A reader in India, where a "Blue Whale" scare has now taken off, asked if it's a genuine threat, so here's an update (see also sidebars below about the all-important Russian context and lessons from India, because there's are cultural as well as universal pieces to this global puzzle): In answer to the question in the headline up there: maybe both. Blue Whale is also now quite likely a … [Read more...] about ‘Blue Whale’: Clickbait or a new form of online grooming?
India
Snapshot of how Indian youth view social media
It's interesting to see that dismissive attitudes toward youth in social media are universal and that, where they turn up, so does the "clicktivism" argument – the one about how online activism is inconsequential, or not real activism (see this). In India, a recent national survey of people 18-35 found that 76% "believe that social media empowers them to bring change to the world," particularly in … [Read more...] about Snapshot of how Indian youth view social media
India’s very mobile social networking
US parents may be interested to see the Times of India's account of single mom Darshana Verma "who never learned to use a computer and saved for 10 months," spending more than half a month's income on mobile phones for her two children. Verma told the Times that the access to Facebook and the Internet these phones bring her kids represents opportunities she never had. She must not be alone, given … [Read more...] about India’s very mobile social networking