I usually write about other people's work – especially that of the researchers I've followed through the years. But now that I've just passed the 20-year mark in writing about youth and digital media (yikes!), I thought I'd share with you my own top takeaways as a participant observer of Internet safety's early years (1997-now). Here's Part 1 (Part 2 on this page): 1. A generalization about … [Read more...] about 6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 1
David Finkelhor
Messaging apps rule: What’s interesting about that for parents
This statement stopped me in my tracks when I was reading about how messaging apps now reign supreme in social media: "'Ask and you shall receive' has become the new customer experience." I'll tell you why that gave me pause in a moment. First a look at what's being reported about mobile messaging. "The top four messaging apps—WhatsApp and Messenger (both owned by Facebook), WeChat and … [Read more...] about Messaging apps rule: What’s interesting about that for parents
Social problem data & youth: Cause for celebration
"We should be celebrating young people’s good judgment and self-control — and extolling their parents and teachers," writes David Finkelhor, director of University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center, in a Washington Post article just before Thanksgiving. "They have brought delinquency, truancy, promiscuity, alcohol abuse and suicide down to levels unseen in many cases since … [Read more...] about Social problem data & youth: Cause for celebration
Textbook case of what NOT to do in teen sexting cases
The Washington Post has done some important reporting on a teen sexting case in Virginia, spotlighting what could (should) go down in history as a textbook example of how police can abuse rather than enforce child pornography law in the digital age. A 17-year-old boy "is facing felony counts of manufacturing and distributing child pornography," the Post reported. I'll let you read the Post … [Read more...] about Textbook case of what NOT to do in teen sexting cases
Net safety’s ‘3 alarmist assumptions’: Researcher
This is news, and not just for the Internet safety field. It's important for policymakers, parents, educators, researchers, healthcare providers and journalists to know about: In the Journal of Child Psychology, sociologist David Finkelhor, one of the US's most prominent experts on child victimization, challenges the "alarmism reflected by so much of the scholarly and journalistic literature" about … [Read more...] about Net safety’s ‘3 alarmist assumptions’: Researcher