There's no rhyme or reason to these things. They show up on different social media platforms, start in different parts of the world, but don’t always "go viral" in regions where they started. There are cultural aspects to what makes them take off but also universal ones: They "excite children's and teens’ imaginations, increase careless media outlets' appetite and opportunities for bigger … [Read more...] about About ‘Momo’ & dealing with viral media scares
Parenting
Media literacy lessons from comedian ChescaLeigh
Franchesca Ramsey, or @chescaleigh – the comedy writer, YouTube star with 247,000+ subscribers, host of MTV Decoded, and author of the just-released Well, That Escalated Quickly: Memoirs and Mistakes of an Accidental Activist – could also easily be considered a media literacy educator now. For one thing, she has a lot of credibility with fellow avid users and creators of social media. For another, … [Read more...] about Media literacy lessons from comedian ChescaLeigh
What does GDPR mean for our kids?
You may be wondering what, if any, impact Europe's sweeping new data law, GDPR (for General Data Privacy Regulation), has on parenting tech users in your life. After all, it went into effect today, and you may've seen headlines like the New York Times's about how it makes Europe the "world's leading tech watchdog" or the piece in Ad Age pointing out the irony that a data privacy law triggered a … [Read more...] about What does GDPR mean for our kids?
A book for wise (digital) parenting
The Art of Screen Time, by NPR's Anya Kamenetz, could not be more timely. What with hearings and headlines about digital privacy, so much talk about "tech addiction," and bad advice about "screen time," parents deserve this haven from the storm. And it's a haven not just because Kamenetz is a great reporter with sources representing multiple perspectives and disciplines. Also because she knows … [Read more...] about A book for wise (digital) parenting
What just happened: ‘Big data’ got personal
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