There are some groundbreaking takeaways (and many more insights) in new research from the University of New Hampshire – "The Role of Technology in Peer Harassment: Does It Amplify Harm for Youth?" – and my headline is one of them. Another one is the answer to the question posed in the authors' headline: "no," their data indicates. But before going any further with the takeaways, a bit about the … [Read more...] about Tech likely not the main problem in cyberbullying: Breakthrough study
For kids’ sake, don’t ‘black box’ social media
For our children's sake, it's more important than ever that we not "black box" our media, whether as researchers or as parents and educators. An essay from psychologist and media professor Sonia Livingstone in the new scholarly journal Social Media + Society got me thinking about this. Dr. Livingstone observes that scholars in disciplines other than media and communications are doing that … [Read more...] about For kids’ sake, don’t ‘black box’ social media
Supreme Court decision & our kids: About context not free speech
Today's decision by the US Supreme Court sent a clear message about the importance of context for making decisions about what we see online. It was bad news for victims of online harassment and their advocates but good news for parents of kids not thinking about the impact of their online speech and actions. "The Supreme Court ruled in favor of "a Pennsylvania man who posted several violent … [Read more...] about Supreme Court decision & our kids: About context not free speech
Help us build & pilot a Social Media Helpline for schools!
Hey, everybody! We at NetFamilyNews and iCANHELP would greatly appreciate your help in spreading the word about (and if possible contributing to) our just-launched crowd funding campaign at Indiegogo. We're in the process of creating a hotline schools can call for help with problems in social media which we'll pilot this coming school year in California. Please click to our page here. We'll … [Read more...] about Help us build & pilot a Social Media Helpline for schools!
‘Game of 72’: Let’s apply a little ‘social norming’
This is a perfect example of why we need to apply what we know about social norming to social media panics. And in a rare show of levelheadedness from the news media, Global News in Canada helps us get there. "The Game of 72 – a viral prank urging kids to disappear for 72 hours – is the latest in a series of risky pranks being done by kids and then shared to social media. But the prank, and … [Read more...] about ‘Game of 72’: Let’s apply a little ‘social norming’