Digital Smarts Blog

Are you or a member of your family looking for a job? It may be time to upgrade your social media presence. According to the article from FastCompany.com, start by separating your personal accounts from any business or school affiliated presence. Keep in mind damage control may be in order. Google yourself and see what comes up. If there are bad posts you can’t remove, create more recent positive posts. Social media should be viewed as a way to separate you from other job seekers with similar talents and skills.

Are you or a member of your family looking for a job? It may be time to upgrade your social media presence. According to the article from FastCompany.com, start by separating your personal accounts from any business or school affiliated presence. Keep in mind damage control may be in order. Google yourself and see what comes up. If there are bad posts you can’t remove, create more recent positive posts. Social media should be viewed as a way to separate you from other job seekers with similar talents and skills.

It’s not an uncommon sight as you’re scrolling through your Facebook news feed: a friend shares a heartbreaking photo, accompanied by a post that pleads with users to “like,” “comment” or “share” in order to raise money or awareness for a person in need. But scammers who use “like-farming” tactics can take advantage of a Facebook user’s interaction to either collect and sell information about that user or use it as a gateway to collecting more personal information — like passwords or credit card numbers.

Though it’s sometimes difficult to determine which posts are real and which are fake, there are a few simple clues that these “like-farming” posts have in common:

• They claim someone has cancer or another serious disease and needs money for surgery.
• They claim Facebook “has decided to help” by donating a certain amount of money for “likes,” “comments” or “shares.”
• They typically ask a Facebook user to comment “Amen” at the end of the post.

So, next time you see a post with a heart-wrenching photo that catches your eye, look for these signs before responding. And if you suspect the post is a scam, report it to Facebook immediately.

It’s not an uncommon sight as you’re scrolling through your Facebook news feed: a friend shares a heartbreaking photo, accompanied by a post that pleads with users to “like,” “comment” or “share” in order to raise money or awareness for a person in need. But scammers who use “like-farming” tactics can take advantage of a Facebook user’s interaction to either collect and sell information about that user or use it as a gateway to collecting more personal information — like passwords or credit card numbers.

Though it’s sometimes difficult to determine which posts are real and which are fake, there are a few simple clues that these “like-farming” posts have in common:

• They claim someone has cancer or another serious disease and needs money for surgery.
• They claim Facebook “has decided to help” by donating a certain amount of money for “likes,” “comments” or “shares.”
• They typically ask a Facebook user to comment “Amen” at the end of the post.

So, next time you see a post with a heart-wrenching photo that catches your eye, look for these signs before responding. And if you suspect the post is a scam, report it to Facebook immediately.

As schools talk more and more about incorporating online learning into curriculum, a new report that surveyed 2.5 million students and teachers in 160 countries has indicated that online study tends to be a solitary activity. 79 percent of those surveyed say they do not study collaboratively when they are online. Is your school presenting online learning in a collaborative way? It is an interesting statistic in light of the many employers these days who require team work and collaboration on projects.

As schools talk more and more about incorporating online learning into curriculum, a new report that surveyed 2.5 million students and teachers in 160 countries has indicated that online study tends to be a solitary activity. 79 percent of those surveyed say they do not study collaboratively when they are online. Is your school presenting online learning in a collaborative way? It is an interesting statistic in light of the many employers these days who require team work and collaboration on projects.

Discover the top five Google safety features designed to help you keep your family safe at the Google Safety Center. Some of the tips shared include on how to use parental controls as part of your browser, how limit access to only apps and games you approve, and how to get family friendly results when you conduct a search.

Discover the top five Google safety features designed to help you keep your family safe at the Google Safety Center. Some of the tips shared include on how to use parental controls as part of your browser, how limit access to only apps and games you approve, and how to get family friendly results when you conduct a search.

A quarter of college admissions officers say they look at the social media accounts of prospective students, up from 11% last year, according to a survey from Kaplan Test Prep. Of those who check social media, 47% say it positively affects their view of the applicants.

