There could be no better year-end wrap-up or gift for stakeholders in youth online safety worldwide than UNICEF's just-released "State of the World's Children…in a Digital World." In it are the latest research, stories and commentaries from multiple international perspectives, including, to its credit, those of young people in 26 countries. In addition to their views and practices, the report … [Read more...] about The state of global youth, digitally speaking: Research
digital parenting
Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool
Facebook’s launch of Messenger Kids is a game-changer – but not just in the way you might think. Sure it’s the world’s largest social media service’s first product for people under 13. That’s certainly big news, and what will capture most of the headlines this week. But it’s actually a combination of that and something less noticeable and more meaningful that’s really game-changing about Messenger … [Read more...] about Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool
Digital parenting: Individual, situational, contextual
It's so interesting to see what British psychologist Sonia Livingstone zooms in on in American psychologist Lynn Schofield Clark's book on parenting digital media users, The Parent App. Dr. Livingstone picked up on what I liked most about the book too: diversity and depth of insight. Dr. Clark interviewed "46 very different families" for a study that Livingstone calls "one of the most astute … [Read more...] about Digital parenting: Individual, situational, contextual
Perfect digital parenting doesn’t exist
I'm stating the obvious – that perfect digital-age parenting doesn't exist – but let me explain why it doesn't. Writer Heather Havrilesky got me thinking about this with her commentary "The 'Mommy' Problem" in the New York Times this weekend. She focuses on mothers (since our culture does so much) and on offline parenting. I'll add the digital part. She writes that "the current culture demands … [Read more...] about Perfect digital parenting doesn’t exist
For progressive parenting: Great book
It takes a team of strong firefighters to manage and direct a fire hose with all the pressurized water coming through it. That's a good metaphor for today's media, which seems to come at us at that level of pressure but less regulated than ever because produced by literally anybody; it's user-driven, and for teens the most interesting (and challenging) parts are self- and peer-driven. So, more and … [Read more...] about For progressive parenting: Great book