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Permalink Reply by James Larson on November 7, 2013 at 12:06pm

In terms of the question, "are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?" I think that at this moment probably not. Coming from my own experience going through adolescence during the boom of the social networking phenomenon, and some findings I have come across in research, there needs to be a higher level of research and education surrounding the effects of engaging heavily in online communities. I believe part of the reason conflicts can become inflated (especially among teens) in an online setting is because the detachment of face to face interaction. This is a concept that has been echoed many times when talking about so called "online personas" people can take on when equipped wtih a keyboard and internet connection. Further, the widespread nature of sites like facebook and twitter can facilitate conflicts from being a situation maybe 10 or 15 people are involved in to a situation the entire student body can participate in and observe. Having said that, I think education on what it means to communicate online thoughtfully and as you would conduct yourself in the physical world is the first step in fostering a more civil online setting, However, we cannot solely rely on parents and schools to resolve these conflicts, especially in places where parents and schools are strained enough. The next step, for me, is to adapt the structure of online discussions, communities, social networks, etc. not so much as to penalize and deal retribution to those who are uncivil (because I don't think fear of punishment is an effective means to curb conflicts between teens on the web.)but to facilitate positive interactions in some way. This is clearly a generalization and the answer here is milt-faceted, but one tool that could be effective would be a type of feed-back loop. Whereas people generally see the effects of their behavior in face-to-face interactions through a multitude of feedback loops whether it be speech, body language, movement, etc. this feedback is lost in online conflicts because the only feedback, really, is text. In this sense, if websites incorporated a way for people to receive ques or feedback when a conflict is going on, it could curb the escalation and dramatization that online forums can facilitate.

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Permalink Reply by Kathryn Onorato on November 7, 2013 at 12:29pm

Yes, technology at a young age is here to stay and it is important as the growth rapidly expands that we take a look at what responsibility falls on the teens/adults to ensure teens are using these resources properly. Below are some questions I thought were interesting and wanted to share some personal stories as well as some material I found while researching the topic.

Are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?  

I have noticed we have become more reactive rather than proactive in resolving conflicts on social media.I feel that normally situations are handled as a response to an individual being bullied because a parent or school administrator steps in. I think a solution to be proactive is to begin educating students on proper uses of social media along with what the consequences are for abusing it. This can be part of lesson plans or a unit can be done in a life skills or English/Communication course. I also think another solution is to better educate parents on the issues. It is important to place responsibility on education at school, but parents absolutely need to be involved in these conversations. 

Are we providing education about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens?

Since I am no longer a teen I did not have much knowledge on this question. I did some research though to see what was available if a teen chose to look for some information. A website I found that was very helpful was the following:

http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

The good part of the website is it covers many issues for teens. So even if they are looking for another topic they may end up stumbling on internet safety and getting some information. The problem with most of the information out there is that they have to search for it, it is not just coming directly to them. For more effective communication information should be given to teens. Beyond just education in schools I think one of the best methods would be for the information to be right on the websites that teens use daily such as facebook and twitter. That is a guaranteed way they will see the information.

Are teens viewing adult content, much too soon, and in much too explicit a format - do they have the option to opt out and still maintain a social presence in social media?

This question was very interesting to me. Everything is available online and unless the information is blocked by parental control teens have easy access to the content especially when on their own cell phone. It is very uncommon for a teen to NOT have a cell phone. When I graduated college I deactivated my facebook. My intent was anyone who wanted to stay in touch with me could call me, text me, email me, or heck even snail mail me. I was a little worried at first I may loose touch with some people. Fortunately I was remaining in the same state so I knew  I would not be physically cut off from people, just digitally. All in all the experience was refreshing, I liked knowing information about people because THEY told me , not facebook and vice versa! A lot of people noticed my facebook was gone and asked me why it was. I guess it was a big enough deal that people wanted to know why which I found interesting. I think people felt the need to ask because it was so common and routine to have a facebook that they thought something must have happened for me to break this "routine." In 2012 I moved to North Carolina and about 4 months in re activated my facebook. A big part of this was because I left the North East and realized facebook was a big tool I needed to help stay in touch with people, since I was now physically cut off from them. I think teens can opt out of some parts of social media and still maintain a presence on it. This is because pictures of them will still be online whether they are tagged in them or not. I think that you can still remain in touch with people if you do not utilize all social media outlets, however both parties will just need to work a bit harder to stay in touch. It becomes more intimate and more effort, but whats so bad about that?!

