Wanted: Unemployment

by Scott Trolan

It’s my job to stay up-to-date with Internet news. This means reading about anything from Facebook’s privacy policies to new iPhone apps. It also means reading about the mistakes that people make online—again and again. And again.

I am not entirely sad about this. These online snafus reinforce the need for Internet education programs, like NetSmartz.

But at the same time, please, STOP! Everyday I read stories about people being punished for doing things like posting vulgar status updates or creating fake and defamatory profiles. These aren’t even new mistakes…just the same ones over and over! Sure, the Internet is huge, and the chances of your bad behavior being discovered are slim. But probability isn't much comfort if you are the person that is caught!

So here’s my challenge: put me out of a job. Enough is enough already! Please stop making the same mistakes online. Or do you need to read one more story about someone losing their job because of what they did on Facebook or Twitter?

Unemployment Plan

1) Look at your profile. Is there anything inappropriate or illegal? Get rid of it!
2) Check your privacy settings. Be in of control who sees your information.
3) Review your friends list. Remember, these are the people with access to everything that you post. (Which means your crush just saw that update about your little problem with halitosis.)

Oh, yeah. And think before you post. I know. Soooo obvious. But it clearly needs to be said.

Amani Rushing, Writer/Editor

Twitter to Teens: Pick Me!

by Christie Andrews

Last week I discussed the ongoing battle for teen users between social networking giants MySpace and Facebook. But there is a new player on the social media scene, vying for the oh-so-finicky attention of the youth market. Enter Twitter, trying to win the hearts and minds of teens 140 characters at a time.

Twitter was hyped as the next big thing, but has not caught on with teens as massively as Facebook or MySpace. A recent report shows that only 19% of Twitter users are teens, and they seem to be more interested in following persons and brands of interest than making updates. If that is so, Twitter may have recently received a set back to attracting a bigger teen audience.

Teen Queen Miley Cyrus deleted her Twitter account; she even rapped about it (video below). Does this mean that her teen followers will abandon Twitter, too? Not so fast. Enter the Great and Powerful Twilight Movie Franchise. Since creating its Twitter page this teen-driven franchise has gained close to 140,000 followers.

Take cover Twitter; a herd of teens may be stamp-tweeting in your direction.

MySpace v. Facebook

by Scott Trolan

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

By Chris Bevington

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.

by Chris Bevington

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.

by Chris Bevington

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.