internet

Not impressed. Image: Pixabay.

Why I'm Not Impressed By Your Perfect Instagram Feed

[CN: mention of suicide] It’s not all real. We don’t live curated lives that are built around purposeful omissions of reality...

Read...
I am a social creature, and crave the sense of connection I find online. Image: Benjamin Child/Unsplash.

How I Manage My Social Media Anxiety

I used to be the kind of person whose every thought was fodder for Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr. No matter how mundane, morbid, ridiculous, or inconsequential, I shared it. You might even say that sharing it was part and parcel of experiencing it.

Read...
Having my son pushed me entirely off my course, and then bumped me onto a different one. Image: Thinkstock.

Having A Baby Forced Me To Become A Writer

I am at the bar, working on a piece about kids’ books, while my wife stays home to mind the baby. The lady next to me strikes up a conversation about this and that. Then she notices that I’m still casually clutching a copy of Guess How Much I Love You?

Read...
It took me over 10 years to make these stories, MY stories, public. Image: Thinkstock.

I Was Abused As A Child — Now I'm Writing My Own Story

Here’s the thing: I have benefited greatly from reading stories from others, the daring narratives of those who have histories similar to my own. We feel more human when we hear that other humans relate to an experience we maybe thought was our very own private hell.

Read...
#toddlerlogic

A Week Of Parenting A Toddler — In 12 Facebook Statuses I Didn't Post

Parenting a toddler is invigorating, exhausting, dirty, and intense. But since I want my daughter to have cousins (or at least pseudo-cousins) one day, I can’t always share the truth about my tiny tyrant on social media, for fear that my friends and siblings would never reproduce. And because, sometimes, you just want to project the image that you're calm, cool, and collected.

Read...
We can either stamp our feet and ban some of their activities, or hold their hands through the process so they can learn as they go and (hopefully) lose interest.

I Told My 10-Year-Old Son That If He Watched Porn, There Would Be Some Rules.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted to say to him about porn. The way I parent is to give my children all the information and then let them make decisions for themselves. I feel that if I restrict activities I make them more alluring. That’s why I don’t join my mom friends in banning technology throughout the school week and that’s why I don’t ever ban junk food. Instead I sit the kids down, explain my concerns, and then monitor their use or consumption, making suggestions along the way.

Read...
I was freaked out beyond belief.

I Was Cyber-Bullied. This Is How It Felt.

As a journalist and outspoken feminist, I always knew the risks of being online. I’ve read stories of extreme harassment and doxing, such as when a troll pretended to be writer Lindy West's deceased father or when game developer Brianna Wu received death threats and had to flee her home.

Read...