What are the avenues for a teen to resolve a conflict involving an unauthorized photo of themselves on social media?  What could Facebook be doing to improve the safety landscape of teens on social media?

I think the first avenue teens use is to notify a parent or school administrator. I did some research and found that on facebook you can report a picture. I read some reviews and most said that people felt facebook took a long time to respond to some of these.  I think facebook could improve the safety for teens by simply making the information very visible and easy to read and understand. It can be simply presented but state that inappropriate and misuse will not be tolerated. A lot of people want a facebook and wouldn't want to lose it. While I see education in many venues important (such as in schools) I would like to see facebook take a more active stand and show safety information on the home page. 

While reflecting on this topic a lot of other issues came to mind and some other questions. I think this goes back to the issue of personal responsibility. Yes teens are minors, but they are quickly on their way to adults and I think in general there needs to be more education and conversation about personal responsibility. I think helping to build teens self esteem will also help contribute to less online bullying. I work with college students and I have dealt with roommate situations that have harassment on facebook and text messages. Many are unwilling and uncomfortable to speak in person. This is not just a problem for teens but also students in their twenties. As a whole we need to work towards giving individuals better interpersonal skills so we can end this trend that has certainly surpassed just teenagers.Our society is so technology driven that many are becoming used to hiding behind screens. We need to demonstrate the position that this is not always appropriate. We need to continue to teach more effective verbal communication skills and the benefit of it. This starts with us, we ourselves must demonstrate proper communication. 

-Kathryn Onorato 

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Permalink Reply by Krista Grace Jessacher on November 7, 2013 at 3:49pm

A teen can text faster than you can blink.  They are far more expressive than  we were growing up.   They can have multiple conversations at one time, online.  We never had conference calls with our friends when I was growing up.  

FILM - If you have a moment, check out the short film "Noah" on the Toronto International Film Festival site.  It is a film created by Cdn film students Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg and is an astute depiction of how relationship problems are managed by a tech-adept generation.  There are several offensive parts to the film, but what was most surprising for me was how innocuous comments can be interpreted.

ORAL and TEXT - The speed of communication is so fast these days, so very very fast.  Maybe too fast.  So how do we deal with the fact that some people prefer mainly oral communication(face2face or phone) and others prefer text communications.  Probably the answer lies in a little bit of both to maximize the connection in the relationships.  How do we help ourselves understand the Role of Technology in the lives of Teens?  Are we hope the phones just disappear?

PLAIGIARISM - Did we explore enough the topic of plaigiarism - are students these days writing their own origiinal essays and projects?  What if a student is taking the content for their essay from a foreign language?  How would an instructor catch this academic infraction? 

FILM - Here is the link to a great video on the RCMP website called "Cyberbullying - Bullying 2.0" http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cycp-cpcj/bull-inti/video/cyber-video-eng...

WHAT IS THE POLICY? I was at the local swimming pool (Parkinson Rec) and I'm quite interested in how their pool safety policy could be adapted for use in the online platform environment: "Centre - General Aquatic Centre Rules.  Patrons will respect the comfort and safety of others by conducting themselves in a respectful and safe manner while in the aquatic centre.  Fighting or engaging in behaviour likely to cause injury is prohibited.  Children under 7 years must be closely supervised within arm's reach at all times by a responsible adult or caregiver, 16 years or older, in the water while in the Aquatic Centre, regardless of swimming ability."  What a great policy and how can this be adapted to encourage safety for teens on the online social platforms.  

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Permalink Reply by Katie Sellers on November 7, 2013 at 4:05pm

I completely agree. With the substantial advances in technology in recent years, kids are literally growing up with technology as a part of their everyday lives. Three year olds are learning how to read on iPads, kids are getting cell phones starting at age eight, and teenagers have Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. accounts. A world without technology simply does not exist and is something that today's youth cannot fathom. However, because technology is everywhere and has for years been incorporated into their education, communication, and relationships, it is more important now than ever to ensure that children know the dangers and consequences of using technology and social media. 

