Digital Smarts Blog

As we confront the idea of misinformation creeping into our lives, especially from digital sources, many argue that we need redefine literacy for the digital age. Are we going to become people who “only watch and listen – a characteristic reminiscent of medieval times?” The idea that a source is only valid if written or printed is disappearing, and many people feel that seeing or hearing something gives it uncontestable value. A great example of this is the use of mobile devices to capture instances to share with the world rather than putting it in words or giving context to a visual. This is also creating a generation gap between kids and parents and students and teachers.

As Ruth Reynard puts it in her article entitled Redefining Literacy in the Digital Age “What is becoming clear is that increasing numbers of students do not have the skills required to understand conventional information sources and media, and older generations of people do not understand newer informational environments or exchanges. So, when folks are encouraged to "read" websites, that is not happening by individuals on either side of that gap.”

As we confront the idea of misinformation creeping into our lives, especially from digital sources, many argue that we need redefine literacy for the digital age. Are we going to become people who “only watch and listen – a characteristic reminiscent of medieval times?” The idea that a source is only valid if written or printed is disappearing, and many people feel that seeing or hearing something gives it uncontestable value. A great example of this is the use of mobile devices to capture instances to share with the world rather than putting it in words or giving context to a visual. This is also creating a generation gap between kids and parents and students and teachers.

As Ruth Reynard puts it in her article entitled Redefining Literacy in the Digital Age “What is becoming clear is that increasing numbers of students do not have the skills required to understand conventional information sources and media, and older generations of people do not understand newer informational environments or exchanges. So, when folks are encouraged to "read" websites, that is not happening by individuals on either side of that gap.”

IBM is looking to its supercomputer Watson to fight cybercrime using its deep learning techniques. The company recently announced that 40 organizations have joined the Watson Cyber Security beta program, which is "learning the nuances of security research findings and discovering patterns and evidence of cyberattacks and threats that could otherwise be missed." As more organizations take part in the program, the increased amount of collected security data will further the intelligence of the system, evolving and improving current defense strategies.

IBM is looking to its supercomputer Watson to fight cybercrime using its deep learning techniques. The company recently announced that 40 organizations have joined the Watson Cyber Security beta program, which is "learning the nuances of security research findings and discovering patterns and evidence of cyberattacks and threats that could otherwise be missed." As more organizations take part in the program, the increased amount of collected security data will further the intelligence of the system, evolving and improving current defense strategies.

If you think that watching superheroes defend, protect and help the weak may inculcate positive traits in kids, you may be wrong. Rather, early exposure to superheroes may trigger aggressive behaviors like bullying and reduce empathy for others, a study published recently in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology has found. The findings show that children who frequently engage with superhero culture are more likely to be physically and relationally aggressive. The children were also not more likely to be defenders of kids being picked on by bullies and were not more likely to be pro-social. The studies author, Brigham Young University family life professor Dr. Sarah M. Coyne, says that like everything in parenting, it is not time to do away with superheroes but instead to remember it is all about moderation and being sure that superheroes are just one of the many things kids are interested in.

If you think that watching superheroes defend, protect and help the weak may inculcate positive traits in kids, you may be wrong. Rather, early exposure to superheroes may trigger aggressive behaviors like bullying and reduce empathy for others, a study published recently in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology has found. The findings show that children who frequently engage with superhero culture are more likely to be physically and relationally aggressive. The children were also not more likely to be defenders of kids being picked on by bullies and were not more likely to be pro-social. The studies author, Brigham Young University family life professor Dr. Sarah M. Coyne, says that like everything in parenting, it is not time to do away with superheroes but instead to remember it is all about moderation and being sure that superheroes are just one of the many things kids are interested in.

Education startup Newsela, in partnership with the American Press Institute, is teaching kids to be more discerning when consuming online news material. Servicing over one million American teachers, the organization started out by teaching literacy skills to kids through online articles, and has now taken on a more “civic-minded role” after the election. Questions such as “Where do the facts come from?” and “Is there a bias?” have been added to their usual article comprehension list. According to the company, both children and adults today need someone to show them the way to question news sources.

