What the Cambridge Analytica story and last week’s congressional hearings with Facebook’s CEO are really all about is that people – not even “just” social media users, voters and policymakers – are waking up to the meaning of “big data.” It’s a big story not only because Facebook has more than 2.2 billion users or because Cambridge Analytica may have helped Donald Trump become president, as … [Read more...] about What just happened: ‘Big data’ got personal
Parenting
We need to manage the social media backlash too
It's like a moral panic on steroids. Adding to the "reckoning" already under way since the 2016 election (see Related links below) is the news yesterday of a new, high-profile coalition of some of social media's creators and backers and Common Sense Media. The steroids part is the funding ($7 million from individuals, the Omidyar Network and Common Sense Media), the PR ($50 million in donated … [Read more...] about We need to manage the social media backlash too
Turning now to 2018: Parenting & social media’s ‘breakup’
Think about this in terms of parenting and policymaking: "social" and "media are splitting up. 2018 will be the beginning of the end of "first-generation social media," as tech reporter Taylor Lorenz put it. So when we're parenting and setting policy about young people's use of social media (at household, school and national levels), it'd be helpful to understand what's happening with "social … [Read more...] about Turning now to 2018: Parenting & social media’s ‘breakup’
The state of global youth, digitally speaking: Research
There could be no better year-end wrap-up or gift for stakeholders in youth online safety worldwide than UNICEF's just-released "State of the World's Children…in a Digital World." In it are the latest research, stories and commentaries from multiple international perspectives, including, to its credit, those of young people in 26 countries. In addition to their views and practices, the report … [Read more...] about The state of global youth, digitally speaking: Research
Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool
Facebook’s launch of Messenger Kids is a game-changer – but not just in the way you might think. Sure it’s the world’s largest social media service’s first product for people under 13. That’s certainly big news, and what will capture most of the headlines this week. But it’s actually a combination of that and something less noticeable and more meaningful that’s really game-changing about Messenger … [Read more...] about Facebook’s Messenger Kids: Important new digital-parenting tool