No one thinks social media is kid stuff anymore, right? If they do, they should check out this CNET article that says more than 72% of US adults now use social network sites, that figure up from 67% just five months before, CNET reports, citing just-released Pew Internet Project figures. And that's not just young adults. "One of the more striking stories about the social networking population," … [Read more...] about Highest social networking growth among Americans 65+
Social Media
UK’s teen suicide tragedy: Problems, solutions
The UK has seen too much social cruelty this past week, and now tragedy as well, with the suicide of 14-year-old Hannah Smith. Though there has been plenty of news coverage and analysis already – linking Hannah's suicide to cruel comments in social site Ask.fm – a formal inquiry into what happened has only just begun, the BBC reported. And suicide prevention experts on both sides of the Atlantic … [Read more...] about UK’s teen suicide tragedy: Problems, solutions
Media siege mentality: Antidote for parents
Over the 15-or-so years I've been covering family technology, I've noticed a kind of siege mentality that developed among parents about kids' use of digital media. Then, a few years ago, when sociology professor David Finkelhor at the University of New Hampshire gave his milestone talk, "The Internet, Youth Deviance & the Problem of Juvenoia," I heard him offer the most plausible reason I'd … [Read more...] about Media siege mentality: Antidote for parents
Social media more like medieval than mass media: Example
In a way, social media's circling us back to medieval times, when media "products" were never really finished – they were crowd-sourced, adaptive, and usually shared by their developers (minstrels and storytellers) in public spaces, from castles to villages. The makeup and mood of the crowd had a lot of impact on the content of the story and how it would unfold. Social media products are just … [Read more...] about Social media more like medieval than mass media: Example
GromSocial.com: By a teen, for teens
No pressure or anything, but we'll be watching GromSocial.com – a social network site for people under 16 – to see if it isn't one of the best ways for kids to learn safe, constructive use of social media. It was started by 13-year-old Zach Marks in Florida after his parents kicked him off of Facebook, Florida Today reports. Even the county sheriff, Wayne Ivey, believes that there is no better … [Read more...] about GromSocial.com: By a teen, for teens