Digital Smarts Blog

The Pew Research Center has released the results from a new study on Mobile Messaging and Social Media showing that young people are moving away from cell phone based texting to apps like WhatsApp, Kik or iMessage, and using apps that automatically delete sent messages such as Snapchat or Wickr. These apps are free, and when connected to Wi-Fi, they do not use up SMS (Short Messaging Service) or other data. They also offer a more private kind of social interaction than traditional social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. It will be interesting to see if this change to more private messaging has any influence on how cyberbullying is conducted, as these apps make it harder to document text conversations, and can make it more difficult to prove cyberbullying activities.

The Pew Research Center has released the results from a new study on Mobile Messaging and Social Media showing that young people are moving away from cell phone based texting to apps like WhatsApp, Kik or iMessage, and using apps that automatically delete sent messages such as Snapchat or Wickr. These apps are free, and when connected to Wi-Fi, they do not use up SMS (Short Messaging Service) or other data. They also offer a more private kind of social interaction than traditional social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter. It will be interesting to see if this change to more private messaging has any influence on how cyberbullying is conducted, as these apps make it harder to document text conversations, and can make it more difficult to prove cyberbullying activities.

Believe it or not there is even digital etiquette to make those Facebook birthday greetings a little more authentic. Steven Petrow, digital etiquette guru, reminds us all to avoid the acronyms, (no “HBD” stuff), post the day before to let friends know it wasn’t just Facebook that reminded you, try texting or emailing to be a little more personal, and if it is a family member or close friend, try something unique: try calling.

Believe it or not there is even digital etiquette to make those Facebook birthday greetings a little more authentic. Steven Petrow, digital etiquette guru, reminds us all to avoid the acronyms, (no “HBD” stuff), post the day before to let friends know it wasn’t just Facebook that reminded you, try texting or emailing to be a little more personal, and if it is a family member or close friend, try something unique: try calling.

One of the best ways to understand technology (and protect your digital life) is to learn some fundamental programming concepts. Blocky is an app (available for Apple and Android) that introduces children as young as 8 to drag-and-drop visual programming tools and introduces such concepts as algorithm design, command, loops and conditionals, and inspires creative problem solving. Whether you have a budding engineer or just a child who is growing up in the 21^st Century, it is important to understand the basics behind our digital life. And better yet, it’s fun!

One of the best ways to understand technology (and protect your digital life) is to learn some fundamental programming concepts. Blocky is an app (available for Apple and Android) that introduces children as young as 8 to drag-and-drop visual programming tools and introduces such concepts as algorithm design, command, loops and conditionals, and inspires creative problem solving. Whether you have a budding engineer or just a child who is growing up in the 21^st Century, it is important to understand the basics behind our digital life. And better yet, it’s fun!

There are features already baked right into your smartphone that can be very helpful whether you or someone you know has poor vision, motor disabilities or hearing loss. Some of these features can just make your phone easier to use – like having a set of directions read aloud to you or larger or bolder type. For an overview of these features take a look at USA Today’s columnist Edward Baig article on the subject entitled Don't let a disability stop you from using your smartphone.

There are features already baked right into your smartphone that can be very helpful whether you or someone you know has poor vision, motor disabilities or hearing loss. Some of these features can just make your phone easier to use – like having a set of directions read aloud to you or larger or bolder type. For an overview of these features take a look at USA Today’s columnist Edward Baig article on the subject entitled Don't let a disability stop you from using your smartphone.

With luck, the rules you have set down with your kids about where they can have social media accounts (and with whom they can share) are being followed. But what if you suspect they have social media accounts you don’t know about and you are concerned about what might be going on in those accounts? You can always run a Google search or search for them within Facebook or Instagram or other social networking sites, but if they have a common name the process could take a while.  Instead try a Google image search and look for the image of the specific person you are looking for.  There's a good bet you'll come across their profile picture for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or some other site. Once you find an image of them, click it and select “View Page” to open up the social media page. You can also turn to a people search site like PeekYou. People search sites collect publicly available information and combine it into a profile you can find if you search for a person's name and location. A PeekYou search also gives you the username on the account(s) and that can help you track other accounts if your kids use the same user name for each of those accounts.

With luck, the rules you have set down with your kids about where they can have social media accounts (and with whom they can share) are being followed. But what if you suspect they have social media accounts you don’t know about and you are concerned about what might be going on in those accounts? You can always run a Google search or search for them within Facebook or Instagram or other social networking sites, but if they have a common name the process could take a while.  Instead try a Google image search and look for the image of the specific person you are looking for.  There's a good bet you'll come across their profile picture for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or some other site. Once you find an image of them, click it and select “View Page” to open up the social media page. You can also turn to a people search site like PeekYou. People search sites collect publicly available information and combine it into a profile you can find if you search for a person's name and location. A PeekYou search also gives you the username on the account(s) and that can help you track other accounts if your kids use the same user name for each of those accounts.