A quarter of college admissions officers say they look at the social media accounts of prospective students, up from 11% last year, according to a survey from Kaplan Test Prep. Of those who check social media, 47% say it positively affects their view of the applicants.

Legislation being considered by lawmakers in South Dakota would make it illegal for school visitors, including parents, to use electronic recording devices in classrooms. One school official said the bill will help to prevent the creation of memes or unflattering images of teachers that some students think are funny to post on social media. It will be interesting to see if this bill becomes a trend. Opponents of the bill argue that in certain cases these devices are necessary, such as parents of children with special needs who have used these kinds of devices to ferret out accusations of abuse of their children.

Legislation being considered by lawmakers in South Dakota would make it illegal for school visitors, including parents, to use electronic recording devices in classrooms. One school official said the bill will help to prevent the creation of memes or unflattering images of teachers that some students think are funny to post on social media. It will be interesting to see if this bill becomes a trend. Opponents of the bill argue that in certain cases these devices are necessary, such as parents of children with special needs who have used these kinds of devices to ferret out accusations of abuse of their children.

While researchers say teens view social media as a way to communicate, parents should know that frequent posting is not necessarily tied to narcissistic behavior in younger people. "You really want to look not at what they post," said Larry Rosen of California State University, Dominguez Hills, "but how they react back when somebody dismisses them, makes fun of them, says their post is silly." Rosen further emphasizes that teens who are taught to reflect before they post are able to make more intentional choices online. Narcissistic patterns are subtle, but a strong reaction to criticism can indicate narcissistic tendencies.

While researchers say teens view social media as a way to communicate, parents should know that frequent posting is not necessarily tied to narcissistic behavior in younger people. "You really want to look not at what they post," said Larry Rosen of California State University, Dominguez Hills, "but how they react back when somebody dismisses them, makes fun of them, says their post is silly." Rosen further emphasizes that teens who are taught to reflect before they post are able to make more intentional choices online. Narcissistic patterns are subtle, but a strong reaction to criticism can indicate narcissistic tendencies.

Eye tracking technology has been getting a lot of attention lately. While marketers are expecting to use it to find out if people are looking at their ads on any given web page, gamers imagine using it to interact in new and creative ways across virtual reality and other digital entertainments. While only time will tell the limits of this technology, as a parent or teacher, you may wonder if it will ever be used to keep track of how seriously kids are paying attention to assignments they are supposed to be doing online!

Eye tracking technology has been getting a lot of attention lately. While marketers are expecting to use it to find out if people are looking at their ads on any given web page, gamers imagine using it to interact in new and creative ways across virtual reality and other digital entertainments. While only time will tell the limits of this technology, as a parent or teacher, you may wonder if it will ever be used to keep track of how seriously kids are paying attention to assignments they are supposed to be doing online!

According to a recent article from the NY Times, the obsession with politics that has many adult Americans fiercely following the news has filtered down to their children. Teachers say their middle- and high-school students are more engaged than ever in politics. Students say their social media news feeds, including Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, make it easier for them to keep up with current events. Of course that also means you need to discuss with your children the need to vet and confirm what they read or see online.

According to a recent article from the NY Times, the obsession with politics that has many adult Americans fiercely following the news has filtered down to their children. Teachers say their middle- and high-school students are more engaged than ever in politics. Students say their social media news feeds, including Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, make it easier for them to keep up with current events. Of course that also means you need to discuss with your children the need to vet and confirm what they read or see online.

It may not come as a surprise that research shows the quality of conversational interactions you have with your child is more important than the quantity of words they hear as they develop their language skills. Researchers also say that when you stop a conversation with your kids to check your phone, you break the ability for this very important back and forth learning interaction to happen.  Researchers also say this formation of language skills can help predict the course of a child’s future when he or she starts the formal schooling process.

It may not come as a surprise that research shows the quality of conversational interactions you have with your child is more important than the quantity of words they hear as they develop their language skills. Researchers also say that when you stop a conversation with your kids to check your phone, you break the ability for this very important back and forth learning interaction to happen.  Researchers also say this formation of language skills can help predict the course of a child’s future when he or she starts the formal schooling process.