It isn't often that a social media startup has the stated "ambition to become a major social platform and a leader in safety [emphasis mine]." But that's what the team behind Yellow, a fast-growing, Paris-based videochat app that just launched in the U.S., says, and I believe them. Details about safety measures in a minute, but first: Intention alone is huge in an industry where startups and … [Read more...] about Yellow app: Signs of smarter digital safety
When ‘fake news’ becomes real: What next with ‘Blue Whale’?
The term "fake news" has largely (and rightfully) been discredited because, at best, it's simplistic and, at worst, used to dismiss or discredit legitimate news providers. But there is such a thing as real fake news: misinformation and disinformation that goes viral in this digital age and then leads to real tragedy. So the "Blue Whale" story is no longer about "fake news," and we're now at the … [Read more...] about When ‘fake news’ becomes real: What next with ‘Blue Whale’?
6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 2
Now that I've just passed the 20-year mark of writing about youth and digital media, I thought I'd share with you my top takeaways as a participant observer in the Internet safety space. Here's Part 1. Now the three chunks of Part 2: 4. It's individual, situational and contextual. Internet safety works best from the inside out, from the child out not the headlines in. I love the irony of … [Read more...] about 6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 2
6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 1
I usually write about other people's work – especially that of the researchers I've followed through the years. But now that I've just passed the 20-year mark in writing about youth and digital media (yikes!), I thought I'd share with you my own top takeaways as a participant observer of Internet safety's early years (1997-now). Here's Part 1 (Part 2 on this page): 1. A generalization about … [Read more...] about 6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 1
Student voice for meaning, self-actualization, safety (ISTE 2017)
"Our kids can be experts in the world," said visionary educator Chris Lehmann (@chrislehmann), meaning right now, as students, in school, in digital spaces, in life. Then he asked, "How can we help them be that?" He was speaking last week at ISTE, the world's largest ed tech conference. I went to ISTE to see what educators were saying about student voice, and what I found was a trend: growing … [Read more...] about Student voice for meaning, self-actualization, safety (ISTE 2017)