Education startup Newsela, in partnership with the American Press Institute, is teaching kids to be more discerning when consuming online news material. Servicing over one million American teachers, the organization started out by teaching literacy skills to kids through online articles, and has now taken on a more “civic-minded role” after the election. Questions such as “Where do the facts come from?” and “Is there a bias?” have been added to their usual article comprehension list. According to the company, both children and adults today need someone to show them the way to question news sources.

According to a Slate.com article by Alexander Burgoyne and David Hambrick, human brains are wired to retain only the gist of information consumed, creating difficulty in remembering the source of news and whether it is flagged as fake or not. Exposure to fake news could even lead us to “remember” things that never happened. Other research has shown that people are vulnerable to false memories even when they are explicitly warned that they may be exposed to misinformation.  This might undermine efforts by Facebook and others to curb false news on social media, a problem particularly prevalent during the presidential election and certainly something you might want to talk with your children about as part of your ongoing discussion of digital literacy and citizenship.

According to a Slate.com article by Alexander Burgoyne and David Hambrick, human brains are wired to retain only the gist of information consumed, creating difficulty in remembering the source of news and whether it is flagged as fake or not. Exposure to fake news could even lead us to “remember” things that never happened. Other research has shown that people are vulnerable to false memories even when they are explicitly warned that they may be exposed to misinformation.  This might undermine efforts by Facebook and others to curb false news on social media, a problem particularly prevalent during the presidential election and certainly something you might want to talk with your children about as part of your ongoing discussion of digital literacy and citizenship.

If your New Year resolution has anything to do with getting organized, you may be interested in a way to digitize old pictures. If you are curious about scanning and restoring old photos, give Photomyne a try. It is especially good for scanning old albums since it lets you scan multiple pictures at once. Once images have been scanned, Photomyne gives you a few retouching and restoring options, as well as sharing features. Photomyme comes in several variants: you can either install a free version that lets you pay per session via in-app purchase, or a paid version for $5 that gives you a range of basic features. On top of that there is a $12 per year premium plan that includes unlimited saves, backup and access to your scans from desktop computers. Interested in more free and inexpensive photo apps? See Photojojo's updated list.

If your New Year resolution has anything to do with getting organized, you may be interested in a way to digitize old pictures. If you are curious about scanning and restoring old photos, give Photomyne a try. It is especially good for scanning old albums since it lets you scan multiple pictures at once. Once images have been scanned, Photomyne gives you a few retouching and restoring options, as well as sharing features. Photomyme comes in several variants: you can either install a free version that lets you pay per session via in-app purchase, or a paid version for $5 that gives you a range of basic features. On top of that there is a $12 per year premium plan that includes unlimited saves, backup and access to your scans from desktop computers. Interested in more free and inexpensive photo apps? See Photojojo's updated list.

After this last election many people looked around and wondered how we became so estranged and divided from each other. Some blame is placed on the fact that when searching for information online, the top results are sites that reflect the kind of outlook and political ideology that you already favor. Now it seems that one of the ways that had exposed us to the lives of people different than ourselves in the past is also disappearing. Mainstream network television that used to introduce the American public to multiple viewpoints is beginning to transform into a different experience. For example, “One Day at a Time,” a 1970s sitcom about what it was like to be a single, working class parent, regularly attracted 17 million viewers every week. With the advent of streaming and subscription on demand services, television no longer has that broad cultural reach. Instead, what we watch is consciously chosen, and just like an online search, most often reflects the views and opinions we already hold. In a way, we’re returning to the cultural era that predated radio and TV - one where there wasn’t very much shared culture.

After this last election many people looked around and wondered how we became so estranged and divided from each other. Some blame is placed on the fact that when searching for information online, the top results are sites that reflect the kind of outlook and political ideology that you already favor. Now it seems that one of the ways that had exposed us to the lives of people different than ourselves in the past is also disappearing. Mainstream network television that used to introduce the American public to multiple viewpoints is beginning to transform into a different experience. For example, “One Day at a Time,” a 1970s sitcom about what it was like to be a single, working class parent, regularly attracted 17 million viewers every week. With the advent of streaming and subscription on demand services, television no longer has that broad cultural reach. Instead, what we watch is consciously chosen, and just like an online search, most often reflects the views and opinions we already hold. In a way, we’re returning to the cultural era that predated radio and TV - one where there wasn’t very much shared culture.