 

What is even more concerning, as Mr. Anderson pointed out, is that it is far too easy for individuals to create accounts to protect their anonymity. The lack of face-to-face interaction allows people to hide behind their screen and perpetuate the "evils" of technology. Cyber bullying is not only a hot topic issue, but is also a terrifying one. Youth and young adults, especially, are able to use social media to harass, bully, torment, or tease others without having to handle the conflict in person. This allows the conflicts to become meaner, harsher, and more difficult to remedy. Because of the incorporation of technology in our everyday lives, it is vital that people are educated (starting at a very young age) about using social media responsibly and encouraging the individuals to maintain in-person relationships. It is far to easy to create a separate world from reality, where this virtual "safety-net" gives people the confidence to say or do whatever they want without understanding or realizing any consequences that may result. IP addresses can be traced, employers can access personal accounts, criminals can see the "selfies," and ultimately the safety net will fail. It is because of this that we need to develop and create ways to use technology to combat these issues. Technology is not going away, so we need to adapt to technology. 

 

In another post, Mr. Tenney mentioned the Safety Center located on Facebook. This Safety Center, along with "report abuse" buttons, is a step in the right direction to incorporate education and protection in social media. Teens and other users of social media need to have access to places where they can report any bullying or abuse and can feel that their concerns are being heard. I must admit that I do not know every feature of every social media outlet, but if every outlet incorporated some feature such as Facebook's Safety Center, and these features were well advertised and easy to access, I believe individuals would take advantage of it. I especially think this is true, because in my experience, abuse is not reported out of fear of the consequences. If users know, and believe, that they can successfully report bullying and abuse online without fear of the "abuser" tracing it back to the person, more people would be inclined to reach out and use the safety features. 

 

It is impossible to monitor every interaction online or to come up with a guaranteed, foolproof way of preventing cyber bullying and other abuses of social media. Conflict will always be around and the Internet may make it more difficult to come to resolutions. It is all of our responsibility to encourage those around us to handle a conflict when it first arises, talk to someone for help if necessary, and to not be afraid.

Discussions such as this are vital to the growth and awareness of not only the issues, but the resources available such as ODR. Thank you for the opportunity to share my opinions and to learn more about this area.

Alexander Deeb said:

Having grown up with the ever growing technology age (I'm 22 now), I completely agree that people adopt a sort of "online persona" as you put it.  When I was in grade school, the new online fad was AOL Instant Messenger (AIM).  AIM allowed you to be the person your peers never saw.  A quiet, laid-back person could be more outgoing and start more conversations.  A student interested in poetry could finally have the opportunity to express their feelings without the fear of being made fun of.... Or at least that's the way it started.  Eventually, the cyber bullying started, and it has become a major issue with younger kids today, especially with the development of social media.  Part of the problem could be that schools are incorporating technology more and more.  This increase could lead to the decrease of actual substantive human interaction, because students only "talk" through digital messaging, like texting and social media.

In order to "bridge the gap" between online and real world behavior I think that encouraging teens to establish relationships in the real world will lead to better online interactions.  I'm not sure it would be possible to teach good citizenship online, because like you said, people can adopt a different persona behind the computer screen.  (There is even an entire series on MTV dedicated to people who have started online relationships, only to find out the person they were talking to was not who they said they were.)  Instead, I think that teaching good citizenship as a whole, teaching teens how to treat each other no matter how they are interacting (online or digitally), is the foundation for healthy online relationships.  To me, cyber bullying (and any other kind of bullying) only occurs because the bullies don't take the time to get to know the real person they see on a daily basis.  Personally, I find it is much easier to talk to someone (in person or online) if I can understand more about them in general.  Maybe the older generations, such as parents, older siblings, or even more people my age just need to teach teens how to be a proper human being.  We need to make them realize that no matter who you are talking to, they are a person first and foremost.  I think that once we are able to help teens, and even younger kids, understand this, then we will be able to prevent further cyber bullying issues.  Maybe this is a bit idealistic, but maybe it's worth a shot.

Michael Wade Anderson said:

"Are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?  Are we providing education about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens?"

I would like to touch briefly on the quoted questions that were posed above in the section query.  I find it interesting to consider the fact that we may be at a time where we need to teach citizenship not only at the real-world level, but also on the digital level.  I know that today the school environment is aimed at more traditional roles of good citizenship and politeness in the real/physical world, but it seems that, as technology increases and becomes more common-place, students and teens are finding it easier to adopt "online personas".  In the digital world, they can be who they want, see what they want, and most importantly, argue about what they want.

This gives rise to such things as "trolling" and cyber-bullying, in which people online can act with impunity in regards to social punishment, as long as they keep their anonymity intact, or in some cases, simply because they are not in close proximity to the person who is the target.  In my mind, it has become almost a necessity that students need to be taught to deal with conflicts, no only in the real world, but also online. They also need to be taught how to behave themselves properly.  It would be very interesting to see what kind of system can be developed to combat this new trend of online-impunity.

