The story of "Jessi Slaughter" last week is a textbook example of what digital-citizenship instruction* needs to address: digital-age self-destructive behavior. Harassing and threatening others (whether or not in retaliation, as was part of Jessi's story) is self-destructive because, as the research shows, aggressive behavior online is very likely to lead to victimization online (see Archives of … [Read more...] about A child’s self-destructive behavior: Test for ‘digital citizenship’
Archives for July 2010
Signs that your child’s cyberbullying
"Not my child," many parents would say. Of course "no parent wants to admit their kid is a bully," educator and child development expert Annie Fox writes. But if you have even an inkling your child might be cyberbullying others, you have an opportunity not only to lessen other children's emotional pain and improve social conditions at school but also to help your child offload anti-social behavior … [Read more...] about Signs that your child’s cyberbullying
Facebook passes half-a-billion mark
Five hundred million people "are now using Facebook on a monthly basis," PC World reports, which means "Facebook has a slightly smaller population than the continent of North America," and that's "enough users to put 75 people on every one of the over 6.6 million square miles of Russia, the largest country in the world by landmass." Just a couple of PC World's "Fun Facts," and this is just one of … [Read more...] about Facebook passes half-a-billion mark
Phoebe Prince story: Much more than meets the eye
If parents want insights into both the Phoebe Prince tragedy and how bullying can develop in a high school today, read this in-depth piece in Slate.com. The writer, Emily Bazelon, was reporting this story for months, publishing interim pieces of it as the news broke from South Hadley, Mass. "My investigation into the events that gave rise to Phoebe's death, based on extensive interviews and review … [Read more...] about Phoebe Prince story: Much more than meets the eye
Videochatting kids spied on via their Webcams
If the Jessi Slaughter story wasn't enough to convince parents that kids' bedrooms are not great places for Webcams, maybe this news out of Germany will help. A man in the Rhineland area "has been arrested for spying on more than 150 girls in their bedrooms by hacking into their computers and using their webcams to watch them," TheLocal.de reports. A computer security expert who gives talks about … [Read more...] about Videochatting kids spied on via their Webcams