"Bullying" is a loaded term to say the very least, and not using it could not only defuse a lot of fear and harmful overreaction when it happens, it could save lives. I'll get to the life-saving part in a minute, but first the problem with using the word. Because of all the (certainly well-intended) awareness-raising and media attention lately, "bullying" has come to mean every imaginable mean … [Read more...] about Stop using the word ‘bullying’ in school, researchers say
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Young change agents leveraging social media
This article was originally published July 19, 2012, then my service’s server crashed, losing months of data. So reposting 10/20/12. I hope parents and educators have seen these two clear signs of how kids are using social media to "be the change." There's 14-year-old Julia Bluhm in Maine who noticed that friends in ballet class were always criticizing their bodies and spearheaded a protest in … [Read more...] about Young change agents leveraging social media
(Very) mixed reactions to ‘Kony 2012’
This article was originally published March 8, 2012, then my service’s server crashed, losing months of data. So reposting 10/8/12. Has "Kony" become a household word at your house? If there are young social media users in your family and they haven't brought it up, you might ask them if they've heard about the "Kony 2012" campaign and video by the nonprofit organization Invisible Children (as … [Read more...] about (Very) mixed reactions to ‘Kony 2012’
Kids deserve the truth about cyberbullying
When Justin Patchin, professor and co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, talks to high school students in school assemblies, he asks them to give him an estimate of what percentage of teens have cyberbullied someone. "Somebody will shout out a number like 60 or 70%. Then I ask them, ok, raise your hand if you think it's higher than that, and the vast majority will raise their hands, … [Read more...] about Kids deserve the truth about cyberbullying
Behavioral advertising: So far we’re not opting out
Online advertisers have been testing US Web users' tolerance for behavioral advertising (tracking our online activities or behaviors and targeting us with ads based on that automated tracking), and so far not many of us have been bothered by it. "Since last year, ad organizations in the US have been running a campaign designed to convince Congress and the FTC that self-regulation is good enough," … [Read more...] about Behavioral advertising: So far we’re not opting out