Las últimas noticias sobre los peligros (y los beneficios) de la Red para los menores

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La joven murciana Cristina Roswell publica 'Draculesti', su primera obra - Vega Media Press

Vega Media PressLa joven murciana Cristina Roswell publica 'Draculesti', su primera obraVega Media PressDe hecho el año pasado se interesó por mi novela un director, cuando aún no tenía ni editorial, pero para hacer una buena película se necesita un buen director y dinero, y yo sólo tenía lo primero. Un escritor o escritora, ¿nace o se hace?and more »

Peligro en las redes sociales - Sur Digital (Andalucía)

Peligro en las redes socialesSur Digital (Andalucía)Uniformados, explicaban ayer los peligros que surgen del mal uso de internet a las alumnas del colegio Las Chapas, que, entre risas nerviosas y comentarios inocentes, se empaparon de esos riesgos. Se trata de las charlas que el Cuerpo Nacional de ...

Los ojos de la sospecha - La Opinión de Zamora

La Opinión de ZamoraLos ojos de la sospechaLa Opinión de ZamoraEl 15-M puede pensar en Internet, discutir en centros sociales y actuar en puntos de conflicto pero quiere la calle para representarse y este gobierno, en cuanto ve a cinco personas juntas, teme que una foto en el periódico puede asustar al mercado y ...and more »

Inventa tu espacio. Si copias siempre vas por detrás - Baquia

BaquiaInventa tu espacio. Si copias siempre vas por detrásBaquiaLa mayoría de los proyectos de Internet son copias de otros. Eso te hace ir siempre copiando al líder de tu segmento. Lo ideal es inventar un segmento en el que tu startup sea la referencia porque se lo ha inventado. No es tan difícil como parece.

Obreros, pensionistas y parados orgullosos de ser de derechas - 20minutos.es

Obreros, pensionistas y parados orgullosos de ser de derechas20minutos.esLos que violan niños tambien dicen que estan orgullosos de hacerlo, incluso tienen una organizacion para darse apoyo. El orgullo no tiene que ser necesariamente algo positivo. Sad but true. Yo si fuera taxista no podría evitar darles de hostias, ...

Mediateca PantallasAmigas

[Vídeo] Entrevista a Jorge Flores en el congreso “Creo en Internet” [TVE]

Jorge Flores, director de PantallasAmigas fue entrevistado como ponente del congreso Creo en Internet, por el programa de TVE Últimas preguntas. Jorge Flores hace una breve presentación de la iniciativa PantallasAmigas y da un repaso a los principales retos de Internet para la infancia y la adolescencia.

[Audio] Entrevista a Jorge Flores [RKB]

Entrevista realizada a Jorge Flores, director de PantallasAmigas el 21/12/2011, para el programa Salud, dinero, amor… y todo lo demás de Radio Kanal Barcelona. Se explica el origen y misión de PantallasAmigas, qué es el sexting, el grooming y el ciberbullying.

[Audio] Entrevista a Jorge Flores acerca del sexting [Aragón Radio]

Entrevista realizada a Jorge Flores, director de PantallasAmigas el 15/12/2011, para el programa Despierta, Aragón de Aragón Radio.

[Vídeo] Entrevista a Jorge Flores acerca del sexting [RTV Canaria]

Entrevista acerca del sexting y sus riesgos en el programa Buenos días, Canarias a Jorge Flores, director de PantallasAmigas.

Las Jornadas sobre oportunidades y retos de las redes sociales en la infancia y adolescencia concluyen esta tarde en Llodio [RadioLlodio.com]

(Artículo publicado en RadioLlodio.com) Nos han acercado desde muchos puntos de vista a las nuevas tecnologías. Las Jornadas sobre oportunidades y retos de las redes sociales en la infancia y adolescencia, han copado todos los miércoles de noviembre la atención de los llodianos. Arrancaban hablando del ciberbullying y de cómo prevenir y evitar esta situación más [...]

