This fact sheet provides information for educators and students to keep in mind when connecting via social media. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. (2020). Connecting with Students Online: Issues to Consider When Educators “Friend” Students. Cyberbullying Research Center. Download PDF
(For a formatted .pdf version of this article for distribution, click on the image above [or click here]). Spanish Translation Available Here Don’t let your social media use negatively affect your life. Follow these simple strategies and avoid problems later! 1. DON’T POST OR SEND ANYTHING YOU WOULD BE EMBARRASSED FOR CERTAIN OTHERS TO SEE.…
In our school assemblies, Sameer and I regularly talk with students about using social media safely and responsibly. One part of this discussion focuses on encouraging youth to only connect on private accounts with those they know and trust. In general, if a Facebook user, for example, has their privacy settings configured in a way…
Some of you may have seen that we posted a new fact sheet earlier in the week with information for educators and students to keep in mind when connecting via social media. This has been a topic of intense debate on this blog for years and we would love to hear your opinions. So, before…
“Catfishing,” at least in the online world, refers to the practice of setting up a fictitious online profile, most often for the purpose of luring another into a fraudulent romantic relationship. The Urban Dictionary defines a “catfish” as: “someone who pretends to be someone they’re not using Facebook or other social media to create false…
Imagine you receive an email from a friend that includes a link to a Facebook profile. You click on the link and see your name and picture on the profile. But you didn’t create it. And some of the information included isn’t exactly flattering. In fact, it’s embarrassing, and malicious, and ruining your reputation. Now…
Technology is great and we know from our research that the vast majority of teens are using it safely and responsibly. But a few are creating problems for themselves or others by what they post online. That’s why we’ve partnered with Jostens to produce a number of useful resources for you to educate yourself or…
Now is the time to start thinking about what *you* are going to do to educate your students about cyberbullying, digital citizenship, online responsibility, and overall safety. A key to any educational effort is consistent reinforcement of the messages you want students to incorporate into their daily lives. Convening an all-school assembly on these topics…
As regular readers of this blog will know, Sameer and I have had a long partnership with Jostens. When I was in high school in the mid-1990s, our class rings and yearbooks came from Jostens, so I knew of the brand. About four years ago, Charley Nelson, who is the director of educator services for…
This is a common question I receive from many parents: “At what age should I give my child a cell phone or allow them to be on Facebook?” Of course this is not an easy question to answer since every child is different and parents themselves are probably in the best position to determine the…
This Research Summary summarizes how youth are modifying their use of social networking sites as it relates to online privacy and the disclosure of personal information. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. (2010). Cyberbullying research summary: Changes in Adolescent Online Social Networking Behaviors from 2006 to 2009. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved [insert date], from https://cyberbullying.org/changes_in_teens_online_social_networking_2006_2009.pdf Download…
I have been talking a lot lately about online reputation with teens. I think it is important for youth to recognize that anything they put online and anything they do offline that gets posted online, could end up being immortalized on the World Wide Web. I advise students to start thinking about their online reputation…
If you look at any “Top Ten List of Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” that you find on the Internet, no doubt one of the recommendations that you will find near the top is: “Keep the family computer in a common area of the house.” While this is sage advice, it is also…
If you look at any “Top Ten List of Ways to Keep Your Kids Safe Online” that you find on the Internet, no doubt one of the recommendations that you will find near the top is: “Keep the family computer in a common area of the house.” While this is sage advice, it is also…
Sameer and I have been exploring online social networking generally, and adolescent behaviors on MySpace in particular, for over five years. Since 2006 we have randomly selected several thousand MySpace profiles each year to determine: 1) who is on MySpace and 2) what kind of information they are posting. Our latest article, which is published in…
This Research Summary summarizes the changes that are occurring related to youth use of MySpace across multiple years. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. (2010). Cyberbullying research summary: Trends in Online Social Networking. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved [insert date], from https://cyberbullying.org/myspace_youth_research_over_time.pdf Download PDF
This Research Summary summarizes our MySpace research concerning the extent to which adolescents post personal information on their profile pages. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. (2009). Cyberbullying research summary: Personal information of adolescents on the Internet. Cyberbullying Research Center. Retrieved [insert date], from https://cyberbullying.org/myspace_youth_research.pdf Download PDF
I’ve noticed a lot of schools now have their own Facebook pages. Here are some examples: Ramblewood Middle School; Da Vinci Arts Middle School; Lincoln High School. These pages are generally created by teachers, school administrators, or school counselors as a virtual gathering place to students and staff. Does your school have one? I can…
This handout provides commonsense strategies for encouraging and enabling youth to think about important issues when posting content on social networking sites. Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J. W. (2009). Safe and Responsible Social Networking: Strategies for Keeping Yourself Safe Online. Cyberbullying Research Center. Download PDF
As anticipated, the Final Report released yesterday by Berkman Center’s Internet Safety Technical Task Force summarizing the state of knowledge concerning child safety online has come under fire by some state Attorneys General and others with an interest in advancing public fear about the risks inherent in online social networking. In my view, much of…
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…
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…
I was recently talking to a colleague (who is an economist at my University) and he told me of an experience that recently happened with his daughter. She was at a get-together at a hotel in our city where alcohol was being served. Somehow the police found out about the party and busted all of…