Toni Birdsong
Author, McAfee Consumer
Toni Birdsong began her career as a reporter in Los Angeles and later became a writer for Walt Disney Imagineering. Her passion for digital safety started 10 years ago as a way to gain the survival skills she needed to parent her own connected teenagers. Her goal with each post is to give busy parents the insight they need raise wiser, more compassionate digital kids. When she’s not writing (her first love), you can find Toni hiking, watching TikTok, or trying not to break an important body part at CrossFit.
Articles by Author
Family Safety
Depression in Teens: How to Spot It, What to Do Next
Depression in teens is becoming more common and it's being linked to too much social media use. Here's how to...Apr 05, 2016 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
#BeStrong App Gives Kids a Way to Support Each Other Online
Sometimes one of the most powerful things you can say to someone going through a tough time...Mar 08, 2016 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
Stop! Could That App Be Spying on Your Family?
The latest headlines sound more like a Jason Bourne movie and less like something that could happen in...Mar 01, 2016 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
Kik Messenger: The Dangerous App Kids Love
Police recently arrested a Pennsylvania man who drove to Tennessee to meet and have sex with a...Feb 23, 2016 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
What Parents Need to Know about Popular Video, Audio Apps
If you hear laughing, dancing, goofiness, and a lead choreographer barking commands coming from the next room,...Feb 16, 2016 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
Latest Texting Slang Every Parent Needs to Know
What in the world did your teen say on text? Here's the latest in Internet slang and text chat lingo...Jan 26, 2016 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
Helping Teens Cope with Three Bs: Bragging, Betrayal, Body Image
Bragging, betrayal, and body Image: The three Bs is a very big deal for both tweens and teens online. Here's the...Jan 12, 2016 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
5 Signs Your Teen May Be Sexting
Denial isn't an effective tool in keeping your teen safe online. Sexting is a part of the teen culture. Here's...Jan 05, 2016 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
Anonymous App ‘After School’ Gaining Popularity with Teens
Anonymous apps like After School and Kik are hot with teens. Find out why they love them and how to...Dec 15, 2015 | 5 MIN READ
Family Safety
How to Report an Online Scam
According to The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3, over 269,000 online scams were reported in 2014. IC3...Dec 08, 2015 | 3 MIN READ
Family Safety
10 Tips to Rein In Excessive Texting
Last month’s phone bill confirms it: Houston, we’ve got a problem. Your teen sent 4,600 texts and...Nov 03, 2015 | 4 MIN READ
Family Safety
10 Ways to Help Your Kids Deal with Digital Friction
Has your teen been a little moody lately, short-tempered, or even oddly quiet? Outside of the normal...Oct 27, 2015 | 5 MIN READ