It's an age-old social problem, but we have gotten so much smarter about bullying – both the problem and the solutions – since media became so very social. Not only do we now know that the age-old "schoolyard bully" is a stereotype, we know it's not the only one people all over the world entertain. There's more than one stereotype of bullying and more than one kind. But there's something else we … [Read more...] about 2 kinds of bullying, 2 kinds of empathy: Research
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‘Blue Whale’: Clickbait or a new form of online grooming?
A reader in India, where a "Blue Whale" scare has now taken off, asked if it's a genuine threat, so here's an update (see also sidebars below about the all-important Russian context and lessons from India, because there's are cultural as well as universal pieces to this global puzzle): In answer to the question in the headline up there: maybe both. Blue Whale is also now quite likely a … [Read more...] about ‘Blue Whale’: Clickbait or a new form of online grooming?
Yellow app: Signs of smarter digital safety
It isn't often that a social media startup has the stated "ambition to become a major social platform and a leader in safety [emphasis mine]." But that's what the team behind Yellow, a fast-growing, Paris-based videochat app that just launched in the U.S., says, and I believe them. Details about safety measures in a minute, but first: Intention alone is huge in an industry where startups and … [Read more...] about Yellow app: Signs of smarter digital safety
6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 2
Now that I've just passed the 20-year mark of writing about youth and digital media, I thought I'd share with you my top takeaways as a participant observer in the Internet safety space. Here's Part 1. Now the three chunks of Part 2: 4. It's individual, situational and contextual. Internet safety works best from the inside out, from the child out not the headlines in. I love the irony of … [Read more...] about 6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 2
6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 1
I usually write about other people's work – especially that of the researchers I've followed through the years. But now that I've just passed the 20-year mark in writing about youth and digital media (yikes!), I thought I'd share with you my own top takeaways as a participant observer of Internet safety's early years (1997-now). Here's Part 1 (Part 2 on this page): 1. A generalization about … [Read more...] about 6 takeaways from 20 years of Net safety: Part 1