How Social Media Affects the Brain

Link for the full size is here.

Social Networking Sites and Our Lives

Pew Research Center conducted a thorough survey of US residents regarding their use of SNS and various aspects of their social network, online and off. See the survey results here.

Social Networking in Schools

An interesting white paper on the role of the Internet and social networking in childhood education. http://socialnetworking.procon.org/sourcefiles/CreateandConnect.pdf

Bill Keller

Cyberbullying

Cyber bullying can take many forms

• Sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone
• Spreading rumors online or through texts
• Posting hurtful or threatening messages on social networking sites or web pages
• Stealing a person's account information to break into their account and send damaging messages
• Pretending to be someone else online to hurt another person
• Taking unflattering pictures of a person and spreading them through cell phones or the Internet
• Sexting, or circulating sexually suggestive pictures or messages about a person
• Over half of adolescents and teens have been bullied online, and about the same number have engaged in cyber bullying.
• More than 1 in 3 young people have experienced cyberthreats online.
• Over 25 percent of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their cell phones or the Internet.
• Well over half of young people do not tell their parents when cyber bullying occurs.
• Around half of teens have been the victims of cyber bullying
• Only 1 in 10 teens tells a parent if they have been a cyber bully victim
• Fewer than 1 in 5 cyber bullying incidents are reported to law enforcement
• 1 in 10 adolescents or teens have had embarrassing or damaging pictures taken of themselves without their permission, often using cell phone cameras
• About 1 in 5 teens have posted or sent sexually suggestive or nude pictures of themselves to others
• Girls are somewhat more likely than boys to be involved in cyber bullying

Why Do Cyberbullies Bully?

o  To show off to friends (11%)

o   To be mean (14%)

o   Something else (16%)

o   To embarrass them (21%)

o   For fun or entertainment (28%)

o   They deserved it (58%)

o   To get back at someone (58%)

Questions

• Why do people engage in cyberbullying?
• Who do cyberbullies choose as their victims? Why?
• What responsibility do teachers and schools have? Doctors? The government? Parents?
• What laws, regulations, and policies can be implemented? Should they be?