Pantallasamigas Latinoamérica

Se presenta en Brasil la campaña internacional #ETIQUETASsinpermisoNO

¿A quién no le ha molestado alguna vez ser etiquetado/a sin permiso en una foto dentro de una red social? Hoy en el trascurso de su intervención en el Encuentro Internacional ESSE-Mundo Digital, el director de Pantallasamigas Jorge Flores ha presentado el lanzamiento oficial de una campaña que en tres idiomas (castellano, inglés y portugués) recabará apoyos ciudadanos para convencer a las empresas responsables de redes sociales de que requieran el permiso previo de las personas etiquetadas por otros usuarios en sus fotos. En el web central de la campaña, ETIQUETASsinpermisoNO.com, se explica cuál es el reto, los objetivos y la demanda concreta que se hace a estas empresas, apoyándose en un análisis de los problemas derivados de la actual política de tagging que afecta a la privacidad de gran número de usuarios en todo el mundo. Desde hoy mismo PantallasAmigas comenzará una intensa labor de difusión de esta campaña para promover la participación ciberciudadana activa y conseguir que las redes sociales faciliten la defensa del derecho a la privacidad. Vídeo que forma parte de la campaña ETIQUETASsinpermisoNO Más información Web de la campaña ETIQUETASsinpermisoNO. Versión en inglés: NOTAGSwithoutpermission.Versión en portugués: MARCAÇÕESsempermissãoNÃO Campaña de apoyos en Actuable Web para la concienciación sobre los problemas de las etiquetas en las redes sociales: Etiquetas sin problemas Artículo de Jorge Flores: Privacidad y redes sociales, etiquetas con problemas

Rio de Janeiro acogerá el I Encuentro Internacional sobre el uso de TIC por niños y adolescentes «ESSE-Mundo Digital»

Los próximos días 19 y 20 de abril se celebrará en Río de Janeiro un encuentro internacional bajo el título E.S.S.E. MUNDO DIGITAL en el que se presentarán por parte de especialistas de varios países cuestiones como el tecnoestrés y la adicción a Internet; el ciberbullying, el sexting y el grooming; los abusos y la explotación sexuales, la pornogrfía infantil y la pedofilia online; la escuela y educación digitales; los problemas médicos, beneficios y usos terapéuticos de las TIC; los ciberdelitos; las redes sociales; la telemedicina; los derechos humanos y la seguridad en Internet; ética y valores en la Era Digital. La conferencia de apertura se realizará por medio de videoconferencia y correrá a cargo del Dr. Michael Rich de la Universidad de Harvard desde Río y de la Dra. Regina Ungerer de la OMS desde Ginebra. PantallasAmigas participará representada por su director, Jorge Flores , quien hablará sobre Privacidad, Sexting y Grooming y participará en la mesa redonda que tratará acerca del uso seguro de Internet. El encuentro está dirigido a profesionales de las áreas de la salud, la educación, las TIC, el derecho y otros interesados, y contará con una exposición de posters sobre las cuestiones tratadas en el evento y con servicio de traducción simultánea. El programa del Encuentro ESSE Mundo Digital puede ser consultado en varios idiomas. Fuente: ESSE Mundo Digital

México DF: La encuesta oficial sobre violencia en primaria y secundaria revela por primera vez el alcance del cyberbullying

En las secundarias públicas de la Ciudad de México, 2 de cada 10 alumnos han usado el teléfono celular para grabar a sus compañeros en situaciones comprometedoras y la mitad de ellos admite haber utilizado dichas imágenes en su contra. Así lo señala la Encuesta de Percepción de la Violencia en Alumnos de Primaria y Secundaria en el DF, realizada por la Administración Federal de los Servicios Educativos del DF entre 13 mil estudiantes de noviembre a diciembre de 2011. Ésta es la primera vez que la encuesta mide la participación de los alumnos en el fenómeno conocido como ciberbullying, acoso mediante mensajes y videos, muchos de ellos publicados en Internet. Que los alumnos peleen y suban los enfrentamientos a Facebook se ha convertido ya en una costumbre. A causa de este hostigamiento, algunos llegan a abandonar la escuela. Fuente: Terra.com.mxEn las secundarias públicas de la Ciudad de México, 2 de cada 10 alumnos han usado el teléfono celular para grabar a sus compañeros en situaciones comprometedoras y la mitad de ellos admite haber utilizado dichas imágenes en su contra. Así lo señala la Encuesta de Percepción de la Violencia en Alumnos de Primaria y Secundaria en el DF, realizada por la Administración Federal de los Servicios Educativos del DF entre 13 mil estudiantes de noviembre a diciembre de 2011. Ésta es la primera vez que la encuesta mide la participación de los alumnos en el fenómeno conocido como ciberbullying, acoso mediante mensajes y videos, muchos de ellos publicados en Internet. Que los alumnos peleen y suban los enfrentamientos a Facebook se ha convertido ya en una costumbre. A causa de este hostigamiento, algunos llegan a abandonar la escuela. Fuente: Terra.com.mx

