How can we — parents and educators — teach children to practice appropriate social-tech behavior?  What guidelines can we use?  What rules can we enforce?
It would be nice to have clear answers to those questions — and I believe they exist — but there seems to be more confusion than clarity on the subject of [...]

Cybersafety expert Nancy Willard, of the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use, sent bNetSavvy this informative update on internet safety instruction in schools:
The National Cyber Security Alliance just released a report on Internet safety instruction in K-12 schools.
Not surprisingly, their conclusion was: “The survey found that America’s young people aren’t receiving adequate instruction to [...]

As parents and educators, we worry about children who spend too much of their days in front of a screen — a TV, computer, or smartphone.  According to a recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, kids ages 8-18 spend 10 hours and 45 minutes per week “media multi-tasking,” and the result for many is [...]

Here’s the scenario:  a high school student, upset with her teacher, creates a Facebook page dedicated to criticizing that teacher.  The school suspends her for three days, citing cyberbullying. The student claims this violates her First Amendment rights and goes to court.  The principal asks that the court dismiss the case.  But the court rules [...]

bNetS@vvy is a proud outreach partner of the new PBS Frontline production “Digital Nation,” a documentary by filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (“Growing Up Online”). The documentary, airing Tuesday, Feb. 2 on PBS, explores, among other topics, the challenges of parenting in a digital age and the benefits of teaching with technology.  It’s an exciting and informative [...]

Feeling guilty about letting your child play computer games, watch TV, and use a smart phone? Trying to balance your concerns about safety with your desire to let your kids enjoy themselves (and your desire to get a break yourself)? Then check out the following.
The “Room for Debate” section of the New York Times features [...]

Writer Emily Bazelon, of the online magazine Slate, asks readers to share their stories about cyberbullying.  In a quest to learn more about the problem — and how to solve it — Bazelon has turned to the general public in the hope that their stories and suggestions can help shape public understanding and eventually, perhaps, [...]

As parents and educators, many of us are aware of and concerned about the risks of social technology.  Cyberbullying, sexting, privacy violations — these are all topics we cover frequently here at bNetS@vvy, topics that concern the safety and well-being of children.
But a recent New York Times article focuses on a social technology danger that [...]

Do you suspect or have evidence that your child has made a harmful threat?  See the post from one of our readers and the expert answer below:
Comment: I have a son in 6th grade and I am still reeling after reading some of his texts.  He seems to be a well behaved boy and does [...]

Do Facebook and YouTube belong in the classroom?  Are schools right to ban popular social networking sites?  Writer Nicholas Bramble tackles these questions in a recent Slate article, “Fifth Period is Facebook:  Why Schools Should Stop Blocking Social Networking”:
Educators should stop thinking about how to repress the huge amounts of intellectual and social energy kids [...]