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Social Networking sites are NOT the problem … BEHAVIORS (and bad statistics) are!
10 CommentsGood morning everyone,
You might have seen the article on MSNBC.com recently entitled “Study rejects Internet sex predator stereotype“ which talks about a recent study released by the Crimes Against Children Research Center. As someone who has been following trends in Internet Safety education for years I find it gratifying to see organizations and the media focusing on truly understanding this complex problem and educating students rather than pushing “fear tactic” avoidance programs. Finally!
People like Nancy Willard from the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use have been arguing for YEARS that fear-based Internet Safety programs aren’t effective; that education is the answer; and that recent statistics quoted by everyone from the major news networks (“To Catch a Predator“) to local news outlets are often misunderstood, resulting in misguided decisionmaking by otherwise intelligent people with all the right motivations – people charged with educating and protecting our kids.
I’m certainly not immune; for years, I’ve seen and parroted the same statistics everyone else has. Only recently, thanks largely to Nancy’s work, have I truly gotten a handle on the situation and changed the information I provide to students, parents and my colleagues. Each of us is responsible for protecting our own children and the community’s as a whole. To do that, we need good data! The American Psychological Assocation also just released a report called “Online ‘Predators’ and Their Victims: Myths, Realities and Implications for Prevention,” which will appear in the February/March issue of American Psychologist. This study shares some important findings that shatter commonly-held beliefs about risks and behaviors of both predators and at-risk children. This article is going to be worth traveling to your local university or college library to read. This is great stuff!
Fortunately, our friends at the Crimes Against Children Research Center has published a fact sheet loaded with helpful information that we can all use TODAY. This handy summary does a terrific job of debunking myths and other misunderstandings about this terrible problem and is a virtual roadmap for a community education initiative. We are planning to use this document, along with screenings of and selected material from the recent Frontline PBS story “Growing Up Online” to guide a series of community education workshops.Someone’s got to take charge of this situation. In my view, the best organizations to do so are SCHOOLS (through innovative classroom-based educational programs that emphasize safe use of social networking tools, proper online behaviors and understandings of online risks) as well as their local communities!
Hope this helps,
-kj-
Published on February 22, 2008 · Filed under: Online Safety / Cyberbullying, Social Networking;
10 Responses to “Social Networking sites are NOT the problem … BEHAVIORS (and bad statistics) are!”
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Anne said on February 22nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Nice, quick, plain-spoken summary Kevin! I used to teach “cyber-safety” when I taught 7/8 computer literacy but I never taught it to the parents (doubt if those handouts ever made it home).
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Hi Anne,
Actually, assuming the kids got the message, you probably spent your time wisely. I’m supremely confident I can impact student behavior; I do it every day. Parents, on the other hand, are a more complex bunch. We need their support too, but, they are a lot harder to reach!
-kj-
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Well said. We need good data and we need a good plan. My challenge is convincing techs to unblock the sites so my teachers can indulge. We are studying together and are developing our safety plans. How will we convince the districts?
Please submit any ideas to the wiki we have created. -
KenS said on February 22nd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
kj,
Good blog. You hit it on the head with this: “Each of us is responsible for protecting our own children and the community’s as a whole. ”I HATE social networking (for many reasons, most have nothing to do with predators), but that is a different argument.
The bottom line is that the Internet is just a more powerful way for kids to be kids and do dumb kid things. It’s up to parents to talk, educate and monitor. Simple as that. As a 21st century parent, you can’t afford not to.
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Thanks Ken,
Curious as to why you dislike SN … I’ve got my personal issues with it (overload, frivolity, time, non-interoperable networks) but as an instructional environment, I think sites like Ning.com make the value of SN very clear. Care to elaborate?
-kj-
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KenS said on February 22nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Unfortunately, Ning.com is not on the tops of people’s minds nor the ‘favorites’ of teens. They are a waste of time; people are too dependent on them; people get addicted to them (I know some that have been fired for neglecting their real jobs); there is not much true “networking” being done, as you don’t usually meet the majority of the people that are your “friends;” I do NOT consider typing passive messages on someone’s webpage being ‘social,’… Really, it’s just the misuse of the term and the severe dependency that I see a lot of kids hold for the network. But do those kids really know how to socialize? When they go to college are they only going to be able to meet and talk to their new roommate by each sitting in the corner on their own PC chatting?
OK, that’s a bit extreme… but it’s a funny thought and image to conjure up in your head… Funny thing is, I’m not even that old and I am not conservative (by any means) — I just think these networks are just bad all around with not many REAL benefits. This guy wrote a GREAT post on his blog with all the downsides of social networks: http://teamrich.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/online-social-network-waste-of-time/
I guess it’s just not my bag. The hype and popularity is ridiculous, especially for something that has no real benefit. I don’t like things that encourage stupidity, and I just really feel that the generation that is so dependent on these networks to communicate is losing (or, rather, not developing) valuable social interpersonal skill sets.
Kind of like reality TV… hah (yet another favorite rant of mine).
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Thanks for the great summary and links to the resources! I’ve done some parent education workshops on teens and social networking (and educational uses) and I’ll be able to use a lot of the resources you provided here on my wiki – http://parentworkshop.wikispaces.com
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Hi there, just a quick note to re-iterate what everyone else has said. Really enjoyed your summary of the issues. Am using this post in an article about the use of Web 2.o for midwifery practice. cheers Sarah
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NancyL said on November 4th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Great piece of insightful writing, kj. I totally agree with your views of social networking sites.
KenS on 22 Feb, 2008 made a link to my article above which unfortunately had been moved.
The new link is:
http://teamrich.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/online-social-network-waste-of-time/
for those interesting in this issue.
KenS insightful articles are required reading for those who want to play an active role in their kids’ Internet lives.
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Tricia said on May 20th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Even though it has been over a year since KenS wrote his reply, I feel oddly compelled to reply.
(I apologize now for how harsh this must sound…)
Ken,
1. You DO sound old. Your comments are the same that every out of touch parent says to their eye-rolling teen.
2. You don’t have to like SN. But, if you’re going to connect with your students, you better figure out how to use it to their benefit.
3. I laughed at the dorm room example… In 2001 I frequently sat 10 feet from my college roommate and chatted via aol while studying. We knew more about each other via “text” than we did anything else -and now 8 years later, I’d do anything for that gal. Don’t underestimate the power of human connection- people will find a way to connect.
4. There are REAL benefits. Off the top of my head: connecting people of different cultures or socio/economic status, internal (class-wide) team building, connecting learning with student’s interests, job preparation.
5. Your argument of addiction is misled. People can get addicted to anything. Really, anything. Instead of focusing on the addiction, we must look at the behavior driving that addiction. Otherwise, as history shows us, we end up with things like Prohibition.And now, I shall conclude my rant. Thanks for reading!
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