Social Media

At first glance, this infographic from Social Media Today with statistics about online product reviews may not seem relevant to a discussion about cyberbullying, however one statistic stands out. The research indicates that it takes 40 positive reviews to undo damage done by just one negative review. That same kind of disproportional damage can be inflicted with bullying comments online. This kind of evidence can give your discussion with your kids of how to steer clear of cyberbullying a bit of real world perspective.

The FBI is alerting parents, teachers and caregivers to the increased risk of online child sexual exploitation as children spend more time on the Internet while schools are closed because of the coronavirus. The agency urges parents to discuss Internet safety with children and to review the apps, games and websites that are being used. They also suggest parents adjust online settings if they can’t physically watch their children’s online activity. Do an online search to find out how to adjust the privacy settings on the specific devices your children use. Some signs that your child may be in contact with an online predator include increased nightmares, withdrawn behaviors, angry outbursts, anxiety and depression. And in case you need it, here is a checklist of things you should be talking to your kids about Internet safety.

With school closures and COVID-19 lockdowns, kids are spending a lot more time online, increasing the risk of them stumbling into dark corners of the Web. Add to this the fact that many parents are also now working from home, and unable to supervise what their children are doing, and the problem grows exponentially. In order to help, Facebook has recently launched a new education resource for kids, parents and educators that aims to "provide lessons and resources to help young people develop the competencies and skills they need to more safely navigate the Internet". The new initiative - called simply 'Get Digital' - includes several dedicated education areas, each of which features a video overview, and links to a range of tools and resources to help improve digital literacy.

While we are all required to stay physically apart during the COVID-19 pandemic, our physical and mental health and the success of our organizations will rely on seeking out emotional and relational connections during this time, write Michael Lee Stallard and Katharine P. Stallard. They offer 12 steps to avoid loneliness while social distancing, such as engaging in creative group activities, using online resources to learn something new, and seeking to serve others – things that apply to both adults and children.

Despite having more tools than ever to communicate with each other, Jeremy Hyler, a middle-school English teacher in Michigan, says he notices that communication breakdowns among educators, parents and students are increasingly common. In this article, he shares that technology-based communication, where tone can often be misinterpreted, may be at the root of the problem. He also discusses a common problem known as “keyboard courage.” “Keyboard courage” he says is the courage to say things to individuals that you would not normally say if they were standing in front of you. Some of Hyler’s tips to combat miscommunication when using technology include reading a potential post out loud to a friend or family member to gauge its tone, or writing your response in a word processing document first. His biggest advice? Put your digital device down and talk with the person face-to-face (or at least do that when the current health crisis is over).

Why is thirteen the magic number when comes to age restrictions on social media? Is it the age on which most experts and parents agree that young teens are definitely mature enough for social media? Nope.Thirteen is actually the age stated by the federal government under the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) at which companies can start collecting personal information about kids without parental or a guardian’s permission. And this is why kids under thirteen are not “allowed” to join social media sites – because companies don’t want to get caught collecting information on kids under thirteen. It is not a safety precaution. It is about privacy and, even more important, the fines imposed by the federal government - $40,00 for every violation of evidence of an underage user. Thankfully this age “barrier” also has had the unintended side effect of “discouraging” kids from signing up for social media until they are thirteen - generally, a mostly positive consequence.

So, how do sites and apps verify a user’s age? It varies, but mainly they rely on an honor system. Asking for the user’s age is called an age gate, and some sites merely ask for an age and others ask for an age and a birthdate, claiming that only users will be able to see the age and birth info. Facebook and Instagram do have moderators that lock the accounts of any users they stumble across that they suspect are under 13 (It is amazing how many kids brag about how they have ‘beat’ the system). Users must upload government-issued proof of age to regain control of their account. Facebook and Instagram are also working on a verification system requiring Facebook and Instagram birthdates to match, but it is a far from perfect system and kids know that there is very little consequence to getting caught being an underage user.

What should you do when your child comes home and asks to be on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat because all her friends are on social media? Ultimately, the decision is up to you. But if, knowing the maturity level of your child, you do allow your less than thirteen year old to go onto a social media site such as Facebook, there are some things you should keep in mind. First, conspiring with kids to lie about their age so that they can join a social media site not only equates to you lying as well, but also admits to your child that sometimes it is ok to lie. Second, if you do decide to allow your child to have a profile on such a site, you should monitor her activities very closely and be sure you friend her and have access to her email account. There are many pros to using social media for kids, but there are cons as well, and you need to make sure you and your kids keep talking about what they are doing and seeing online. The Common Sense Media site and this blog are good resources for how to help your child use social media wisely at any age.

New research from Kantar reveals that while Generation Z (those with birthdates between the mid 1990s and mid 2010s) is more active on social media than any other age group, their favorite apps aren’t YouTube, Facebook, SnapChat or TikTok. Kids in this generation are most at home in the private and creative world of video games. Nearly 90% of them are gamers (compared to 59% of the total population) and are finding social communities within games such as "Fortnite." Kantar's Michelle Brisson says, "They are just changing the way social media works for them, participating in smaller, niche ecosystems."

A coalition of Internet companies and social media giants -- Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Roblox, Twitter and Snap -- is backing a set of 11 principles put forth by the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to fight the spread of online child exploitation. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of US senators has introduced the EARN IT Act, which would allow the government to strip away tech companies' legal immunities for what their users post if the companies fail to crack down on online child sexual abuse.

Perhaps you have a young entrepreneur or an aspiring social media influencer on your hands that needs some advice? Sutherland Weston has compiled an infographic that outlines the best lengths for posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube for maximum engagement. Sutherland Weston also notes that combining text with visuals such as photos, GIFs or videos can boost engagement by 650%.

The first Friday of March every year is the National Day of Unplugging (this year from sundown March 6 to sundown March 7). It is a chance to carve out time to relax, reflect, be active, be outdoors and connect with loved ones by “unplugging” from your digital devices. You may even find the desire to unplug and recharge more often. The scientifically proven merits of unplugging can be enjoyed any time. Choose a specific period of the day to intentionally power-down – you could try the first hour of the day, or the last… or even lunch, dinner, or the hours just before your kids go to bed. The specific time of the day is not important. What is important is the discipline of learning when and how to power-down. Choose something that works for your family and lifestyle and stick to it.

Some benefits found from unplugging:

• Students that participated in a research study say that unplugging for 24 hours upped their productivity, helped them stay focused, and made them unexpectedly aware of aspects of their life to which they had become oblivious (like face to face interactions). Participants in other similar studies talk about how they felt they had an improved quality of life – more time with friends, more outdoor and exercise time, and even cooking more often and enjoying healthier food.
• Unplugging can help you sleep better. Being woken up by notifications and alerts on news, random memes, and funny tweets is likely not doing much for your sleep patterns. You also should give those work emails a rest, because without recharging it is more likely you will make snap judgments or worse. Some of the most recent research also shows that for adolescents, sleep quality was negatively influenced by mobile phone use in general and social media use in particular.  Other research suggests that the blue light from the screens in our computers and phones also makes it difficult for our bodies to fall asleep, implying that we should disconnect before bed, rather than falling asleep while staring at our laptops and phones.
• Multiple studies have shown that unplugging from technology might benefit your in-person communication and interpersonal relationships because it encourages you to communicate outside of the screen- and text-based medium. While technology makes communication super fast and convenient, it also removes body language, tone, and other things that help us understand one another and form bonds. Adolescents, in particular, need practice in reading and interpreting body language - something social media can’t help with, and in fact, often hinders. Unplugging can also mitigate FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) syndrome that so many adolescents suffer from.