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
Archives for February 2011
K-12 artists can doodle for Google
You've noticed how the Google home page logo gets dressed up for holidays and big news events, right? Well, Googlers themselves aren't the only ones who can do that. Students can too – right now! Google has a contest for US K-12 students every year called Doodle 4 Google, and this year's deadline for registering is coming up fast: March 2. All the info and necessary forms – entry, parental … [Read more...] about K-12 artists can doodle for Google
Young people’s views about sexual content online
As the 12- and 13-year-old girls tell New York magazine writer Alex Morris how they use Omegle, another ChatRoulette-type site (in groups with fake names and disconnecting often and fast when the chat gets "perverted"), they describe how differently boys handle sexual content online. It reminds me of a thought-provoking 2005 Boston Globe article, "The Secret Life of Boys" (that I blogged about … [Read more...] about Young people’s views about sexual content online
Social-media-based stalking on rise in Oz
The Daily Telegraph in Australia reports a rise over the past two years in requests for restraining orders against online stalkers by young Australians, "claiming they are victims of intimidation." Restraining orders are called "AVOs," for apprehended violence orders, in Australia, and an attorney there "said this sort of behaviour could happen through a combination of mediums such as Facebook or … [Read more...] about Social-media-based stalking on rise in Oz
US schools & libraries not well connected: Commerce Dept.
More than two-thirds of Americans are well connected – to the Internet, that is – but schools and libraries aren't, according to new data from the US Department of Commerce. At least, those important institutions' connections are relatively slow. The department this week unveiled BroadbandMap.gov, a search engine that, when you type in an address, city, county, or zip code, tells you what … [Read more...] about US schools & libraries not well connected: Commerce Dept.