Encuesta internacional revela datos sobre ciberbullying en Argentina, México y Brasil

Según una encuesta realizada en noviembre de 2011 por Ipsos para la agencia de noticias Reuters el 12% de los padres (internautas) de todo el mundo asegura que sus hijos han sido acosados en Internet y casi un 25% conoce a un menor que ha sido víctima del denominado ciberbullying. Para el 3% el ciberacoso a sus hijos es algo habitual. El vehículo más frecuente para el ciberacoso son las redes sociales como Facebook, citadas por un 60% de los encuestados. Los dispositivos móviles y los chats figuran casi empatados en siguiente lugar, con un 42% y 40% respectivamente. A continuación se sitúan como medios el email (32%), la mensajería instantánea (32%), otros webs (20%) y otras formas de tecnología (9%). Las excepciones son Sudáfrica (63%), Rusia (59%), Corea del Sur (48%) y Japón (47%) donde los padres afirman que sus hijos son principalmente ciberacosados vía dispositivos móviles, y China donde en el 83% de los casos son salas de chat los lugares donde sucede el ciberbullying. En India están muy igualados los sitios web de redes sociales (55%) y las salas de chat (54%). La encuesta acerca de las intimidaciones, amenazas o acciones intencionadas para avergonzar a un niño o adolescente por parte de otro menor o un grupo de menores a través de TIC como las redes sociales online o los dispositivos móviles, se realizó online entre más de 18.000 adultos usuarios de Internet en 24 países, 6.500 de los cuales eran padres. La concienciación sobre la especifidad del problema también es mundial: el 77% de los encuestados en este sondeo internacional consideran el ciberacoso un tipo de hostigamiento diferente de otros y que requiere una atención y esfuerzos especiales por parte de padres y escuelas, puesto que las medidas anti-bullying existentes no son suficientes para afrontarlo. Aunque la encuesta mostró que el conocimiento de la existencia de ciberbullying es alto (2/3 de los entrevistados aseguraron que habían oído, leído o visto información sobre el fenómeno) las diferencias geográficas y culturales son destacables. En Indonesia, el 91% de los encuestados aseguró tener conocimiento sobre el problema. Le seguía Australia con el 87%, seguida muy de cerca por Polonia y Suecia. En Estados Unidos, donde los casos de ciberacoso han tenido gran repercusión mediática por su conexión con suicidios de adolescentes, el conocimiento se situaba en el 82%. En el extremo opuesto se sitúa con sólo el 29% de padres internautas que habían oído hablar del ciberacoso, Arabia Saudita y con el 35% en Rusia. Hacemos notar que la encuesta se realizó entre personas que son usuarias de Internet. En India, el 32% de los padres dijo que sus hijos habían sufrido ciberacoso, seguida por el 20% de Brasil, el 18% de Canadá y Arabia Saudita y el 15% de Estados Unidos. Los padres de España y Francia reportaron la menor incidencia de ciberbullying a sus propios hijos o a alguien de su entorno. En España sólo el 6% afirmaron que sus hijos sufrían algún tipo de bullying digital. Entre los países donde la conciencia de que el ciberbullying es un problema que requiere abordarse de manera especial, están Japón (91%), Indonesia (89%), España (84%), Argentina (83%), Francia (83%) e Italia (83%). Fuente: El Mundo e Ipsos. Recursos de PantallasAmigas para saber más sobre el ciberbullying Web monográfico sobre el bullying online: Ciberbullying.com Decálogo para una víctima de ciberbullying. Últimas noticias sobre el ciberbullying. Guía práctica sobre el ciberbullying. Primer protocolo en España de actuación escolar ante el ciberbullying (de EMICI). Selección de entrevistas y artículos sobre el ciberbullying en la Mediateca de PantallasAmigas.

