The other night the three of us still at home were talking face-to-face with our son and brother 1,000 miles away for about an hour, for free (well, not counting the cost of our family Internet connection). While enjoying the banter, I was wondering at this ability we had to look into each other's eyes across great distances on computer screens. Only the ability to hug would be better. But having … [Read more...] about Growing signs social media are good for us
Archives for February 2012
About the sexual abuse cases in L.A. district
A disturbing story about the sexual misconduct of teachers in Los Angeles Unified School District is not about technology but it highlights some issues we've been addressing in the Internet safety field. "The reopening of an investigation into teacher misconduct at a high school in Hollywood and the initiation of another in … is leading to concerns that the lewd behavior uncovered at Miramonte … [Read more...] about About the sexual abuse cases in L.A. district
Do watch ‘Class Actions’ on PBS
"How do we learn from the past?" asks the narrator of the promotional video for "Class Actions," a 30-min. PBS documentary about three US towns that, with the help of young activists *have* learned from the past and not let hate take over again. "In Oxford, Miss., student leaders find the strength to unify their campus," says narrator Yul Kwon, who found the strength himself to win "Survivor" in … [Read more...] about Do watch ‘Class Actions’ on PBS
Our Safer Internet Day 2012…
I meant the "Our" in the headline in a global way. All of us. We know this, of course, but we don't think about it enough: It's literally our Internet – across generations and borders, this very participatory, dynamic media environment that's updated by all of us in real time, 24/7, seven days a week. I love that the European Commission's Internet safety group – the source of Safer Internet Day, … [Read more...] about Our Safer Internet Day 2012…
Advancing digital literacy in the US
There is little consensus on the definition of "digital literacy." One participant on a panel about it here at a Safer Internet Day conference in Moscow threw everything into the definition – media literacy, online safety, computer literacy, etc. Wikipedia basically defines it as "the ability to locate, organize, understand, evaluate, and analyze information using digital technology," suggesting … [Read more...] about Advancing digital literacy in the US