Use of Encrypted Software Thwarts Anti-Bullying Efforts
UncategorizedUse of Encrypted Software Thwarts Anti-Bullying Efforts What can a cyberbullying victim do when they are told by both police and school officials that there is nothing they can do to help them because the bully’s account is untraceable? A CNN article says that is what 18-year-old Brandy Vela of…
Is the Prevalence of Internet Shaming Causing it to Lose Potency?
UncategorizedIs the Prevalence of Internet Shaming Causing it to Lose Potency? The author of a recent Scientific American article speculates that Internet shaming (personal attacks that go viral) has reached a crescendo and because there is so much of it, the impacts are becoming less severe. To illustrate,…
University Athletes Suspended For Posting Offensive and Racist Texts
UncategorizedUniversity Athletes Suspended For Posting Offensive and Racist Texts Two recent cases highlight the need for increased monitoring of messages posted to social media sites by University students. The most recent took place at Columbia University, where members of the school’s wrestling team, over…
Prince Harry Asks Internet Trolls and Tabloids to Lay Off His Girlfriend
UncategorizedPrince Harry Asks Internet Trolls and Tabloids to Lay Off His Girlfriend Last week, British tabloids, particularly The Sun and Daily Mail, angered Prince Harry enough to issue a public statement about their treatment of his relationship with U.S. actress Meghan Markle. On November 8, the Kensington…
When It Comes to Bullying, Some Safety Nets Have Gaping Holes
UncategorizedWhen It Comes to Bullying, Some Safety Nets Have Gaping Holes As much as we try to protect kids from the effects of bullying, some still fall through the safety nets we place underneath them. The latest illustration is Bethany Thompson, an 11-year-old cancer survivor from Ohio. At the age of…
Facebook Removes Swedish Cancer Society Breast Exam Images
UncategorizedFacebook Removes Swedish Cancer Society Breast Exam Images As reported in The Guardian last week, Facebook removed a video posted by The Swedish Cancer Society which illustrated how to perform breast exams. Facebook said the video, which used concentric pink and red circles for breasts, was offensive…
25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media
Uncategorized25 Percent of Canadians Are Harassed on Social Media A recent survey by the Angus Reid Public Interest Research Institute found that one-fourth of Canadians are subjected to “unwelcome comments, vicious insults, threats of violence, or worse,” with the bulk of abuse coming from Facebook and Twitter. …
After School, Kids Use “After School” to Cyberbully Each Other Anonymously
UncategorizedAfter School, Kids Use “After School” to Cyberbully Each Other Anonymously When the last bell of the day rings, many high-school-age kids grab their smart phones and launch the After School app, which takes them to a place its developers call, “a positive and safe place to share and connect…
Amazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers
UncategorizedAmazon Bans Giving Free Books to Reviewers Last week, Amazon ended it years-old policy of hooking up its reviewers with free or deeply discounted products, which many had complained skewed the ratings into more positive numbers of stars, causing them to appear further towards the top of ratings lists…
More Misguided Online Moderation: YouTube Heroes
UncategorizedMore Misguided Online Moderation: YouTube Heroes Two weeks ago, YouTube introduced a new program that enables volunteers to moderate site content. The program, called “YouTube Heroes,” allows content creators to earn points when they caption, flag, or report videos that violate the YouTube Terms…