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
mobile apps
Kik Messenger’s smart new safety features
Kik Messenger, which claims to be the US's 7th most popular social app and ranks even higher in some other countries, today released a new version that gives its 120 million+ users more control over who can text them. Over the past year, its creators at Waterloo, Ontario-based Kik Interactive noticed the app has become "the leading cross-app messenger," they claimed. That means that people who … [Read more...] about Kik Messenger’s smart new safety features
New MixBit app for video-sharing & remixing
The mobile video-sharing field just got a little more crowded. Of course there's Vine and Instagram's new video feature and Rounds more for video chat. But now there's MixBit from the creators of YouTube. It's "all about mixing and editing video," the New York Times reports. The app and the site (MixBit.com) are "aimed at making it easy to clip and stitch together snippets of video. Simple tools … [Read more...] about New MixBit app for video-sharing & remixing
Pinterest for consuming, curating, producing
I love seeing the clear distinction being made by this teacher between consuming vs. producing social media – and the learning value being placed on the producing. Seems obvious, I know, but I still see peers – including media researchers – referring to today's media as merely consumed. "As I looked into using Pinterest as an educator tool," writes educator Lisa Nielsen, "I found that most … [Read more...] about Pinterest for consuming, curating, producing
Undercover mom on Instagram
One of her aliases is CupcakePuppy44. That's parent, author, and former teacher Sharon Duke Estroff's Instagram handle. She created a join account with her 10-year-old after some stonewalling and some external investigation (with kids, fellow parents, and psychologists), not to mention a certain amount of hounding by her daughter, who – not unlike other 4th- and 5th-graders – indicated she was … [Read more...] about Undercover mom on Instagram