This is and isn't about technology. Mostly isn't. But digital media allow for and expose a dangerous blend of two very different aspects of humanness, one destructive, the latter normative: social cruelty and teenage vulnerability (a lot of focus recently having been on the female variety). The cruelty, the extreme version called trolling – which feeds on outrage and weaponizes cultural … [Read more...] about Teens, social media & trolls: Toxic mix
adolescent development
For progressive parenting: Great book
It takes a team of strong firefighters to manage and direct a fire hose with all the pressurized water coming through it. That's a good metaphor for today's media, which seems to come at us at that level of pressure but less regulated than ever because produced by literally anybody; it's user-driven, and for teens the most interesting (and challenging) parts are self- and peer-driven. So, more and … [Read more...] about For progressive parenting: Great book
‘Am I pretty?’ videos by teens
There is no data cited, but the San Francisco Chronicle's Mommy Files blog reports that "a growing number of tweens and teens, mainly girls, are posting videos on YouTube asking commenters if they’re ugly." Writer Amy Graff says, "Type ‘Am I ugly?’ or ‘Am I pretty’ into the YouTube search box and dozens of videos pop up." Sexuality researcher, author and educator Kris Gowen pointed one such … [Read more...] about ‘Am I pretty?’ videos by teens
How teens can use privacy settings on parents
Chances are, if you have teenagers at your house, you're friends with them on Facebook. The numbers are pretty amazing: 80% of US parents of teens use social network sites; of them 95% are in Facebook; and of those FB-using parents, 86% have friended their kids, according to a recent study. Friending can be very helpful – a casual way of keeping an eye on things (if we don't blow it and comment on … [Read more...] about How teens can use privacy settings on parents
Formspring: What’s really going on?
Nobody's completely sure – even social-media researchers who talk to teens a lot – but it is clear that the Formspring phenomenon didn't come out of nowhere. Remember those personality tests and fashion-sense quizzes in teen magazines? In the digital-age versions, danah boyd writes in DMLcentral.net, teens would – through questions and answers in pre-Web public online spaces like Usenet; "chain … [Read more...] about Formspring: What’s really going on?