Last week, Harvard rescinded the acceptances of 10 incoming freshmen for posting racist, sexually offensive material in a Facebook messaging group titled “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens.” As intense as the consequence may seem, this is an important reminder that nothing on the web is private, even private chat groups.
A person is responsible for what they post, a lesson our kids and teens might not always appreciate. According to a 2015 survey by the Pew Research Center, 88% of teens surveyed believe that people share too much information about themselves on social media. I am definitely going to ask my teens what they feel is too much information. Also, 75% of teens said they either “frequently” or “occasionally" see people “stirring up drama on social media.” That is a lot of posts and messages that are all about drama!
We know it is popular for teens to have a main Instagram account and then a separate one, that is thought to be private, for closer friends--called a Finsta account. This is a great time to talk about these alternative accounts. Are they really as private as one might think? For some, they create a supportive small group so I would start with the positive—why might a person want a Finstagram?
In talking with younger kids I learned a cool analogy from a teacher I met while doing screenings in Hong Kong. He tells his 1st-grade students to think of the web as the ocean and when you are in it, how important it is to wear your swimsuit.
The action taken by Harvard is a great way to remind your teens about what they choose to post on social media. The students involved probably had no idea their posts would be seen by anyone but themselves, they were in a private chat. But “private chat” is a misnomer. These kids are the cream of the crop, and they didn’t have the wisdom to keep inappropriate messages out of the conversation.
For this week’s TTT, let's talk about posts and privacy. Below are some questions. These discussions work best when adults share their experiences and observations--not just asking youth about their experiences. We are all in this together.
** A little tip, I generally print out the TTT to bring to the dinner table since we do not use tech during dinner.
We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.
HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
FIND EVENT LISTINGS
Do you organize professional development in schools? We now have a 6-hour, 3-part training module. Request more information here Professional Development.
Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Last week, Harvard rescinded the acceptances of 10 incoming freshmen for posting racist, sexually offensive material in a Facebook messaging group titled “Harvard memes for horny bourgeois teens.” As intense as the consequence may seem, this is an important reminder that nothing on the web is private, even private chat groups.
A person is responsible for what they post, a lesson our kids and teens might not always appreciate. According to a 2015 survey by the Pew Research Center, 88% of teens surveyed believe that people share too much information about themselves on social media. I am definitely going to ask my teens what they feel is too much information. Also, 75% of teens said they either “frequently” or “occasionally" see people “stirring up drama on social media.” That is a lot of posts and messages that are all about drama!
We know it is popular for teens to have a main Instagram account and then a separate one, that is thought to be private, for closer friends--called a Finsta account. This is a great time to talk about these alternative accounts. Are they really as private as one might think? For some, they create a supportive small group so I would start with the positive—why might a person want a Finstagram?
In talking with younger kids I learned a cool analogy from a teacher I met while doing screenings in Hong Kong. He tells his 1st-grade students to think of the web as the ocean and when you are in it, how important it is to wear your swimsuit.
The action taken by Harvard is a great way to remind your teens about what they choose to post on social media. The students involved probably had no idea their posts would be seen by anyone but themselves, they were in a private chat. But “private chat” is a misnomer. These kids are the cream of the crop, and they didn’t have the wisdom to keep inappropriate messages out of the conversation.
For this week’s TTT, let's talk about posts and privacy. Below are some questions. These discussions work best when adults share their experiences and observations--not just asking youth about their experiences. We are all in this together.
** A little tip, I generally print out the TTT to bring to the dinner table since we do not use tech during dinner.
We would love for you to share this TTT any way that works for you, whether that’s on social media or via a newsletter. If you want to send it out in your newsletter we just ask that you credit us and link to our website, and let us know at lisa@screenagersmovie.com.
HOST A SCREENING to help spark change.
FIND EVENT LISTINGS
Do you organize professional development in schools? We now have a 6-hour, 3-part training module. Request more information here Professional Development.
Stay in touch with the Screenagers community on Facebook, Twitter and leave comments below.
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
We released a new Screenager’s Podcast episode which is my candid interview with 3 teenage girls about Instagram. And it is, in my unbiased opinion, an awesome interview :). In today's blog, I highlight some key points we discussed and encourage you to listen to the podcast with the youth in your life and use the discussion questions at the end of this blog.
READ MORE >
I thank my daughter, Tessa, for this guest blog where she discusses TikTok and, most importantly, links to 7 TikTok posts that came into her feed. When watched with your child, these clips provide a unique, and I would add an awesome, way to have a conversation about TikTok and related media without having to look directly at your child’s feed (if they have TikTok).
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A Warning Label for social media? The US Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, U.S., is urging Congress to enact legislation for a tobacco-like warning on social media. It's a significant step in the right direction. I’m a supporter of it!
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
