids on Discord: You can filter out NSFW images sent from strangers, friends and server channels. Go to User Settings > Content & Social > Content and Block everything under Mature Sexual Media and Graphic Media. While you’re there, scroll to Direct Message spam, and toggle Filter all.
🤳🏼 Oops, she did it again: Britney Spears posted a nude photo on Instagram, just boots and a strategically placed rose emoji, and yep, social media exploded. The next day, she followed it with a raw post about her kids, past trauma and trying to heal. Some are whispering a comeback, others say it screams therapy. I think it’s just so sad.
You gave a game. They gave a nightmare: Nearly 400 families are suing Roblox, claiming the company ignored predators stalking kids. One mom says her 11-year-old was groomed on Roblox, lured on Discord, then raped by a 20-year-old pretending to be 15. He’s in prison now. If you’ve got kiddos, this is your nudge to check in. Ask your kids who they’re talking to online, not just what games they’re playing.
🍏 Lock iPad to one app: Want to stop yourself (or the kids) from exiting an app by mistake? Turn on Guided Access. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Guided Access and toggle on. Open an app, triple-click the Home button, tap Start and Set a Passcode. Now you can’t leave the app. To exit, triple-click again, enter the Passcode and tap End.
🎙️ Finding her voice: I love this. Only eight seconds of fuzzy ’90s home video, that’s all it took for AI to bring back Sarah Ezekiel’s real voice after 25 years with motor neurone disease. Her kids had only ever heard her speak through a robotic voice. Until now. This is what AI gets right. Changing lives in ways we never imagined.
Are schools spying on your kids at home?
Your kid might be under 24/7 school surveillance, even at home. George, your AI host, breaks down how student safety tools like GoGuardian and Gaggle track everything from late-night YouTube binges to unsent messages. Plus: a $750 PayPal password dump, biometric TSA fast lanes, Steph Curry’s AI jump shot coach, and five cool science experiments hiding in your phone.
11:18 p.m.
That’s when the average American actually falls asleep. Bedtime may start at 10:36 on average, but your brain’s running a late-night talk show until nearly midnight. Toss in some regret, a side of scrolling, the kids starting school again, and voilà, sleep debt before sunrise.
Getting a phone before 13
Puts kids at a much higher risk of developing suicidal thoughts. A massive study of 100,000+ people found girls often take the biggest hit to self-worth and emotional control, while boys struggle more with calmness and empathy. The common culprit? No shocker here, social media.
Teen taxi takeover: Waymo just dropped a self-driving car service (paywall link) for teens in Phoenix, with plans to expand. Kids ages 14 to 17 can summon robot cars to school, soccer or wherever else, no license needed. Parents are jazzed. “So like my dad’s Waymo can pick us up at 6 if your mom’s Waymo can drop us off at 10.”
👟 Heel, yeah: Skechers just launched Find My Skecher, a $50 kids’ pair of sneakers with a hidden AirTag pocket in the heel. Now you can track your kid or their missing left shoe right in Apple’s Find My app. The AirTag slips under a cushy, breathable insole, totally out of sight. Such a great idea!
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🖥️ Pick the right refresh rate: Resolution isn’t everything when buying a monitor. Refresh rate affects how smooth motion looks and helps cut down on choppy images. For everyday work, anything over 60 Hz is fine. Gamers and video editors should go for 180 Hz. And if your kids are serious about Fortnite, they’ll want 240 Hz or more.
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Goodbye, gentle parenting: “FAFO parenting” is going viral, and no, it’s not a Montessori method. Think: tough love (paywall link) with a code of conduct. Short for “F– Around and Find Out,” FAFO (pronounced “faff-oh”) favors natural consequences over endless negotiations with participation trophies. Kids act up, they have to straighten up or else. Nope, there’s no belt hanging on the doorknob.