Does anyone else have any ideas on how we can bridge the gap between online and real world behavior?

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Permalink Reply by Leanne Carberry on November 8, 2013 at 10:48am

Krista, thank you for posting such an interesting discussion topic. As you it have stated, the online social platform is here to stay.  There have been so many issues with social media that I doubt many could have anticipated to have escalated to such a degree. Like with many life lessons teens have it the worst; they are trying to find a way to understand the world they live in and how to form their own identity while simultaneously fitting in. Are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?  Much like many individuals responding to this topic, I would say no.  In fact, I would say society as a whole overlooks online conflicts, especially those involving teens.  I think that many people underestimate just how pervasive social media is, and the importance of social media in the lives of those of the younger generation.  I suppose that is the irony of the situation: the older generation teaching the younger generation how to act on a medium that the younger generation actually has more exposure to and necessity for.

I used to coach middle school girls in soccer and was always amazed at the fact that pretty much all of the girls had a cell phone, and that most of the girls had Facebook on their phone.  If someone had a problem with another player it was on Facebook disguised as a quote, or not specifically stated but alluded to, or sometimes just outright stated in a “status”.   Then all the other girls would gang up on the conversation.  If a girl did not have a Facebook it was almost worse, almost like no option to opt out exists. Growing up 10 years ago there was never an avenue to talk about other girls like that, it usually died off or at very least stayed within the team.  MySpace existed but parents had easier access to police teens ten years ago because it was on a computer and for most middle school aged kids, only accessible on a desktop computer.  While I think that some parents are doing a good job restricting access and talking to their children I think it is incredibly naïve to think Parents can grasp the presence of social media in their children’s lives.  I simply don’t think parents are capable of telling teens how to respond to an online thread or how to comment appropriately to a friend on Facebook.

No large push exists, despite a social saturation of social media, to inform teens the correct etiquette online. Are we providing education about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens?  Much like many individuals this thread have expressed I would say absolutely not.  As @ Michael Wade Anderson has said, “trolling” and cyber bullying have become a pervasive new presence online.  Often then, trolling exploits are given a lot of press and entice even more of that type of participation.  Web presence can be unanimous, and relatively easy to join most types of forums.  So how bridge the gap between online and real world behavior?  I would say restrict access.  Initially Facebook was site of college students.  The only way you could get a Facebook was if you had a college email address.  Perhaps that is a way to at least restrict access to a smaller area of people.  While an imperfect solution, and undoubtedly people would slip through the cracks at least a restriction could prevent many 13 year old teens, with no understanding of etiquette, from forming an online presence in Facebook.  Still, that solution assumes that our “everyone has a Facebook” culture could and would change. Restricting the availability is one solution, at least in attempting to stave off incredibly young teens until an age where they have some understanding of both good digital and good citizenship generally. 

Teenagers simply have more access to phones now that technology is more accessible, more immediate, and in many more hands is it naïve to think that parents would be able to make enough of an impact. For teens, only until it is “cool” to be an appropriate on social media will teens pay attention to their errors.  Justin Beiber made a pledge to stop texting and driving, maybe teens would take a pledge to be appropriate on social media if Miley Cyrus says it’s cool.  I know that seems extreme and perhaps ridiculous but that is the allure of social media in many ways, the cool factor. Society fails by sensationalizing the situations of persons who bullied others online and instead of promoting those who emulate appropriate behavior. Society fails by sensationalizing trolling.  Re-characterization of the issue is a good start.  Education and discussion about appropriate online behavior would help because there is a general lack of that discussion; usually it is a very limited scope for an incredibly broad and growing topic. Mostly, restricting access could at least be a start toward limiting availability for teens that are too young for certain social media sites.

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Permalink Reply by Daniel Muelleman on November 8, 2013 at 11:53am

To answer a few questions with my own personal experiences and thoughts:

 

Are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?