Chile: Un estudio sitúa el ciberbullying entre los 12 y 17 años en casi el 90%

El 87,8% de los estudiantes de 7º curso básico (12 años) a 4º medio (17 años) ha sido víctima de ciberbullying según una encuesta realizada por la UAB y Paz Ciudadana sobre un universo aproximado de 50 mil escolares. La encuesta investigó si los adolescentes habían sido agredidos por otros de su mismo centro mediante celulares (SMS, fotos o videos) o a través de Internet (sitios web, fotos en línea, foros, blogs, mails u otros). Los resultados fueron analizados en el II Congreso Internacional de Criminología dentro del seminario-taller "Acoso escolar cibernético en Chile". El estudio detectó diferencias entre los autores del bullying tradicional y los responsables del acoso escolar cibernético, lo cual justificaría el desarrollo de nuevas líneas de investigación específicas sobre el perfil de los cibermatones. También llamó la atención de los expertos el aumento de los casos de ciberbullying en los últimos años. Según la III Encuesta Nacional de Violencia en el Ámbito Escolar realizada en 2009 los porcentajes de víctimas en los mismos cursos y similar universo fueron mucho menores: 7º Básico: 14,9% era víctima de ciberbullying. 8º Básico y 1º Medio: 14,3%. 2º Medio: 13,2%. 3º Medio: 10,5%. 4º Medio: 12,4%. Según otro estudio de Paz Ciudadana realizado en 2008 el 10,7% de los escolares chilenos se declaró víctima de matonaje a través de Internet. Las chicas dijeron ser 3 veces más víctimas que los hombres y con una mayor frecuencia, mientras que los hombres señalaron ser más agresores de bullying y ciberbullying, un patrón similar al detectado en Argentina por el Foro Generaciones Interactivas. Fuente: La Nación y Foro Generaciones Interactivas. También te puede interesar Cifras de incidencia del ciberbullying en diversos lugares del mundo. Últimas noticias sobre el ciberacoso escolar. Decálogo para una víctima de ciberbullying Guía práctica sobre ciberbullying.

Proyecto Centinela

Publicación del Estudio sobre la seguridad de la información y la e-confianza de los hogares españoles (Informe anual 2010)

El Observatorio de la Seguridad de la Información de INTECO hace públicos los resultados de la decimoquinta oleada del Estudio sobre la seguridad de la información y la e-confianza de los hogares españoles, correspondiente al 4º trimestre de 2010

Reflexiones sobre seguridad en el Día de Internet

Como en años anteriores, hoy 17 de mayo de 2011 se celebra en todo el mundo el Día de Internet (www

Publicación del artículo ¿Está protegido tu navegador web?

El Observatorio de la Seguridad de la Información de INTECO publica un nueva entrega dentro de la serie “Cuaderno de notas del Observatorio”

Policía española

SMiShing

Al igual que en el conocido phishing nos envían a nuestra dirección de correo electrónico un email con un supuesto aviso bancario para que, en el enlace que nos proporcionan, introduzcamos algunos de nuestros datos (datos que posteriormente se utilizarán para realizar movimientos fraudulentos de nuestro dinero), en el  “Smishing“ el funcionamiento es el mismo, pero en lugar de mandarnos el aviso al buzón de correo electrónico, nos lo envían a nuestro teléfono móvil…

Herramienta que previene el bloqueo de Windows

A raíz de la amplia difusión que ha tenido el llamado “virus de la policía”, que bloqueaba el ordenador de la víctima, los amigos de Hispasec, laboratorio especializado en Seguridad y Tecnologías de la Información, han creado una herramienta para “prevenir (en lo posible) que el malware se ejecute de nuevo al inicio del sistema”. Así podemos tener un control de las aplicaciones que van a intentar cambiar el registro de Windows con intención de ejecutarse al inicio…

El virus mutante

El "virus de la policía", ya famoso entre nosotros,  sigue su evolución y sus creadores cada vez ponen más difícil su limpieza. Las nuevas versiones parece que impiden arrancar nuestro ordenador en "modo seguro" lo que implica que no se puedan utilizar el método de desinfección que veníamos utilizando hasta ahora. Aquí dejamos un link a la página de la empresa Hispasec que nos explica estas…

Riesgos en Internet

Parry Aftab

Parry quoted on handling a teen's text "addiction" Work & Family Mailbox - WSJ.com

Work & Family Mailbox - WSJ.com

When is a hateful comment a hate crime? NJ police investigate possible biased Wi-Fi ID | Deseret News

NJ police investigate possible biased Wi-Fi ID | Deseret NewsSomeone in Bergen County, NJ (a diverse, well-educated and generally affluent county)use a hateful phrase as his WiFi handle. Someone in the community was searching for an open WiFi and stumbled upon this hateful handle. This was brought to law enforcement's attention. Unless someone hacked the "hot spot" changing an existing handle, this would not qualify as a crime.

