"Letting people remain anonymous while engaging in fundamentally public behavior encourages them to behave badly." That's according to Farhad Manjoo in "Troll, Reveal Thyself" at Slate.com. Really?! Not everyone, certainly. We know about online disinhibition (but see "Net use may be making us nicer: Studies"). And the establishment of social media's social norms is nothing if not a work in … [Read more...] about Assume disinhibition’s forever, about everybody?
Ethics & Etiquette
A fresh look at ‘Netiquette’
Words like "manners" and "etiquette" usually make kids' eyeballs roll. So it's important – as we all move thousands of years of social-norms and manners development into our new media environment together – that we keep our children in the conversation by approaching "Netiquette" logically and our kids the avid social-media users respectfully. Like Buck, who has as much to say about human … [Read more...] about A fresh look at ‘Netiquette’
When to get the kid a cellphone
Oh good. Some things about kids' first cellphones haven't changed. The latest article on when to buy kids their first cellphones says what I've been saying for awhile: "There is no age that suits all children, developmental psychologists and child safety experts say," the New York Times reports. "It depends on the child’s maturity level and need for the phone, and the ability to be responsible for … [Read more...] about When to get the kid a cellphone
How to teach Net safety, ethics, security? Blend them in!
US K-12 students aren't getting adequate instruction in "cyberethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity," according to a just-released study sponsored by the National Cybersecurity Alliance and Microsoft released today. The survey, of more than 1,000 teachers, 400 administrators, and 200 tech coordinators, found that – although over 90% of administrators, teachers, and tech coordinators support … [Read more...] about How to teach Net safety, ethics, security? Blend them in!
Clicks & cliques: *Really* meaty advice for parents on cyberbullying
Annie Fox's recent 55-min. interview with fellow educator and author Rosalind Wiseman at FamilyConfidential.com is a must-listen for parents, educators – anyone who has anything to do with teens and digital media. It has a lot to say about working through tough situations like sexting or cyberbullying incidents with young people in a candid, respectful way and, in the process, helping them … [Read more...] about Clicks & cliques: *Really* meaty advice for parents on cyberbullying