Facebook turns 20 today, but the platform is nothing like what it was in 2004 – or, more comparably, in 2008, when it overtook MySpace, it was open to all (not just uni students) and it had the reputation of being a “safe space,” Forbes reports, because everyone had to sign up with their real name. Ah, I remember it well. Despite the grilling he received on Capitol Hill last week, Mark … [Read more...] about Much-less-social media on Facebook’s 20th birthday
social networks
Kids’ top social media picks: New resource for parents
Here's a super starting point for a conversation with your children about social media: NetAware, a brand-new set of reviews of kids' top social media services. It's not the first such resource for parents, but two things set it apart: These are kids' own top social media picks. This isn't adult guesswork. Because part of its mission is to "ensure the voices of children are heard in … [Read more...] about Kids’ top social media picks: New resource for parents
PS4, gaming & the new privacy reality
One thing we all need to teach our kids now is that the privacy spectrum we really need to be aware of isn't so much private-to-public as private-to-convenient – or, from kids' perspective, private-to-social (or just to-spontaneous-&-fun). The more convenience we want (e.g., not bothering with password-protecting our phones or giving services all kinds of access to our movements so they can … [Read more...] about PS4, gaming & the new privacy reality
Net use may be making us nicer: Studies
This reminds me of a hypothesis David Finkelhor put forward in his talk on "juvenoia" last fall: "Several recent studies have found that digital communication can lead to more or better friendships online and off, greater honesty, faster intimacy in relationships and an increased sense of belonging, in addition to practical social benefits like an expanded circle for networking," the Wall Street … [Read more...] about Net use may be making us nicer: Studies
Facebook an antidote for shyness: Study
A University of Texas study found that Facebook is helping people on the shy side of social. "Surveying 900 current and recent college graduates nationwide, Craig Watkins and Erin Lee of the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas examined the impact of Facebook on users’ social lives," the New York Times reports. "Four to five years ago, Dr. Watkins said, young people’s … [Read more...] about Facebook an antidote for shyness: Study