US Rep. Anthony Weiner's very public personal disaster story has made sexting top-of-mind again, but there's good news in all this: More and more states are considering "relaxing penalties for teen sexting," as the Boston.com headline put it, because lawmakers throughout the US are now recognizing that "the problem of teen sexting didn’t exist when they enacted harsh punishments for child porn and … [Read more...] about The teen sexting ‘trainwreck’ & state laws
danah boyd
The social Web’s echo chambers
A discussion of the benefits of the social Web wouldn't be complete without a mention of an emerging risk: that the technology of personalization is becoming so sophisticated that this giant digital space is getting carved up into a myriad little echo chambers. In other words, as the New York Times put it, "on the Web, we often see what we like, and like what we see." Eli Pariser, board president … [Read more...] about The social Web’s echo chambers
Understanding cyberbullying from the inside out
If you really want to understand cyberbullying, take advantage of a perspective that's essential to the discussion. View it from the inside-out – from teens' perspective, rather than that of adults on the outside looking in. "Friending" our kids online can help fill in the picture a bit, but talking with our own children and checking in on the work of researchers who talk with lots of other young … [Read more...] about Understanding cyberbullying from the inside out
Teens’ digital self-abuse: New insight
A just-published observation by social media researcher danah boyd is important for two reasons I can think of right now: 1) it strongly confirms the importance of adults not reacting too quickly to "cyberbullying" incidents or of not acting without calm communication and investigation, and 2) it starts an important discussion about the online versions of self-destructive behavior. Let's look at … [Read more...] about Teens’ digital self-abuse: New insight
Parenting & overparenting in the digital age
What struck me about danah boyd's post about the helicopter-parenting of social media users was that the banning of Facebook forces young people "to choose between social status and parental obedience." Though I wouldn't put it exactly that way, my own parenting experience tells me she's right. My 18-year-old and 13-year-old both use Facebook, although (and quite naturally) differently, because … [Read more...] about Parenting & overparenting in the digital age