Miss NY - Kaitlin Monte: An Advocate for Targets of Cyberbullies/

Kaitlin MonteKaitlin is an Honorary Teenangel, and won our hearts long before she won America's as the second runner-up in Miss America. While we are very sorry she wasn't selected as Miss America, we are grateful that she now has a bit more time to help victims of cyberbullying and those who want to stand up against cyberbullying.

What the Kids Want...and What We All Need.

Recently, at schools in Florida and Michigan, young people told me that they wanted to nderstand what constituted cyberbullying, how to prevent it in the first place, how to stop it once it starts, how to help others who are being targeted by a cyberbully and how to avoid crossing the line into cyberbullying themselves.Good questions. The same ones the industry, congressional representatives, schools, law enforcement and parents have.Later this month, along with our sponsors and partners, we will be releasing the Stopcyberbullying Toolkit for schools and comunities. It is a free downloadable resource covering everything schools, parents and students need to address cyberbullying for all stakeholders, from K-12.Watch the stopcyberbullying.org site for registration links.

Cyber-Challenges for Athletic Directors

Substance Abuse - Internet Photos of Athletes Present New Challenges to Ads

Parry Aftab on Google News

Facebook friends stop suicide attempt - KSDK

KSDKFacebook friends stop suicide attemptKSDK"Just thank God that we were all there." "Good stories are few and far between," said Parry Aftab of the Facebook Safety Advisory Board. Aftab says people commit suicide on-line every day and use social media to post a last, desperate cry for help.and more »

Family of Georgia teen sues classmates over cyberbullying, claims libel on ... - Washington Post

Family of Georgia teen sues classmates over cyberbullying, claims libel on ...Washington Post"A lot of prosecutors just don't have the energy to prosecute 13-year-olds for being mean," said Parry Aftab, an attorney and child advocate who runs stopcyberbullying.org. "Parents are all feeling very frustrated, and they just don't know what to do.and more »

Gay Teen Gamers Vulnerable to Cyber Bullying - EDGEOnTheNet

Gay Teen Gamers Vulnerable to Cyber BullyingEDGEOnTheNet"Others have fallen into depression." Parry Aftab, an Internet safety expert, says this inappropriate language in online gaming is rampant and leads to cyber bullying. "They may trash talk. They may be calling you names. They may steal their passwords.

Ind. girls expelled for cyberbullying claim 'emoticon defense' proves killing ... - Washington Post

Ind. girls expelled for cyberbullying claim 'emoticon defense' proves killing ...Washington Post"Cyberbullying is the emotional harm, not that they're going to kill you, but that they're talking about it even in a joking way," said Parry Aftab, an attorney and executive director of Wiredsafety.org, a children's Internet safety group.and more »

Victims of Cyberbullying Fighting Back in Libel Suits - Insurance Journal

Insurance JournalVictims of Cyberbullying Fighting Back in Libel SuitsInsurance Journal"A lot of prosecutors just don't have the energy to prosecute 13-year-olds for being mean," said Parry Aftab, an attorney and child advocate who runs stopcyberbullying.org. "Parents are all feeling very frustrated, and they just don't know what to do.and more »

SaferInternet (E.U.)

I Keep Safe

Responsible Connections:

Recently, the very affluent community of Clayton, Missouri made national news when Clayton High Principal Louise Losos created a fictitious Facebook page and friended students and parents. After the page was discovered--and erupted into controversy--Principal Losos resigned. I know this suburban St. Louis community very well.  When I was Commander of the Missouri ICAC Task Force, my office was located in Clayton. And if this could happen there, it could happen anywhere. According to various media reports, Losos created a phony Facebook profile using the name "Suzy Harriston" and friended more than 300 people, many of which were students and district parents.  The most obvious issue with this situation is the ethics of the allegation; a person of authority creating a fake site to spy on those whom they are entrusted to lead. The idea of using social media to spy on youth isn't a new idea. Principal Losos may have justified her actions by thinking, "I'm just checking to see what my students are doing and because they friended me, they chose to give up their privacy." Once we post things online, we do give up ownership of our work product and that must be part of this "teachable moment" message. However, did the students and parents give Losos permission to see the posts of their other friends--those individuals who didn't choose to be connected with Suzy?  I don't think people realize the "6 degrees of separation" aspect of social media that allows viewers to delve beyond the individual connections created and see information posted by friends of friends of friends, etc. The news reports focused on the terrible decision for a principal to spy on students and parents through social media.  What also needs to be discussed is that more than 300 people became online friends with someone that didn't even exist. What has happened to the internet safety message about not becoming friends with strangers? Unfortunately, it seems that many of us willingly give up personal information because it is more important for us to belong to something than to stay private. I remember a video from a neighboring St. Louis area high school about students' Facebook use.  A student was asked about her privacy settings and said, "I don't know, whatever is the standard."  She was saying, she relied upon Facebook to do the right thing and set the privacy settings.  Unfortunately, social media platforms want their users sharing in an open forum, and sites such as Facebook set the privacy default as open access. I was surprised and disappointed to hear the news from this highly respected school and community, but let's learn from both sides of the situation.  This should be a strong reminder to those in authority to use social media responsibly and ethically.  The other lesson points to users' responsibilities.  We must take charge of our connectivity and take time to learn the system's privacy settings. Educators, parents and youth everywhere should discuss this incident.  We need to learn from all aspects of what took place and remember the importance of making good choices about our friends and what we share. ——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Former Missouri ICAC Commander Lt. Joe Laramie (retired) provides strategies and solutions for law enforcement and schools to address policy and training on a variety of technology and child exploitation issues. Image credit: Stoneysteiner via Flickr.

Can an employer force you to give them your social networking password?

For years, we've been warning kids to be careful about what they post on Facebook or My Space, in part because prospective employers, college admission officers, and others were looking.  Your Facebook might enhance your reputation and get you that job or it might raise alarms and prevent you from attending the college of your choice. In those cases, companies and universities were looking at public information, where your privacy settings were wide open.  If your settings were restrictive, then only your friends (or friends of friends) could see your comments, photos, activities. Recently, some employers have been demanding employees surrender their social networking passwords so the company could see what the worker had on their Facebook or MySpace.  In Maryland, the Department of Corrections required job seekers to provide access to their social networking site.  After one applicant was rejected because of something on his Facebook, the story generated a lot of attention and Maryland became the first state in the nation to prohibit employers from asking their workers or job applicants to provide log in information to their private and personal social networking sites.  Other states are considering similar legislation and, in California, a bill unanimously passed the state assembly.  The Social Networking Online Protection Act has also been introduced in the US Congress. There are plenty of other reasons to be cautious and thoughtful about what you do online, of course.  And even if employers are eventually barred from requiring access to your social networking activities, it still makes sense to build a really good digital reputation.  Even with the most restrictive privacy settings, it's still possible for photos and comments to be copied and spread by friends.  Nothing is truly private in the digital world. As these bills are introduced and debated, they provide a great opportunity to have a conversation with children about whether their social networking activity truly displays the content of their character. ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Frank Gallagher is Executive Director of Cable in the Classroom (CIC), the education foundation of the cable telecommunications industry. He is a specialist in media and information literacy, internet safety, digital citizenship, and the impact of media on children and is a former middle school math teacher. Image Credit: Microsoft Office clip art collection.