Have you ever sent an email that you wished you could have back a fraction of a second later? It is so easy to type something in anger, accidently include someone you wish you hadn’t, or to say something in a less than polite way. Or maybe you just hit “send” before you finished typing? While you can’t get back any of those emails from the past, there are ways to set up your email so you can undo them moving forward. Gmail now has an “Undo Send” feature and there are browser plug-ins that work the same way. You’ll only have up to 30 seconds to change your mind but that’s better than nothing!

Have you ever sent an email that you wished you could have back a fraction of a second later? It is so easy to type something in anger, accidently include someone you wish you hadn’t, or to say something in a less than polite way. Or maybe you just hit “send” before you finished typing? While you can’t get back any of those emails from the past, there are ways to set up your email so you can undo them moving forward. Gmail now has an “Undo Send” feature and there are browser plug-ins that work the same way. You’ll only have up to 30 seconds to change your mind but that’s better than nothing!

Cameras on school buses and in some classrooms are becoming more commonplace, but now administrators in some districts are being asked to record everyday conversations with teachers, parents and students sparking a debate about their use. Supporters say that it reinforces “personal accountability” of staff and can be used to settle situations in dispute. Opponents think it could create an antagonistic relationship between students and teachers. Even the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been advocating for police agencies to adopt body cameras, draws a distinction between military and police operations and those of a school, not supporting their use. It will be an interesting debate to watch as school starts this fall.

Cameras on school buses and in some classrooms are becoming more commonplace, but now administrators in some districts are being asked to record everyday conversations with teachers, parents and students sparking a debate about their use. Supporters say that it reinforces “personal accountability” of staff and can be used to settle situations in dispute. Opponents think it could create an antagonistic relationship between students and teachers. Even the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been advocating for police agencies to adopt body cameras, draws a distinction between military and police operations and those of a school, not supporting their use. It will be an interesting debate to watch as school starts this fall.

Do you think your personal information may have been exposed to hackers? You are not alone. Half of American adults had their personal information exposed to hackers last year. So how can you tell? For starters, take this simple quiz on the New York Times Personal Tech blog site and find out which parts of your identity may have been stolen in some of the major hacking attacks over the last two years and see what you can do about it.

Do you think your personal information may have been exposed to hackers? You are not alone. Half of American adults had their personal information exposed to hackers last year. So how can you tell? For starters, take this simple quiz on the New York Times Personal Tech blog site and find out which parts of your identity may have been stolen in some of the major hacking attacks over the last two years and see what you can do about it.

Is your child an introvert? These are the kids who are bright and capable of communicating, but for whom classroom discussions are often uncomfortable or constricting. For these kinds of kids, there are tech tools that teachers can employ to draw them more fully into class participation including online discussions, anonymous student responses, bulletin boards and even games, where a less pressured approach can give introverts a chance to contribute. Perhaps these tools are something to suggest to a tech savvy and receptive teacher for the coming school year?

Is your child an introvert? These are the kids who are bright and capable of communicating, but for whom classroom discussions are often uncomfortable or constricting. For these kinds of kids, there are tech tools that teachers can employ to draw them more fully into class participation including online discussions, anonymous student responses, bulletin boards and even games, where a less pressured approach can give introverts a chance to contribute. Perhaps these tools are something to suggest to a tech savvy and receptive teacher for the coming school year?

An online survey of college-age women showed that those with stronger emotional connections to Facebook (including the amount of time spent each day on the site and number of friends) were more likely to compare their bodies with their friends' bodies and to adopt riskier diet habits. Researchers at the University of North Carolina College of Medicine cautioned that Facebook could be a useful tool to nurture supportive social connections, but that using the site as measuring stick to compare body sizes might foster dangerous dieting behavior. Of course, teens (and adults) need to remember that many people only put up pictures that show them in the most flattering way or even use photo-editing techniques to make them appear thinner than they are.

An online survey of college-age women showed that those with stronger emotional connections to Facebook (including the amount of time spent each day on the site and number of friends) were more likely to compare their bodies with their friends' bodies and to adopt riskier diet habits. Researchers at the University of North Carolina College of Medicine cautioned that Facebook could be a useful tool to nurture supportive social connections, but that using the site as measuring stick to compare body sizes might foster dangerous dieting behavior. Of course, teens (and adults) need to remember that many people only put up pictures that show them in the most flattering way or even use photo-editing techniques to make them appear thinner than they are.