jlearn2.0

Once again, the Jewish Week looks at issues related to teens and social networking. The article, “Virtual Values, Real Victims” by Liel Leibovitz, is featured on the front page of the Jewish Week, April 20, 2007 and focuses on ways students and administrators are addressing anti-social uses of social networking. The article highlights different models of handling this important topic, including legislation against cyberbullying, banning the use of social networking, student education, and parental awareness.

The article cites Ira Miller, dean of Ramaz Upper School, who advocates framing the issue as one of Jewish values and ethics, safety education, and life skills for the 21st century:

“It’s foolish to try and legislate our students’ use of technology…. All of these programs are part of their environment, and we have to train them and give them the ethical sensitivity on how best to use technology, the same way we’ll try to teach them sensitivity about lashon hara [gossip or harmful speech].”

Cyberbullying is a very real and serious issue and has been a recent topic of discussion in the blogosphere lately. Resources for students, educators and parents include the following:

Cyberbully and its affiliated site, the Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use – publications, reports, and other resources that address issues of the safe and responsible use of the Internet.
Cyberbullying and Internet Safety – Wesley Fryer’s wiki of resources including a podcast, articles, and other resources. See also “Ideas for Addressing Cyberbullying,” Wesley Fryer’s podcast from his Speed of Creativity blog.
National Crime Prevention Council – resources and tips regarding Internet safety and dealing with cyberbullying.
Stop Cyberbullying - social network devoted to identifying resources and solutions to combat cyberbullying.
WiredSafety.org - resources for victims of online abuse, education and awareness regarding online safety and responsibility. See especially the StopCyberbullying site.

Also revisit the resources listed under the jlearn2.0 posting, Derech Eretz – Acceptable Use Policies

The Ad Council produced public service announcements regarding cyberbullying. The ads target 12 and 13 year olds (“tweens”) and are available from their site and on YouTube:

Cyberbullying – Talent Show

Cyberbullying – Kitchen

The “cyberbullying hurts” graphic at the top of this post is attributed to Scott McLeod; see his site for other related images that can be used to highlight this issue.

Interested in how Jewish teens are using technology to explore their lives? Take a look at the March 30, 2007 supplement, Fresh Ink for Teens: In Your Facebook, published by the New York Jewish Week. This issue includes several articles by teens on their experiences with technology-based communications.

On another end of the age scale, baby boomers and their parents are among the fastest growing consumers of video games, according to the New York Times article, “Video Games Conquer Retirees,” March 30, 2007. A customer survey by PopCap Games cited in the article found that “71 percent of its players were older than 40, 47 percent were older than 50, and 76 percent of PopCap players were women.”

In addition, corporations are increasingly turning to games and simulations for training and development. It will be interesting to see how these arenas continue to grow and how the educational community reframes its ideas and biases about what learning is, how people learn, and what tools they use to support this endeavor.

And speaking of social networking, the Jewish Week published an article by jcampus.com in its January 2007 education section on how college students and Hillels are using Facebook to connect. The article, “Creating a Facebook Community: Networking site changing the face of Jewish campus life,” can be found on the Jewish Week website.

Social networking sites aren’t only for teens, college students, and young adults. Organizations are also beginning to capitalize on this phenomenon. As cited in the Jewish Week article, Hillel has a presence on Facebook. Another example is ISTE (International Society for Technology), an organization that recently created an area on MySpace to promote their work and foster connections among members (www.myspace.com/iste_org). Increasingly, marketers are using MySpace to promote movies, music, and more.

Those sites tend to be more free ranging than others that were created for more specialized purposes. LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com), for example, is a social networking site designed to foster business networking. Participants are encouraged to highlight their professional achievements and interests. LinkedIn tools help users interact with colleagues and facilitate introductions to potential contacts.

Imagine a social networking site where Jewish educators, other communal professionals, lay leaders, and organizations would post their contact information, areas of expertise, and interests. Shiddachs could be made for projects or grants. Colleagues could problem-solve together and share resources. Job-seekers and potential employers could reach out to each other. And it would be interesting to see how so many of us in the field are already connected with each other and in what ways – probably more than we think.

Do you participate in any of these social networks? What is the experience like? How do they address privacy concerns? What additional features can you imagine for these sites? How might they be used for Jewish education and communal work?

The latest report from the Pew Internet Project indicates that more than half of all online Americans ages 12-17 use social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook. These sites are used as public and private communications tools to maintain and manage current and new friendships. According to the report, these sites “have rocketed from a niche activity into a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of internet users.” The report is based on a telephone survey of 935 American teenagers in 2006.

Key findings from the report include:

• 55% of online teens have created a personal profile online, and 55% have used social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook.
• 66% of teens who have created a profile say that their profile is not visible to all internet users. They limit access to their profiles.
• 48% of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often; 26% visit once a day, 22% visit several times a day.
• Older girls ages 15-17 are more likely to have used social networking sites and created online profiles; 70% of older girls have used an online social network compared with 54% of older boys, and 70% of older girls have created an online profile, while only 57% of older boys have done so.

  (From: Social Networking Websites and Teens, PEW Internet & American Life Project, 2007)

The report is available at: Pew Internet & American Life Project, www.pewinternet.org.

Related reports from the Pew Internet & American Life Project include:

Teen Content Creators and Consumers (2005)
Teens and Technology: Youth are Leading the Transition to a Fully Wired and Mobile Nation (2005)