"Together, we have the power to protect the most vulnerable among us." There never was a truer, more urgent call to the world's social media users. It's from Nadia Goodman, TED's social media editor, in a blog post about the digital aftermath of posting the video of Monica Lewinsky's TED talk in the TED site. [This is a followup to my post on Sunday about the talk, which has gotten nearly 2 … [Read more...] about How brave commenters are growing the power of Lewinsky’s talk
social norming
Zooming in on social norms
This is a sidebar to my earlier post about social norms as one of the solutions to social cruelty online – in case readers would like a little more definition. Social norms are practically super powers. As I mentioned in my main post, this doesn't occur to us much because, well, these are norms, after all – part of the wallpaper, socially speaking. They're everyday behavior based on intangibles … [Read more...] about Zooming in on social norms
Of free speech in global social media
I'll probably come back around to this important topic again, but right now I have only two points to add to what's partly a discussion about free speech in social media, fueled in the past week by feminist Soraya Chemaly in the Huffington Post. It's difficult to talk about "controversial humor" pages in the context of free speech because this content on Facebook (and now on Tumblr, its creators … [Read more...] about Of free speech in global social media
The highly problematic term ‘cyberbullycide’
Don't use it, and be skeptical of any so-called authority who does use it. "Cyberbullycide" (or "bullycide") is not clever, is not accurate, and its use could be harmful. Among other reasons why it isn't accurate (see this by prevention specialist Patti Agatston), the term suggests that cyberbullying is the sole cause of a suicide, and suicide prevention experts tell us that "suicidal behavior is … [Read more...] about The highly problematic term ‘cyberbullycide’
Pink shirts in Canada: Ultimate social norms model
Today (Feb. 23) is Pink Shirt Day in Canada, marking a national movement and international model for defeating bullying – all started by two good guys in Nova Scotia, Travis Price and David Shepherd. You've probably heard the story by now, but – when, back in 2007, the then high school seniors noticed a freshman boy was being picked on for wearing a pink shirt – they figured "that's enough ... … [Read more...] about Pink shirts in Canada: Ultimate social norms model