It's always refreshing to see solid reporting where online kids and parenting are concerned! The main takeaway from this Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune article is that, yes, social media represent a new challenge for parents, but we can usually handle it just fine and here's how. It tells of how a local couple with six children of ages ranging from 6 to 19 – all but the youngest of whom "have a cell … [Read more...] about Youth online risk: Accurate reporting
cyberbullying
Signs that your child’s cyberbullying
"Not my child," many parents would say. Of course "no parent wants to admit their kid is a bully," educator and child development expert Annie Fox writes. But if you have even an inkling your child might be cyberbullying others, you have an opportunity not only to lessen other children's emotional pain and improve social conditions at school but also to help your child offload anti-social behavior … [Read more...] about Signs that your child’s cyberbullying
Phoebe Prince story: Much more than meets the eye
If parents want insights into both the Phoebe Prince tragedy and how bullying can develop in a high school today, read this in-depth piece in Slate.com. The writer, Emily Bazelon, was reporting this story for months, publishing interim pieces of it as the news broke from South Hadley, Mass. "My investigation into the events that gave rise to Phoebe's death, based on extensive interviews and review … [Read more...] about Phoebe Prince story: Much more than meets the eye
How an 11-year-old became a meme
Did Jessi Slaughter's father think this was parenting, when he went on YouTube with her and threatened the harassers and trolls she had violently threatened too? He certainly made things worse, not better, for her – if his rant was for real (it was laughable to many viewers, based on their comments). The video of the Florida father and daughter, shown at the top of this page at Gawker.com, had … [Read more...] about How an 11-year-old became a meme
US senator calls for Facebook ‘panic button’ too
As did UK members of Parliament, US Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is now calling on Facebook to create a "panic button" for the US like the one FB's putting in place for UK users, reports HometownSource.com in Minnesota. Only it's not a "button" or a 9-1-1-type helpline; it's an app that users would need to download, as I wrote earlier this week. So it needs marketing to create uptake, which is fine – … [Read more...] about US senator calls for Facebook ‘panic button’ too