Actually, parents are digital citizens too. If they spend any time in digital spaces. At least for as long as we residents of this networked world are still putting "digital" in front of "citizenship." I suspect that won't be for very long, but we're here, now, in an interesting, global discourse about what citizenship means now in an increasingly networked world – especially for youth, the people … [Read more...] about 10 tips for digital citizens’ parents
Youth
About CNN’s ‘Being 13’: Let’s be fair
I know this isn't parents' or educators' default thinking or we wouldn't be seeing excellent advice like this, but our children are very smart where social media's concerned. CNN made a big thing in the promotion around its documentary and study "Being 13" about a girl saying about her selfies, "don't judge [but], maybe 200 sometimes if I really can't get a right one." What professional … [Read more...] about About CNN’s ‘Being 13’: Let’s be fair
From bystanders to ‘upstanders’ & leaders: How it’s done
This is one way it's done, anyway – the way #iCANHELP does it. And in more than a decade of writing about solutions to anti-social behavior online, I haven't seen one as effective, pro-social and pro-student as #iCANHELP. [Disclosure: I'm working with #iCANHELP to pilot a social media helpline for schools this year, so I'm biased, but this is why I'm working with them – besides the fact that 1) … [Read more...] about From bystanders to ‘upstanders’ & leaders: How it’s done
Digital citizenship’s missing piece
At the end of a long, thoughtful conversation on stage in Chautauqua, N.Y., last fall, public radio host Krista Tippett asked millennial author and commentator Nathan Schneider, "What makes you despair and what gives you hope?" His answer to both parts of the question focused on agency – the capacity to act, learn by doing and make change. "I think the sense of despair I feel comes from … … [Read more...] about Digital citizenship’s missing piece
Social media & what our kids could be teaching us
Two years ago, when "selfie" was named "Word of the Year" and the spontaneous snapping of self-portraits on cellphones was being vilified as yet another example of youth's narcissism, author and educator Rachel Simmons posted a bit of healthy disruption. She wrote in Slate, "Consider this: The selfie is a tiny pulse of girl pride - a shout-out to the self." Simmons gets it. She adds, "Some girls … [Read more...] about Social media & what our kids could be teaching us