Online Safety and Social Networks

Online social networks, most notably the one which goes under the name, “MySpace.com”, have been an increasingly hot topic for consideration in our schools over the course of this school year. Districts have sometimes made the decision to block sites, and it is furthermore true that parents have been alerted, but students still manage to use them.

The sites do create a genuine concern about privacy. On the other hand, they can also provide an opportunity for student collaboration and a global audience for student work. This month’s column provides resources which are currently available in order to make it possible for readers to learn more about teen use of online social networks and age-appropriate resources to be used for the purpose of teaching students ways in which to use these networks safely and ethically.

Social networks and teens

“MySpace Generation: They live online. They buy online. They play online. Their power is growing”, by Jessi Hempel, was published as the cover article of the December 12, 2005, Business Week. She explained social networks as business ventures targeting the lucrative teen market. She described how teens use them to connect with friends, promote their bands, and help market products to their peers. Readers of that article were invited to respond to the article and continue to add insight into the topic. The website also includes a podcast interview which was conducted with the author, and which provides additional “behind the scenes” information from her research. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/0550/b3963001.htm

“Social Network Service” entry in Wikipedia, offers a description and a “List of Social Networking Websites” that describe at length the details about the 50 most popular services providing a rich resource for teachers and parents in order for them to be able to learn about specific services. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_service

Teens and Technology: Youth Are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Mobile Nation, is one of a series of reports on friends, family, and community from the Pew Internet & American Life Project Report. This report compares teens’ use of technologies and the Internet with one which had been completed just four years earlier from the present time. http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/162reportdisplay.asp

Online safety lesson plans

CyberSmart Curriculum! is a free curriculum package which is designed for grades K-8 and which is aligned with the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards. Lessons which appear here are grouped by “SMART” topics: Safety, Manners, Advertising, Research, and Technology. This package also includes printable posters and materials which are designed to be used by families. http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/

GetNetWise: you’re one click away is a website which provides advice and resources for the purpose of making informed decisions with regard to the subject of family use of the Internet, with a focus being provided on Kid’s Safety, Spam, Security, and Privacy. http://www.getnetwise.org/

Cyberbee Internet Safety is a part of the popular website which is maintained by Linda Joseph. The site includes content rating sites as well as a dozen carefully selected resources that feature a number of different kinds of Internet safety lessons. http://www.cyberbee.com/safety.html

SDLA Surftips: An Internet Safety Resource Guide is a site which was compiled by the South Dakota Library Association Intellectual Freedom Committee. This site actually provides an annotated list of selected sites for parents, educators, teens, and kids. http://lib.sdstate.edu/wight/sdla/surftips.htm

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sponsors several sites that contain a variety of interactive educational material. For younger students, NetSmartz features games and activities and Don’t Believe the Type for teens, and addresses the considerations of cyberbullying, privacy, and trust. http://www.missingkids.com

As with all other teaching materials, evaluate podcasts carefully before sharing them with students. Like websites and blogs, PODCASTS CAN BE CREATED BY ANYONE WITH SOMETHING TO SAY, WHETHER IT IS VALID OR NOT.