Smokey Bear has been replaced. Well, at least his slogan. A broad coalition of federal government agencies, businesses, and cybersecurity advocates wants this slogan – "Stop. Think. Connect" – ringing in everybody's ears as reflexively as "Only YOU can prevent forest fires" once did (I don't want to admit that I remember that). Of course, not everyone finds the slogan compelling – see why it gets … [Read more...] about US’s huge new ‘Stop. Think. Connect’ campaign
Archives for October 2010
Togetherville gives students a platform
Togetherville, the social network site for kids 10 and under wants them to have a voice in the big discussion about education reform (and maybe how their schools are run) – kid by kid, school by school. It just launched its School Communities program, further tying children's social networks in Togetherville into their school networks (I say "further" because kids' online social networks are … [Read more...] about Togetherville gives students a platform
Cyberbullying and … second chances?
I was pleased and relieved to see some thoughtful and thought-provoking coverage of bullying, cyberbullying, and teen suicides since I posted on Friday. For example, Newsweek asks an important question: "Bullied to death is the crime of the moment, the blanket explanation slapped on suicide cases from Texas to California... But ... is the notion of being bullied to death valid?" Bullying is … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying and … second chances?
Cyberbullying: Can schools intervene?
A heart-wrenching student's suicide thoughtfully reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer illustrates schools' and families' struggles over bullying and cyberbullying. It's not clear how causative the bullying – of a beautiful Croatian student – was in her suicide two years ago, or how much the cruelty continued online, but the article and the accompanying video interview of the student's family … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying: Can schools intervene?
Fixing hate online and offline: Everyone’s needed!
Two national news stories this week – one about anti-gay cruelty that ended in a young man's suicide in New Jersey on September 22 (see the New York Times) and the other about anti-gay hate speech from an assistant attorney general in Michigan (see this CNN blog) – indicate a serious need for family discussions about hate speech and bullying, how they are hurtful and destructive to everyone … [Read more...] about Fixing hate online and offline: Everyone’s needed!