Your Digital Footprint

Understanding how to manage your online reputation or "digital footprint" is tricky business, even for those of us who have been using the internet for a long time. Almost everyone at one time or another has been guilty of sharing too much information or posting a photo that later makes us cringe. To complicate matters further, it's not just our own online actions we need to worry about--what others say and post about us also contributes to our digital footprint. In his new book, Net Smart: How to Thrive Online (2012), Howard Rheingold writes, "… whether or not we do anything about it, the webbed world is full of information about us that is provided by other people, including their opinions about us--the fact of life we know as reputation." While reputation management remains challenging for adults, imagine how difficult it is for a child to understand how the digital decisions they make today will stay with them, and the rest of cyberspace, forever. Colleges and universities are increasingly relying on digital data when deciding who gets letters of acceptance, using sites like Zinch that lets students post profiles and links about themselves. Employers are increasingly conducting digital background checks on applicants before entrusting them with jobs. Today our digital footprint is our new first impression, and it starts taking shape the minute we go online. Fortunately the folks at Common Sense Media have developed a lesson about digital footprints that is part of their free online "Digital Literacy and Citizenship Classroom Curriculum." It's simple really, they provide a blank template of a footprint that students fill out with illustrations and words depicting the digital impression they hope to make upon the world in the next ten years. I tried out this lesson last year with a roomful of sixth graders at Journey School. Their aspirations ranged from winning the Nobel Peace Prize and the Heisman trophy to feeding the homeless and performing hundreds of pet rescues. They imagined becoming future presidents, professional soccer players, fashion stylists, scientists, musicians, and authors. They wanted to find a cure for cancer and make the world's first Horchata-flavored ice cream. (Can't wait for that!) Whether these digital dreams come true or not, I believe this lesson helps students understand that in today's participatory culture, they have the power to both create and shape their online reputations. Hopefully the digital footprints these students created will become their blueprints, helping them design an online reputation that they can be proud of. ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-Diana Graber is Co-Founder of CyberWise, a Digital Hub that helps busy adults understand and use digital tools to enhance learning. Diana also teachers CyberCivics at Journey School in Aliso Viejo, CA, and is the recent recipient of an M.A. in Media Psychology and Social Change from Fielding Graduate University. Image Credit: Digital Footprint by CommonSense Media.  

Confronting Bullies and Bullying

Celebrities like Sandra Bullock, Megan Fox, Christian Bale, and Lady Gaga have more in common than just being famous--they were also all bullied growing up. "I was called really horrible, profane names very loudly in front of huge crowds of people, and my schoolwork suffered at one point," Lady Gaga said in an interview with the New York Times. "And I was a straight-A student, so there was a certain point in my high school years where I just couldn't even focus on class because I was so embarrassed all the time. I was so ashamed of who I was." Determined to help those who may find themselves in a similar situation, Lady Gaga founded the Born This Way Foundation a few months ago. The Foundation was announced at an event hosted by Harvard and attended by Oprah Winfrey and Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services. Additionally, NYU Research Professor Danah Boyd and Harvard Law Professor John Palfrey lectured at the event, highlighting 20 important things to remember about bullying. The first five are: 1. Bullying is a serious issue: Both victims and perpetrators face serious educational, social, and psychological challenges. 2. Bullying is not universal. It is harder to address bullying if it is approached as if bullying happens to everyone (it doesn't). Socially marginalized youth, including LGBTQ-identified individuals and those with disabilities, are more likely to be bullied. Bullying also plays out differently across gender and age, ethnicity and race. 3. Not all aggression is bullying. Bullying refers to repeated psychological, social, and physical aggression propagated by those who are more physically or socially powerful. Bullying is on a continuum of aggressive and violent behavior, which also includes things like dating violence, peer aggression, gang violence, sexual violence, etc. All are bad, but not all are bullying. 4. "Bullies" aren't the source of the problem; they're often a symptom of the problem. Many bullies have problems at home or in school, and need help just as much as those who are targets of and bystanders to bullying. 5. Bullying is tightly entwined with a host of other related issues, including drama and teasing, social rivalry, physical and sexual violence, mental health issues and identity struggles. We cannot address one without the other. Furthermore, we must be careful choosing our terms because many adult-driven terms do not resonate with youth. To read Boyd and Palfrey's full remarks click here. It is important to note that although the fourth point reminds us that bullies often have problems at home or in school, they may not necessarily suffer from low self-esteem. New research by Janna Juvonen, a UCLA professor of developmental psychology, shows that in reality, many bullies have extremely high levels of self-esteem. And perhaps even more surprisingly, teachers and their fellow classmates also perceive them as some of the most popular students at the school. Students facing new situations (middle school is full of them!) are more likely to feel like they don't fit in. And Juvonen suggests that this seems to evoke a "primal tendency to rely on dominance behaviors." The bullies--often bigger and stronger than their peers--create a social hierarchy, gaining status that translates into a big-time ego boost. Teachers and school administrators who understand this concept are better equipped to not just think empathetically towards bullies, but also to think more creatively. Juvonen recommends funneling their need for control and power in a different, healthier way. Lastly, adults need to remember that often the victims need a friend more than anything else. Bullies typically pick on "uncool" students. The bully cycle is perpetuated as these victims associate the teasing with the idea that they are social misfits and all alone. "We must remember to help students foster friendships," iKeepSafe CEO and President Marsali Hancock said. "I agree with Professor Juvonen--students should be able to look forward to at least one friendly face at school." —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————- Emily Ensign is a regular blogger for the Internet Keep Safe Coalition, an organization that gives parents, educators, and policymakers the information and tools that empower them to teach children the safe and healthy use of technology and the internet. Image Credit Chesi -- Fotos via Flickr.

