Read the latest news and brand new pieces on youth, social media, and emerging technologies! We focus on preventing harm and promoting positive online behaviors.
New Report on Adolescent Internet Safety
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University released the final report of the Internet Safety Technical Task Force entitled “Enhancing Child Safety and Online Technologies.” The Report was commissioned by the Multi-State Working Group on Social Networking which is made up of the 50 state Attorneys General who asked the Task Force […]
Risky behaviors referenced on MySpace by adults
Findings from a new content analysis of MySpace profiles were released yesterday – something of keen interest to us as we’ve written empirical articles and presented extensively on the use of that social networking site by youth. The study is methodologically sound and well done, overall. The researchers found that over half (54%) of 500 […]
Is Cyberbullying Really That Bad?
We recently received this email and I thought I would respond to it here so that others too can add their thoughts: Dear CyberBullying.us ~ I recently discovered your website as I was wandering the internet. I read some of the stories on your site and I would just love it if you could publish […]
MySpace versus Facebook
Ok, now that we have discussed some of the risks and benefits of social networking, I want to return to an issue that we have discussed before on this blog. And that is whether or not any one particular social networking environment is “safer” than the others. And if so, how? When I talk to […]
Online social networking: Are the potential benefits worth the possible risks?
I was giving presentations at a school in Pennsylvania (last week) and got to the point in my presentation with parents and staff in the district about the risks and benefits associated with online social networking. When talking about the issues, I try to be reasonably impartial – simply presenting the facts as I see […]
Age- and identity-misrepresentation on the Internet
The New York Times last week asked me my thoughts on the Megan Meier case and online misrepresentation, and I thought I’d expand on my perspective here. First off, we have to understand why this case drew so much attention. It was because we have a vulnerable and depressed young girl basically driven to suicide […]
Family Online Safety Institute Conference – December 11th, 2008
I’m going to be in Washington, DC on Wednesday, December 10th and Thursday, December 11th for the Family Online Safety Institute’s annual conference, where I’ll be participating in a formal roundtable to discuss cyberbullying prevention and response and Internet safety issues. I am really looking forward to this, as many top practitioners and authors in […]
Megan Meier Federal Cyberbullying Case Decided Today
Well, as you’ve probably heard by now, the federal jury in California found Lori Drew guilty of computer fraud (and violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act) but not guilty of felony charges of unauthorized computer access to inflict emotional distress on Megan Meier. She faces up to one year in prison and up to […]
Megan Meier Cyberbullying Case In Court Today
So, today is a big day in that the Megan Meier cyberbullying case is going to trial. Lori Drew, the neighbor who is accused of creating and using a fake MySpace page to befriend and then break the heart of Megan by posing as a boy who had romantic interest in her. You know the […]
Reducing Cyberbullying: Is Your School On Track?
A couple of school districts have recently contacted me in a panic about how cyberbullying has been a major actionable issue for them since the start of the school year, but that they don’t know where to even begin (apart from amending the school policy to cover “electronic” variants of harassment). They realize that additional […]
