A just-released study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that cyberbullying is "only rarely the sole factor identified in teen suicides." The study's author, John LeBlanc, MD, was quoted in the press release as saying that "cyberbullying is a factor in some suicides, but almost always there are other factors such as mental illness or face-to-face bullying. Cyberbullying usually occurs … [Read more...] about ‘Only rarely’ is cyberbullying sole factor in teen suicide: Study
Archives for October 2012
Young change agents leveraging social media
This article was originally published July 19, 2012, then my service’s server crashed, losing months of data. So reposting 10/20/12. I hope parents and educators have seen these two clear signs of how kids are using social media to "be the change." There's 14-year-old Julia Bluhm in Maine who noticed that friends in ballet class were always criticizing their bodies and spearheaded a protest in … [Read more...] about Young change agents leveraging social media
What defeats cyberbullying: Viral kindness
This is how it's done in social media. Viral kindness. If social cruelty can get piled on in social media, so can compassion. Just watch "We Are All Daniel Cui," which shows how more than 100 students at Hillsborough High School in northern California defeated cyberbullying by swamping it with support for soccer goalie Daniel Cui, after somebody in his school created a "Worst Goalie Ever" page. … [Read more...] about What defeats cyberbullying: Viral kindness
1 billion smartphones
As of the beginning of this month, there are now a billion smartphones being used on the planet, up from 708 million a year ago, MobileBusinessBriefing.com reports, citing data from Strategy Analytics. That's 1 in 7 people on Earth, the market research firm says, and "16 years after the first smartphone [the Nokia Communicator] was launched in 1996." The iPhone arrived in the market in 2007. The … [Read more...] about 1 billion smartphones
To keep advertisers from tracking your kids’ phones
A lot of people find targeted advertising creepy – and just plain wrong if targeted at kids, especially little ones. Well, if your kids have iPhones and they have the latest operating-system software, iOS 6, then you can help them turn off apps' ability to "learn" their interests and target ads at them. Apple calls the setting "Limit Ad Tracking." My ConnectSafely co-director Larry Magid explains … [Read more...] about To keep advertisers from tracking your kids’ phones