Social media spaces are positive spaces for the most part, Amanda Lenhart of the Pew Internet Project reported at the annual Family Online Safety Institute conference today. "People in social network sites are generally kind," she told the audience as she shared the findings of a Pew report released today, adding that the vast majority of teen social networkers said that a friendship had been … [Read more...] about Teens’ social media experiences largely positive: Study
Risk & Safety
Cyberbullying: The view from behind a kids’ Web site
As a parent or educator, have you ever wondered what bullying and harassment look like from the other side of your kids' favorite online spaces – to the people who run them, moderate the action, and get those "abuse reports" users click on for all kinds of reasons? Moderators and community managers have an indispensable perspective to bring to the public discussion about cyberbullying, so I'm … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying: The view from behind a kids’ Web site
Assume disinhibition’s forever, about everybody?
"Letting people remain anonymous while engaging in fundamentally public behavior encourages them to behave badly." That's according to Farhad Manjoo in "Troll, Reveal Thyself" at Slate.com. Really?! Not everyone, certainly. We know about online disinhibition (but see "Net use may be making us nicer: Studies"). And the establishment of social media's social norms is nothing if not a work in … [Read more...] about Assume disinhibition’s forever, about everybody?
From Europe, Top 10 online-risk myths
The EU Kids Online researchers look at young people's Internet use in a child-centric, contextual way and confirm how individual their Net use is. The individuality of their online experiences is a theme I've seen over and over in North American research too over the past 10 years, as a journalist and as a member of two national Net-safety task forces, highlighting the importance of a … [Read more...] about From Europe, Top 10 online-risk myths
Cyberbullying’s offline roots: Research
The research evidence is growing that cyberbullying on cellphones and in social sites is more symptomatic of what's going on at school than a separate problem on the Internet. The US Department of Education's report for the 2008-'09 school year shows a high correlation between cyberbullying and physical bullying at school: "A higher percentage of students ages 12 through 18 who reported being … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying’s offline roots: Research