Thomas Friedman suggests in his The New York Times article, Online and Scared, that we may have reached a tipping point in our online interactions. There is an urgent need to recognize that we are all, as Freidman puts it, “connected but no one’s in charge.” As we spend more time online shopping, dating, friendship sustaining, enemy making, learning, teaching and even collecting what we know about the world, Friedman points out that it is even more important for kids to have some grasp of digital civics. Both kids and adults need to come to the realization that the internet is an open sewer of untreated, unfiltered information, where everyone needs to bring skepticism and critical thinking to everything they read and basic civic decency to everything they write. It is a tall order, but he feels our very existence may depend on it.

Thomas Friedman suggests in his The New York Times article, Online and Scared, that we may have reached a tipping point in our online interactions. There is an urgent need to recognize that we are all, as Freidman puts it, “connected but no one’s in charge.” As we spend more time online shopping, dating, friendship sustaining, enemy making, learning, teaching and even collecting what we know about the world, Friedman points out that it is even more important for kids to have some grasp of digital civics. Both kids and adults need to come to the realization that the internet is an open sewer of untreated, unfiltered information, where everyone needs to bring skepticism and critical thinking to everything they read and basic civic decency to everything they write. It is a tall order, but he feels our very existence may depend on it.

Could your smart home testify against you? Prosecutors investigating a murder case in Arkansas have served Amazon with search warrants for data collected by one of its Echo devices. Police found an Amazon Echo – a home assistant that responds to voice commands – at the home of James Bates, who is charged with murdering his friend Victor Collins in November 2015. They seized the device as evidence but are now seeking any audio or text records it may have sent to Amazon’s servers around the time of the incident. The Echo streams audio to Amazon’s cloud, where the data is processed and stored when it hears its “wake word” – usually “Alexa”.

Amazon has been served with several warrants but refuses to provide all of the data requested. “Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us,” the company said in a statement. “Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”

Could your smart home testify against you? Prosecutors investigating a murder case in Arkansas have served Amazon with search warrants for data collected by one of its Echo devices. Police found an Amazon Echo – a home assistant that responds to voice commands – at the home of James Bates, who is charged with murdering his friend Victor Collins in November 2015. They seized the device as evidence but are now seeking any audio or text records it may have sent to Amazon’s servers around the time of the incident. The Echo streams audio to Amazon’s cloud, where the data is processed and stored when it hears its “wake word” – usually “Alexa”.

Amazon has been served with several warrants but refuses to provide all of the data requested. “Amazon will not release customer information without a valid and binding legal demand properly served on us,” the company said in a statement. “Amazon objects to overbroad or otherwise inappropriate demands as a matter of course.”

Although it may not seem necessary, helping kids learn how to use those all those apps available on digital devices is important for parents to do. One recent study showed that 2-to 3- year olds who watched a demo by an adult on how to assemble a puzzle did much better later on in putting the puzzle together on their own as opposed to when they watched a machine generated, digital “ghost” demo. While it may not be all that surprising that this “social scaffolding” helped the learning process, it is a good reminder for all parents that these devices are not digital babysitters. Parents see how quickly their kids pick up on using technology and may forget that digital devices are just like any other tool…and just like any other tool, children are going to need to learn from their parents.

Although it may not seem necessary, helping kids learn how to use those all those apps available on digital devices is important for parents to do. One recent study showed that 2-to 3- year olds who watched a demo by an adult on how to assemble a puzzle did much better later on in putting the puzzle together on their own as opposed to when they watched a machine generated, digital “ghost” demo. While it may not be all that surprising that this “social scaffolding” helped the learning process, it is a good reminder for all parents that these devices are not digital babysitters. Parents see how quickly their kids pick up on using technology and may forget that digital devices are just like any other tool…and just like any other tool, children are going to need to learn from their parents.