MySpace v. Facebook

Over the past several years researchers and marketers have been tracking what websites teens use. First MySpace reigned supreme, but then Facebook emerged as the “mature” alternative. Users flocked to Facebook in droves, saying that MySpace was “trashy” and dangerous.

Since then there has been much chatter about why, how many, and which teens abandoned MySpace. Research suggests that there is a social and economic divide between MySpace and Facebook users—those on Facebook are more likely to be white, educated, and privileged. And although Facebook is the most popular social networking site right now, it’s getting older. Adults have discovered it and that makes it no longer cool. Will teens move on to something else?





Michelle Menillo, Educational Writer

A Happy (And Safer) Halloween

Halloween is just two days away! While you've been making all of your last minute preparations—candy, costumes, and carving pumpkins—NetSmartz Workshop has been preparing to help you keep your child safer. Check out this list of Halloween safety tips and get ready for a safer night of fun.

NetSmartz Workshop

Teens Talk Back: Facebook Relationship Statuses

Teen dating has gone digital. NetSmartz Intern Kasha Scott shares her take on the trend.

Everyone who has a Facebook page knows how important your “Relationship Status” is. Changing statuses account for 90% of the drama associated with Facebook. When people are asked about their relationship, the first question that many people are asked is whether or not they are “Facebook official.” The first way I find out about whether or not my friends are dating is often through Facebook. On the flip side, the first time I hear of a break-up will be by reading it on Facebook. A few of my friends have ended relationships by simply setting their status to “single” without telling their boyfriend or girlfriend.

While this trend tends to make the break-up more difficult than it should be, it definitely sends a message to the other person. Relationship statuses are a trend that is making teen dating more complicated than it already is. When do you change your relationship to say “In a relationship”? Is there a “relationship status talk” that couples need to have? Should there be specific rules about when to change your relationship status?

Not only are serious relationship status causing drama, but people are also marrying, engaged, and in open relationships with their best friends. For example, on Facebook under the relationship status, it will say “Sally is married to her best friend Nancy.” I believe that this also adds an interesting twist on the whole relationship status situation with Facebook. These relationships are simply among friends which is the reason I don’t really understand why the changes are being made. Is it for attention? Is it to mock the serious relationship status? Who knows, maybe this is a Facebook trend that will soon die out along with the quizzing craziness.

Kasha Scott, Intern

Can You Go to Jail for Cyberbullying?

After retiring from Arizona’s superior court in 2008, former judge Tom Jacobs began a site called askthejudge.info to help teens understand legal issues. Below, he applies his expertise to the issue of cyberbullying and its possible legal consequences.




Gone are the days when bullying at school meant a shove in the hall or insult yelled across the classroom. Bullying has gone digital with devastating consequences in some cases, including suicide. The time has come for the nation to take a stand against cyberbullying. Education, awareness, and legislation are needed to combat this growing phenomenon affecting teens and their families.

School districts are dealing with bullying incidents through codes of conduct and direct action, including suspension and expulsion. They may also refer the incident to the police for possible criminal prosecution. The act of cyberbullying (bullying through the Internet) may be a crime, even if there is no specific cyberbullying law. It is already illegal in your state to threaten someone with injury and to harass or stalk another person. If a cell phone or the Internet is involved with any of these acts, then the victim has been cyberbullied.

If you're under 18 and charged with a cyberbullying offense, you could be taken to juvenile detention. The court decides whether to release you pending trial and under what terms you'll be released. For example, you may be restricted from using the Internet until the case is concluded or placed on house arrest. Most likely you'll be restricted from any contact with the victim.

If you're found guilty of the offense, the court can place you on probation with specific terms including community service hours, counseling, and a period of time in jail or detention. You could also be eligible for a diversion program, which if completed, may let you avoid a permanent record.

It's important to understand that even if you plead not guilty to the charge and are ultimately determined to be innocent, you could still be locked up for a period of time. Even a brief period in jail or detention may affect future ambitions including job applications, college admission and scholarship opportunities, or military enlistment. Consider the following cyberbullying cases where teens and young adults spent time incarcerated.

• In August of 2009, 18-year-old Keeley Houghton was sentenced for the online harassment of another teenager in England. Keeley was ordered to spend three months at a juvenile facility and have no contact with the victim for five years.



• Hillary Transue was 15 when she criticized her principal online and was found guilty of harassment in 2007. She was sent to a juvenile wilderness program for three months.



