The other day I blogged about the collective conscious that social media users could become – are becoming, actually. Then I wrote about how users themselves – and not just ethical venture capitalists – could demand that startups bake safety and other pro-social basics into their apps and other services and that anti-social policies in established services get fixed. Then I watched this … [Read more...] about For solving social problems: The social media jujitsu remix
social norms
‘Bullying Experiment’ video: What’s wrong with this picture?
You may have seen "The Bullying Experiment" video that has gone viral (as of this writing, 3.1 million views on YouTube). Two actors stage a bullying incident (the bigger one threatening and pushing around the other) a bunch of times in various locations on a university campus. The "experiment" is apparently about seeing whether unsuspecting observers step in and try to stop the "bullying," and to … [Read more...] about ‘Bullying Experiment’ video: What’s wrong with this picture?
History & social literacy in 1 children’s book
A wonderful book you'll be able to add to your children's or students' library this coming winter is Gifts from the Enemy, by award-winning children's author Trudy Ludwig. A nonfiction picture book for readers in grades 3-6, it's based on the experiences of Alter Wiener, who as a teenager spent nearly three years in five concentration camps during World War II. Author of 64735: From a Name to a … [Read more...] about History & social literacy in 1 children’s book
Of free speech in global social media
I'll probably come back around to this important topic again, but right now I have only two points to add to what's partly a discussion about free speech in social media, fueled in the past week by feminist Soraya Chemaly in the Huffington Post. It's difficult to talk about "controversial humor" pages in the context of free speech because this content on Facebook (and now on Tumblr, its creators … [Read more...] about Of free speech in global social media
The highly problematic term ‘cyberbullycide’
Don't use it, and be skeptical of any so-called authority who does use it. "Cyberbullycide" (or "bullycide") is not clever, is not accurate, and its use could be harmful. Among other reasons why it isn't accurate (see this by prevention specialist Patti Agatston), the term suggests that cyberbullying is the sole cause of a suicide, and suicide prevention experts tell us that "suicidal behavior is … [Read more...] about The highly problematic term ‘cyberbullycide’