The Washington Post has done some important reporting on a teen sexting case in Virginia, spotlighting what could (should) go down in history as a textbook example of how police can abuse rather than enforce child pornography law in the digital age. A 17-year-old boy "is facing felony counts of manufacturing and distributing child pornography," the Post reported. I'll let you read the Post … [Read more...] about Textbook case of what NOT to do in teen sexting cases
Law & Policy
Remember: The ‘right to be forgotten’ is shared
A lot has been published and broadcast about Internet users' "right to be forgotten," long before and since last week's ruling by a high court in Europe (see the BBC), including the important points that… Scratching the surface. Suing a search engine to take down links to offending content doesn't mean the content itself gets taken down Who decides? A court has made search engines, of all … [Read more...] about Remember: The ‘right to be forgotten’ is shared
Cross-cultural in so many ways: Insights from ‘Digitally Connected’
It was a small but mighty gathering at Harvard's Berkman Center this week – mighty in diversity of geographical, personal and professional perspective (40% of the participants were from the global South). It was called "Digitally Connected," but it was about a more inclusive and, I think, more lasting, holistic sense of what "connected" means. It was co-organized by UNICEF and Harvard University's … [Read more...] about Cross-cultural in so many ways: Insights from ‘Digitally Connected’
A positive, insightful new book for schools on bullying
In the preface to her new book, Positive Relations @ School (& Elsewhere), author and risk-prevention educator Nancy Willard tells of a conversation with a very smart 5th grader in a dance class waiting room. She was explaining to another parent why a "rules and punishment approach" to dealing with bullying wasn't working for schools, when this other person in the waiting room piped up. "Of … [Read more...] about A positive, insightful new book for schools on bullying
How Yik Yak is different from other social media
Based on news reports and conversations with educators about troubles with Yik Yak, the location-based anonymous texting app, at schools in many parts of the US, three scenarios leap to mind…. Remember that kid at school (or maybe that frat house) who felt the need or the pressure to set off the fire alarm to see what would happen, test the system, get attention or whatever social … [Read more...] about How Yik Yak is different from other social media