What's A Parent To Do?

The mobile platform is revolutionizing the way social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Foursquare, etc. are accessed by their ever growing number of users -- which range from several different age groups from children to adults. There are more and more people using these networks on their mobile devices, rather than on their personal laptops or desk-tops -- like in past years. Recently, some technology news headlines have read as follows: "Why Smartphones are the future of social networking," "Smartphones, not computers, drive most Facebook use," "Smartphones top computers for Facebook time," and "Smartphones beat computers for Facebookers time on site", highlighting an evident forward-moving increase in mobile social networking. In addition, as time goes by, there are younger users engaging with these social networks to stay in touch with friends, browse the web, and connect with certain groups or networks, and even gaming. It used to be that households had a family computer, which made it easier for parents to monitor their children's activities while surfing the internet. However, nowadays families may have more than one computer, and other mobile devices -- personal laptops, tablets, and smartphones. With easier access come elevated levels of exposure and usage. As the engagement of younger social networking users grows, are parents keeping up with their children's activities? With the possession of a mobile device, there is 24-hour access to these social networking sites. Several years ago, it was frowned upon to see a minor in the possession of a personal phone. However, now it has become a common quotidian sight. The Identity Theft Resource Center recently launched the ITRC Social Media Survey 2012 in an effort to collect survey responses that will facilitate ITRC to develop informative material to educate consumers on the topic of children's use of social media. The survey allows parents to ask themselves the most commonly asked questions that should be raised when their children in the age groups of 6 to 17 have any social networking accounts. It is an easy opportunity not only to enter a drawing for one of five $100 prizes, but a brief moment to question whether the correct levels of security and diligence are being taken when it comes to children, the internet, and social networking. To complete the survey, and enter to win $100.00, parents can just visit the ITRC website and click on the Do You Have Children Who Use Social Media? link or click here to take the survey directly. The survey will run through May 31, 2012. Five $100 prize winners will be announced and contacted on June 1, 2012. The survey results will be released on the ITRC website shortly thereafter. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------——————————————————————————— Nikki Junker is Social Media Coordinator and Victim Advisor at The Identity Theft Resource Center. She specializes in Identity Theft on social networks and smartphones. She enjoys working one on one with victims of identity theft as well as researching and writing about preventative measures for consumers. Image Credit: Stephalee31 via Flickr.

Connect Safely (Twitter)

connectsafely: RT @pewinternet: Some say gaming is double-edged: can increase engagement & personal improvement; can also be manipulative, insidiou ...

connectsafely: RT @pewinternet: Some say gaming is double-edged: can increase engagement & personal improvement; can also be manipulative, insidiou ...

connectsafely: RT @FreeRangeKids: Can just having a Facebook acct get a kid under age 13 expelled from school? In one school, it seems, yes: http://t.c ...

connectsafely: RT @FreeRangeKids: Can just having a Facebook acct get a kid under age 13 expelled from school? In one school, it seems, yes: http://t.c ...

connectsafely: RT @Pattiagatston: No Safe Way to Text and Drive for Teens http://t.co/ED1ONOLA

connectsafely: RT @Pattiagatston: No Safe Way to Text and Drive for Teens http://t.co/ED1ONOLA

connectsafely: Finally, dependable data on teens' and adults' use of check-in & other location services http://t.co/iUtwG8dm

connectsafely: Finally, dependable data on teens' and adults' use of check-in & other location services http://t.co/iUtwG8dm

connectsafely: 'What's your story' video winners announced http://t.co/3eDNMTRV

connectsafely: 'What's your story' video winners announced http://t.co/3eDNMTRV

WebWise (Ireland)

Social Networking Sites Reviewed by EU

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McAfee (Kids)