Last week I wrote about fake news, this week about its opposite. This is very real news, as captured by bystanders on the spot – curated and given app-wide exposure by an app. This is quite likely to be how our children will get a lot of their news going forward, so I want to be sure you don't miss what was at the bottom of New York Times columnist Farhad Manjoo's important article about … [Read more...] about The new non-fake news & Snapchat
media literacy
Fake news & how media literacy is protective
When young people in the Balkan country of Macedonia create fake news sites like WorldPoliticus.com and make good money off of all the American voter traffic their uber-grabby headlines generate (true story, from BuzzFeed), this is not the new Nigerian Internet scam. I think we're seeing that this is a history-changing problem that affects everybody, not just the people who were duped. Fake news … [Read more...] about Fake news & how media literacy is protective
Youth cybersecurity concerns & what will reduce them: Research
This being National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we might ask how secure young people are feeling online. According to two just-released studies, not so much. But there's some light in there, so stay with me. A Microsoft survey of 13-17 year-olds in 14 countries found that 43% had experienced unwelcome contact at some point. The study also surveyed adults and found that 58% of young people … [Read more...] about Youth cybersecurity concerns & what will reduce them: Research
Not defaulting to default thinking about social media
Ok, full disclosure: I know my antennae are up when I read the news. I've been questioning reflexively negative pronouncements about social media for years. But the reason is all the fear about the impact of social media on our children, not to mention the human race, that has been swirling in the air for a decade now. Negativity has become our default, and I don't think that's good for us, our … [Read more...] about Not defaulting to default thinking about social media
About CNN’s ‘Being 13’: Let’s be fair
I know this isn't parents' or educators' default thinking or we wouldn't be seeing excellent advice like this, but our children are very smart where social media's concerned. CNN made a big thing in the promotion around its documentary and study "Being 13" about a girl saying about her selfies, "don't judge [but], maybe 200 sometimes if I really can't get a right one." What professional … [Read more...] about About CNN’s ‘Being 13’: Let’s be fair