Robert Nay in Utah has been designing Web sites since the 3rd grade, but now he's seriously into designing cellphone apps. So seriously that a physics game called "Bubble Ball" which he designed recently moved up to the No. 1 free app in Apple's App Store, Spotlight on Digital Media & Learning reports. Apparently with some encouragement from his mom, "Nay taught himself programming after … [Read more...] about 14-year-old’s app is No. 1
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Learning how to save lives in Facebook
In a very sad story reported in the London Evening Standard, hardly any of the 1,048 Facebook friends of Simone Back of Brighton, UK, did anything to try to prevent her suicide after she posted a status update saying goodbye, she was taking "all my pills." Her mother, who called the UK equivalent of 911 after someone texted her about the post, told the Evening Standard that no FB friends local to … [Read more...] about Learning how to save lives in Facebook
Amber Alerts on Facebook now
This makes sense – to extend the reach of missing-child alerts into social media. "Amber Alerts for missing children are now available as a news feed on Facebook," the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children announced today (here's coverage in WashingtonPost.com). It's really a sign of the times: Since people are now spending more time online than they are watching TV, according to a … [Read more...] about Amber Alerts on Facebook now
Oz’s tips on location-sharing for teens
Using cellphones for finding out when friends are nearby, for special shopping or dining deals, for discounts from spots where you check in a lot, and for knowing family members are safe and where they're supposed to be is a great thing. And, like all digital technology, it can have its misuses, such as giving out one's location to people for whom, and for whatever reason, that information is not … [Read more...] about Oz’s tips on location-sharing for teens
Parents’ own cyberbullying struggles
The parents of kids targeted by digital bullying and harassment often face some serious challenges of their own, as they work toward ending a child's ordeal. That's a key take-away from New York Times reporter Jan Hoffman's thoughtful front-page story on cyberbullying yesterday. Often their children, even when enduring a lot of emotional pain, don't want them to get involved (fearing a parent only … [Read more...] about Parents’ own cyberbullying struggles