Posted in digital citizenship, digital parenting, privacy, social networking

More on Facebook Privacy

The blog Techlicious has a great posting on Facebook privacy updates, especially vis-a-vis groups that a user  joins. In Facebook Groups and App Dashboard Provide New Privacy Features Josh Kirschner, offers his suggestions about how to set up private groups, and he also writes and embeds a video about the third-party dashboard that Facebook is rolling out.

Best, but not surprising quote, “… assume everything you post could become public at any time.”

When you talk about social networking, texting, and other digital activities with your children, you cannot use the word privacy too much in your conversations.

Posted in cultural changes, parents and technology, social media, social networking, teens and technology

Experiment: Go Without Social Media for One Week

Can your family go for a week without social networking activities? In my family we go nuts when our Earthlink DSL goes down, which happens for a few minutes at least once each evening, let along not getting to use some of the most valuable web-based tools for a week.

Harrisburg University, a small college in Pennsylvania asked students and faculty to go without YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and more for one week, not to punish the college community, but to examine why they use these resources and why people need them. The university community is asking questions such as “What part the social networking tools play life and business?” and “What would happen if social networking were not around?”

Continue reading “Experiment: Go Without Social Media for One Week”

Posted in acceptable use, digital citizenship, digital parenting, online safety, parents and technology

Facebook Safety Page – Bookmark It

According to a short article  in School Library Journal and a Facebook blog post, the world’s largest social networking site now has a new safety page as well as an advisory committee of well-known online safety organizations. Both articles offer Facebook users a detailed guided tour of the new site where teens, parents, and educators can go for up-to-date information.

Users can navigate to safety information in several ways. A Facebook safety page looks just like any Facebook page with useful links and a wall with a fairly lively conversation. This page will also post important documents, educational materials, and safety initiatives. Continue reading “Facebook Safety Page – Bookmark It”