There seems to be something automatic about responding immediately when a text comes in. Maybe it's because a text is just part of a conversation. But whatever that reflex is, it needs an override when we're driving – an override either in the software between our ears or some "I'm not available right now" software in our phones. AT&T has an app for that called "DriveMode" that sends a text … [Read more...] about Important for safety: ‘It Can Wait!’
Majority of US teens’ mobiles are smartphones
It's as if the two just-released studies – from Nielsen and the Pew Internet Project – about US smartphone use were timed to Apple's unveiling of the iPhone 5 (a quick list of what's new about it at the New York Times) this week. Nielsen says that, not only do most of US cellphone owners use smartphones, but now the majority of teen cellphone owners in the US have them – a higher percentage of … [Read more...] about Majority of US teens’ mobiles are smartphones
The power of online community at a sad time
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's tribute to Sean Smith – dad, online gamer, and Benghazi-based State Department computer expert – was "nothing compared to the memorials that were offered up by many of the 400,000 paying subscribers" of the space fantasy game EVE Online," Tri-CityHerald.com reports. It said the memorials "flooded social media and gaming [discussion] boards [and] many gamers … [Read more...] about The power of online community at a sad time
One of the best back-to-school messages I’ve seen
Well, two great back-to-school messages, actually. I'll get to the one from two organizations in a minute. First, one from a parent: At a time when so many families are feeling swamped with stuff added to schedules and school supplies lists – and that's on top of run-of-the-mill, everyday parental pressures that probably include worries about what young peers are up to online, in games, and on … [Read more...] about One of the best back-to-school messages I’ve seen
Smart students’ countermeasures for social media safety
This is how safety, citizenship, and social change work best in social media. Count on students to lead the way. "After a bullying Twitter account at Linn-Mar High School [in Marion, Iowa] spurred copycats in Iowa City," students at West High School in the latter city adopted countermeasures, the Iowa City Press Citizen reports. Their strategy was simple and effective: Identify a student being … [Read more...] about Smart students’ countermeasures for social media safety