This has been stated before but not seen (or reported) enough: Cyberbullying is not an epidemic, even though news reports about it seem to have reached epidemic proportions. The last six surveys of "random samples" of students nationwide by two of the US's top researchers on the subject – Profs. Justin Patchin and Sameer Hinduja of the Cyberbullying Research Center – found that 18.8-29.2% … [Read more...] about Cyberbullying ‘neither an epidemic nor a rarity’: Researchers
The meta-trend behind the teen (& everybody) mobile trend
As the news stories about teens' mainly mobile (digital) socializing multiply, parents seem to be turning a corner too. Monitoring kids on Facebook is "so 2009," Yahoo! News reports. Even the very tech-savvy "Online Mom" blogger Monica Vila wrote recently that "everything went mobile and I lost control" – though calmly (and I think wisely) adding that this taught her "to focus more on being a … [Read more...] about The meta-trend behind the teen (& everybody) mobile trend
Australian government gets digital advice from kids
Doesn't it just make sense? That government programs aimed at educating youth actually consult youth about what works for them? The Australian federal government is doing just that in what I hope becomes a model for other governments. "The Youth Advisory Group (YAG) on Cybersafety program for 2013 has been launched [this week] with the first online discussion forum taking place with primary school … [Read more...] about Australian government gets digital advice from kids
Challenging the idea that games can’t be fun AND meaningful
In "Reading, Writing & Videogames," parent and New York Times features editor Pamela Paul seems to be arguing that digital games are just that – games – they should just be fun. They don't need to be educational, and they don't really belong in classrooms. The first part of her argument makes perfect sense – hard not to agree that kids need to have fun and parents don't need to feel that every … [Read more...] about Challenging the idea that games can’t be fun AND meaningful
Teens’ tech getting very mobile: New study
Ninety-five percent of US 12-to-17-year-olds use the Internet, 93% have access to a computer at home and 71% of teens with that computer at home share it with other family members, according to a study released today – the biggest explanation, most probably, for why teens' Net use has gotten so mobile. It allows them to keep their connectivity personal. "The nature of teens' Internet use has … [Read more...] about Teens’ tech getting very mobile: New study