Over the 15-or-so years I've been covering family technology, I've noticed a kind of siege mentality that developed among parents about kids' use of digital media. Then, a few years ago, when sociology professor David Finkelhor at the University of New Hampshire gave his milestone talk, "The Internet, Youth Deviance & the Problem of Juvenoia," I heard him offer the most plausible reason I'd … [Read more...] about Media siege mentality: Antidote for parents
David Finkelhor
So we’ve all ‘let our guard down’?
It's interesting that Daily Beast writer Caitlin Dixon precedes her question "When did we let our guard down?" with the story of sleeping on strangers' couch in Italy after finding them in a couch-surfing site. Yes, she let her guard down (but the people were great hosts). What's interesting, though, is that she compared couch-surfing to connecting with people online. One could argue – and I've … [Read more...] about So we’ve all ‘let our guard down’?
‘Bullying’ & ‘peer victimization’: Clearer terms, better communication
I suspect two reasons why people (mistakenly) think cyberbullying is on the rise are… Its increased visibility: Cruel words and behaviors are unprecedentedly public now, because of the social Web, so that's what's actually growing – the exposure – which is sometimes confused with the behavior itself. The confusion needs to be cleared up. The exposure may be scary, but it's a net gain because … [Read more...] about ‘Bullying’ & ‘peer victimization’: Clearer terms, better communication
What’s wrong with Net-safety ed … and what we can do about it
A look at what does and doesn't work in risk prevention from top researchers in the US By Anne Collier It being "National Internet Safety Month" and this being the last week of the month, let's look at Net safety from a different angle…. "Grumpy researcher has doubts about Internet safety programs." David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the … [Read more...] about What’s wrong with Net-safety ed … and what we can do about it
It’s time to outgrow the ‘kids, these days’ cliche
Every generation, we adults seem to swing between fear of young people and fear for them. Of course now, with the advent of social media, it's really justified, right? Actually, no, even less so. More on that in a second. In a commentary at Forbes.com, parent and tech policy analyst Adam Thierer at George Mason University asks a very good question: "Why Do We Always Sell the Next Generation … [Read more...] about It’s time to outgrow the ‘kids, these days’ cliche