You've probably heard the phrase "kill 'em with kindness" for disarming detractors, well in social media it's more like swamping – flooding – public, sometimes collective, cruelty with kindness, acceptance, respect, etc. That was a powerful tactic used by students I wrote about in Part 1 of this series, but it has been practiced to huge ripple effect by students in Nova Scotia, Iowa, Minnesota, … [Read more...] about ‘Compassion mobs’ & other digital-age nonviolence stands
cyberbullying
‘Only rarely’ is cyberbullying sole factor in teen suicide: Study
A just-released study from the American Academy of Pediatrics found that cyberbullying is "only rarely the sole factor identified in teen suicides." The study's author, John LeBlanc, MD, was quoted in the press release as saying that "cyberbullying is a factor in some suicides, but almost always there are other factors such as mental illness or face-to-face bullying. Cyberbullying usually occurs … [Read more...] about ‘Only rarely’ is cyberbullying sole factor in teen suicide: Study
What defeats cyberbullying: Viral kindness
This is how it's done in social media. Viral kindness. If social cruelty can get piled on in social media, so can compassion. Just watch "We Are All Daniel Cui," which shows how more than 100 students at Hillsborough High School in northern California defeated cyberbullying by swamping it with support for soccer goalie Daniel Cui, after somebody in his school created a "Worst Goalie Ever" page. … [Read more...] about What defeats cyberbullying: Viral kindness
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