• In Utah, 16-year-old Ian Lake was arrested for creating a website at home that poked fun at his principal and two teachers. He spent seven days in detention, but eventually won his case after three years in court.

Bottom Line: Think twice before you send or post – unintended consequences may be life-changing.

Is jail time too harsh a punishment for cyberbullies? Share what you think!

Clicky Hangs with the Washington Capitals!

Check out Clicky at the Washington Capitals 2009 Convention. It was just him and 5,000 hockey fans, talking about hat tricks and learning how to UYN!

The Washington Capitals 2009 Convention took place at the National Harbor's Gaylord Convention Center in Washington, DC on September 26, 2009.

Cell Phones – Leave ’em at the Door

NetSmartz Workshop welcomes guest blogger Andy Mann, an Educational Technology Consultant for the Calhoun Intermediate School District in Marshall, Michigan. He works with schools across Michigan on Internet safety and cyberbullying education.

I can’t believe this happened to me. The party at my house started small, with just a group of my high school friends. It got a little out of hand when my best friend’s older brother stopped by with his college roommates. I was glad my parents weren’t home. I won’t go into details, but we got crazy. A few of my friends started taking photos with their cell phones. We thought nothing of it—we were just being goofy.

I learned about the photos the next day when my friends said they had seen them on a friend’s social networking page. I was so embarrassed. What were my friends thinking, putting them online! I immediately contacted my friends and the photos were removed, but the damage was done. A classmate copied the photos and sent them to my coach and the principal before they were deleted. I’m an athlete and had a good chance for an athletic scholarship, but because of the photos I’ve been suspended from the team for the rest of the season. Those stupid photos probably cost me my scholarship.

This is a tale which is being told by students around the country. Photos taken with cell phone cameras are uploaded to the Internet and cause problems. These photos may show underage drinking or illegal drug use. They may show nude or semi-nude images of minors (the taking and sharing of nude or sexual images is known as “sexting”). Michigan State Police Detective Sergeant Jay Poupard, a member of the Michigan Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, shared the potential serious consequence of teens taking sexual photos of themselves: “A 17-year-old boy posting a photo of a topless, underage girl can be convicted of a felony. If convicted, he will not only receive jail time, but will be a registered sex offender.” A photo taken and uploaded without much thought can change a teen’s life forever.

As of yet, no minor caught sexting has been registered as a sex offender, but until our laws catch up with our technology it will remain a risk. We must help young people understand the responsibilities which come with having a cell phone with a camera. If you’re a parent or guardian, watch the Talking about Sexting video clip from Common Sense Media and review the concise sexting Q& A fact sheet created by NetSmartz. And when friends come over for a party, collect their cell phones at the door!

Andy Mann, Educational Technology Consultant

Calhoun Intermediate School District

Marshall, Michigan

Just Call Me Switzerland

NetSmartz is frequently asked by parents, guardians, and teachers to recommend “safe” sites for kids: Should I let my kids have a MySpace®? Is Club Penguin® dangerous? Is there a video site other than YouTube® I can use in class? These are valid questions, but they’re also somewhat unanswerable. NetSmartz does not endorse any particular website or Internet service. Think of us as Switzerland – we remain neutral because we cannot guarantee that any site is “safe.”

Take YouTube for example. The site does not approve videos before they’re posted (although they will remove them for copyright infringement or offensive content) and users leave comments that are anywhere from courteous to rude to downright vulgar. So does this mean you should keep kids away from all sites where they may encounter something inappropriate?

Not really.

YouTube also has an amazing collection of fun and educational videos. I personally enjoy watching episodes of my favorite shows from childhood like Jem and the Holograms and Zoobilee Zoo. The trick is to teach children safer search techniques, what to do when they see something inappropriate, and how to respond to criticism or hurtful comments.

Think about it – you don’t keep your kids in a bubble 24/7 for fear they might encounter germs. Instead, you teach kids the importance of washing their hands, covering their mouths when they cough, and using those oh-so-handy mini-bottles of hand sanitizer. (Note: I did not name a brand. Still Switzerland.)

The same idea applies to the Internet. Don’t lock your kids in a bubble. Arm them with a solid set of rules so they know what to do when they encounter something you consider objectionable. The Internet is full of inappropriate content, so kids are bound to see it at some point. But it’s also full of wonderful things like…aha! You thought I was gonna name them didn’t you?

Switzerland!

Michelle Menillo, Educational Writer