A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2021
Hey everyone! Meet my friend Lucia – she is the perfect person to give you an updated perspective on how teens are using social media in 2021, based on her personal experiences and the observations she’s made among her peer group. I think she deeply understands the draw and attraction of particular apps, and has […]
Deepfakes and Cyberbullying
Recently, a unique cyberbullying situation came to light involving a 50-year-old woman who targeted teenage girls in her Bucks County, Pennsylvania community last summer. The most interesting twist was not the vast age difference between the aggressor and the targets, but that fact that software was used to alter original images found online to make […]
StopTheB – A New Anti-Bullying Movement
Recently, I have become aware of a cool new global initiative called StopTheB. It is for young people, by young people – and was founded by two sisters, Vasundhara (22) and Riddhi Oswal (16). The main aim of StopTheB is not only to raise awareness and educate on the issues, context, and dynamics of bullying […]
Digital Resilience
We define digital resilience as “positive attitudes and actions in the face of interpersonal adversity online.” While adversity can arise from technological sources as well (e.g., hard drive crashes, forgotten passwords, vulnerable cloud accounts), we are primarily concerned with the social aspect of online interactions that induce anger, frustration, anxiety, fear, embarrassment, and similar outcomes. […]
TikTok: Pros, Cons, and the Promise of Youth Empowerment
Discusses the pros and cons of TikTok, explores the current controversies, and shares how youth are using the popular app in positive ways. I trust by now that you’ve at least heard of TikTok, the fledgling short-form video app that has been around since 2016 but has exploded in popularity since the beginning of the […]
Trauma, Bullying, and Cyberbullying
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the felt experiences of youth who have to deal with bullying at school or online, and how it may have a traumatic effect on some of them. One might argue that most bullying incidents don’t induce trauma, and that may be true if we view all forms and […]
Digital Citizenship in 2020 and Beyond
Digital citizenship has been defined as helping youth “practice respectful and tolerant behaviors toward others” online. With the ubiquitous growth in personal device and social media use among youth – coupled with the adoption of more web-based technologies for education – many schools in the US and abroad have sought to teach digital citizenship practices […]
Eight Fun Student Engagement Ideas During COVID-19 and Beyond
Educators, student engagement is essential now more than ever. Here are eight fun ways to keep them inspired, connected, and feeling loved – especially when they’re away from school! The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected the way educators across the world instruct, support, encourage, and relate to their students. We know this will continue until […]
Coronavirus, Online Learning, Social Isolation, and Cyberbullying: How To Support Our Students
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has taken the world by storm and disrupted so many aspects of our lives. As an educator, I’m always thinking about how historical phenomenon might affect (in positive and negative ways) the personal and professional success of our students and this disease has me concerned on a number of levels. Obviously, the […]
A Teen’s View of Social Media in 2020
I recently met a high schooler named Eve, and appreciated our conversations about all things related to social media, identity, loneliness, affirmation, and purpose. I thought she would be an ideal person to share “A Teen’s Perspective on Social Media in 2020” and she happily obliged. Below are her thoughts; we both hope they give […]
