If there were no Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, teens would be safer in social media, a new study from researchers at New York University indicates (pdf). Without COPPA, children under 13 would have little to no reason to lie about their age to set up a Facebook account, for example (this would be true of any COPPA-compliant site U13s want to join). We all know that, right? We also … [Read more...] about COPPA has likely increased minors’ risk: Study
Risk & Safety
Holiday help: Parental control tools for tablets
With tablets showing up on more and more kids' holiday wish lists (littler and littler kids!), parents will appreciate any help they can get with keep tablet use safe as well as fun. And there's help over at TechHive, which reports that Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Barnes & Noble Nook HD, and Apple’s iPad, all have some built-in parental controls (e.g., FreeTime on the Kindle Fire and Restrictions … [Read more...] about Holiday help: Parental control tools for tablets
TWD going the way of DUI: Research
The good news is, the vast majority of young drivers and passengers (91%) now know how dangerous it is to text while driving (TWD) – very close to the figure for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol: 97%. We're making progress, people. The bad news – according to research my organization, ConnectSafely.org, has conducted with the support of AT&T – is, 43% of US 13-to-17-year-olds agree … [Read more...] about TWD going the way of DUI: Research
What is bullying & what can be done about it: Lit review
What a project and what a service to anybody trying to get a handle on a long-standing social problem! I'm referring to the recently released "Bullying in a Networked Era: A Literature Review" of more than 150 surveys, articles and other references from the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, the latest research on bullying all in one place. Although bullying is by … [Read more...] about What is bullying & what can be done about it: Lit review
How to help fix a world problem 1 child at a time
This may seem a little off-topic, as it's not fundamentally about technology, but social media can be a tool in the healing process. Let me explain. More than 5 million US children (275 million worldwide) are dealing with domestic violence – what UNICEF calls "one of the most damaging unaddressed human rights violations in the world today" – and 40 million US adults were once children who lived … [Read more...] about How to help fix a world problem 1 child at a time