Parents, you'll probably appreciate knowing that young people are engaging in sexting a lot less than previously thought and that arrest is not typical in youth sexting cases. To help doctors and all the rest of us better understand the risks to youth of sexting, the authors of a national survey of US 10-to-17-year-olds just published in the medical journal Pediatrics aimed not only to get a … [Read more...] about Sexting much rarer than thought to be: Study
Risk & Safety
Europe’s new coalition for a better Net for kids
European children "now start going online when they are seven, and 38% of 9-to-12-year-olds who are online say they have a social networking profile, in spite of age restrictions," the European Commission reports. So it has formed "a new Coalition to make a better and safer internet for children" as part of its Digital Agenda for Europe, the Commission announced this week. The coalition's 28 … [Read more...] about Europe’s new coalition for a better Net for kids
Anti-social media companies will be obsolete
There's anti-social behavior at the corporate level, too – especially now, in the age of increasingly social digital media. I mentioned this in my last post, but – since these (media) environmental conditions are new to all of us, including parents – maybe it would help to take a closer look.... We've always known that social behaviors and norms are expressed collectively by organizations as … [Read more...] about Anti-social media companies will be obsolete
Videogame ratings: Ask the app while shopping
This is smart. Now, while you're standing in a store aisle staring at a bunch of videogame titles – or right when your kid's saying, "That's it, that's the game on my list, Mom/Dad!" – you can get details from the game-rating source on the spot, pretending you got a text message (feigning disinterest so s/he'll be surprised later). Sure, a lot of us shop online, but the convenience is real, and … [Read more...] about Videogame ratings: Ask the app while shopping
Facebook says it’s looking into photo attack
I hope you haven't noticed, but what's apparently an attack on Facebook reportedly went viral last night. The "flood of violent and pornographic images invading [Facebook users'] news feeds" has prompted Facebook to launch an investigation, the Washington Post reports. The Post cites the view from security firm Sophos that "users whose accounts post the images are unable to see them on their own … [Read more...] about Facebook says it’s looking into photo attack