A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2023 post thumbnail

A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2023

I met Amelia when speaking at a high school in Central Florida, and was struck by her wide-angle view on the impact of social media in her life, and in the lives of her peers. I thought our readers could learn a lot from her insights, and so I asked her to provide this year’s […]

How Media Literacy Can Prevent Online Harm post thumbnail

How Media Literacy Can Prevent Online Harm

Youth are accessing a remarkable number of mediums (often at the same time!), and are constantly exposed to a wide and deep array of content. This spans the gamut from texts and notifications, to TikTok videos and Snap(chat) stories, to Twitter Spaces and Discord chats. This tidal wave of content is not going to ebb. […]

Can Empathy Reduce Cyberbullying Based on Race or Religion? post thumbnail

Can Empathy Reduce Cyberbullying Based on Race or Religion?

I have been increasingly concerned about rising levels of hate speech, hate crimes, racist bullying, and xenophobia – especially when considering how these behaviors online are linked to violence offline against marginalized groups. It isn’t just alarming, it’s frightening – especially being a minority and considering what my children may have to deal with while […]

Child Grooming and the Metaverse – Issues and Solutions post thumbnail

Child Grooming and the Metaverse – Issues and Solutions

Arguably one of the biggest concerns of the metaverse, especially to law enforcement, parents, guardians, and caregivers of children, is the potential for pedophilia, online grooming, and child sexual exploitation. To be sure, the media is quick to focus on this hazard with any new environment (offline or online) that allows for adults and youth […]

A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2022 post thumbnail

A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2022

Hey all, let me introduce you to Emily, a student I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with over the past year. I asked her to give you all an updated perspective on how she (and her peers) are using the most popular apps out there, and provide some self-reflective observations that can clue you into […]

ReThink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a LOT LESS SUCKY post thumbnail

ReThink the Internet: How to Make the Digital World a LOT LESS SUCKY

I recently visited with Trisha Prabhu, Internet Safety advocate and social entrepreneur, to discuss her new book intended to help youth stop hate, lead with kindness, be an upstander, and enjoy their online experiences. I also read an advance copy, and I highly recommend it. Let’s get to our conversation! Trisha, it is so good […]

The Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks, and Harms post thumbnail

The Metaverse: Opportunities, Risks, and Harms

We have all been hearing about the metaverse much more frequently over the last few years, and consideration of its promises and perils has picked up tremendous pace in recent months. It is being designed by multiple companies to further connect us to each other and to the experiences we love. And it’s doing so […]

The Role of Parents in Preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying post thumbnail

The Role of Parents in Preventing Bullying and Cyberbullying

Parents and guardians have always had a powerful influence on the behaviors of children, while research is clear that peers tend to have more sway during the teenage years. That said, our new research published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies identifies that certain positive parenting practices have a strong effect on both […]

Cyberbullying Statistics 2021 | Age, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Race post thumbnail

Cyberbullying Statistics 2021 | Age, Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Race

Provides updated statistics on cyberbullying from a national study on US youth by age, gender, sexual orientation, and race. In May-June 2021, we collected new data from a nationally representative sample of 2,546 US youth between the ages of 13 and 17 to better understand their positive and negative experiences online. This is the type […]

Flash Mobs and Lip-Dubs to Combat Bullying post thumbnail

Flash Mobs and Lip-Dubs to Combat Bullying

I was talking with an educator last week about enlisting students to help create a healthy, thriving, and fun school climate, and specifically brought up the idea of flash mobs and lip-dubs. Many of our students have talents and abilities which we should really tap in order to help us promote positive attitudes and behaviors […]