When the New York Times reported that Google is "trying again in social networking," I thought it meant a significant new product on the level of Chrome or Picasa. Then I read down further: "Google’s +1 is remarkably similar to Facebook’s Like button," except that you're "liking" search results. It's personalized search. When you find a store, news article, recipe, photo, advertisement, etc. and … [Read more...] about Google’s new social tool ‘+1’
Archives for March 2011
‘Facebook depression’ claim is research-challenged
The good news is, there's a lot of good advice for pediatricians and parents in "Clinical Report: The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents, and Families," just published in the journal Pediatrics. The bad news is, the "Facebook depression" part is not grounded in the very research the report cites – and of course that's the part (on p. 802 of the PDF version of the report) that all the … [Read more...] about ‘Facebook depression’ claim is research-challenged
‘Juvenoia,’ Part 1: Why Internet fear is overrated
Referred to variously as technopanic, predator panic, cyberbullying panic, etc., a lot of fear and anxiety has developed around the intersection of youth and the Internet. Very interestingly, last fall David Finkelhor – director of the University of New Hampshire's Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC) and lead author of the US's first national study on youth risk online in 2000 – used … [Read more...] about ‘Juvenoia,’ Part 1: Why Internet fear is overrated
Social-emotional learning ups academic performance
Right from the proverbial horse's mouth, so hear this: that social and emotional learning (SEL) has brought academic gains "that equal the results of many programs focused exclusively on academics ... is one of the most important findings from a far-reaching review of social and emotional learning programs for which I was the principal investigator," writes author and retired psychology professor … [Read more...] about Social-emotional learning ups academic performance
New phone app: Color me (& us) careful!
The new Color photo-sharing app for iPhone and Android smartphones, is free, potentially fun, and has no age restrictions. And it will probably have a lot of appeal for our highly social, digital photography-loving kids who love to share and tag. It also has staying power. Color "has all-star founders who have an impressive track record," reports ReadWriteWeb, and they raised $41 million to get … [Read more...] about New phone app: Color me (& us) careful!