The old adage goes something like: "It takes a village to raise a child."  However, when I was growing up in a relatively friendly neighborhood with a mix of elderly couples and young couples with children younger and older than me I knew maybe two or three of the kids on my street.  The "village" of my youth was less a village of proximity and more a village of connectivity.  I hung out with the kids that I went to school with in homes around the city.  My day to day interaction with adult figures consisted of my teachers and my parents.  My parents and my friends parents knew each other but they certainly didn't constantly communicate.  My neighborhood wasn't a network of adult figures.  My teachers and my parents really only regularly communicated at conferences.  Essentially, I don't think the concept of a "village" carried much impact on my youth and I assume that many middle class American youth born between the late 1980s and now will share that experience with me.

 

The importance of this realization, I think, is that without an effort to construct a sort of modern "village" within which to raise a child then these real-world failings will continue to degrade efforts of cyber-world conflict resolution among teens (children).  Plainly, "we" are not doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media.  I think because "we" are terribly underestimating the nature of this new millennium.  I think of my parents (sorry for bringing you up mom and dad).  This new millennium has ushered in a new level of connectivity throughout the entire globe which my parents could not have anticipated when they decided to have children.

The nature of a child is to explore, and explore I did. The plethora of "social networks" within which I have involved myself in on the internet far pre-dates the modern ideas of Facebook and Twitter.  My parents just this last year joined Facebook. Imagine if a child were left to his own devices on the playground, at birthday parties, and during sleepovers until after that child graduated college.  Parents and adults function as moderators of behavior and conduct of youth in the physical world.  However, few parents and adults operate as moderators of the behaviors of youth in their own home.

This is the essence of the problem.  Technology, social media, video games, texting, etc. are regarded as novelties, special problems, or some type of new-generation fad.  The alarming reality is that the cyber-world is here to stay.  It is only spreading to every corner of the physical world.  The benefits are inarguable.  The negatives are to be remedied by the same methods adults have been using to moderate, educate, and raise children in the physical-world.  The adaptability, speed, and connectivity of online social networks should be a boon to the "village" in raising the child, not the fear.

Are we providing education about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens?

 

Simply, no.  For all the reasons stated above.  No parent would argue that handing a child a list of playground rules is near as effective as being on the playground and actively moderating the child's play.  Education means little to teens that don't see reinforcement.

Is Plagiarism being managed adequately or have some teens "beat the system"?

 

This is a tricky question probably more indicative of errors in traditional education systems in this modern world.  Plagiarism is an issue when kids are asked to regurgitate information.  I think the nature of a teenager is to find shortcuts and quicker, simpler ways of doing things.  Or to just be lazy.  Depends on the day, I guess.  The cyber-world is just a tool to facilitate either of these impulses.  The evolution of the internet and the growing nativity of the youth in it will constantly be looking for ways to "beat the system."  And as long as "the system" remains stagnant, it will be crushed.  Maybe instead of asking for reports and assignments which can easily be plagiarized? Maybe demand formats of submission that erase the incentives of "copy and paste" plagiarism?  Without adaptation of the educational system, plagiarism by teens will remain a viable option to feed the laziness or enterprising nature teens.

Is texting through the night by teens a myth or somewhat true?

 

I spent plenty of nights texting through the night in high school.  If some regard this as a problem, need I remind of the plenty of nights I spent in college hanging out with friends until dawn?  This is a natural tendency that is not the fault of the technology.  It is, however, facilitated by the technology of the modern phone.  This goes back to the example of the "village."  Here, my parents excelled.  They put me to bed at a reasonable hour, refused to allow me to have a computer or tv in my room, and took away opportunities for me to do anything but go to sleep.  The phone is a tool, a piece of technology that has no more power over a person than that person allows.  Just take the phone away. Parents have been upsetting their children because the parent knows better throughout history.  This is no different.

Are teens viewing adult content, much too soon, and in much too explicit a format - do they have the option to opt out and still maintain a social presence in social media?

 

I was first exposed to adult content online while researching for pictures for a report/presentation on some South American country for school.  Adult content is pervasive online, some would say it is the nature of the beast.  Social media is not new to the introduction of adult content to young eyes.  Dodging the debate about the propriety of adult content or at what age it is appropriate, it is inarguable that adult content can, will, and does exist all over social media.  Pornstars have twitter accounts.  Pornstars also exist in real life.  So do strip clubs.  And prostitutes.  As a society, or a "village," American society has assigned value to and relegated these activities to certain areas and locations.  Teenagers would not have done this on their own.  Online, teenagers will not handle adult content any different.  It will require an active role by the "village" in order to create some other circumstances.

What are the avenues for a teen to resolve a conflict involving an unauthorized photo of themselves on social media?

Plenty of social media outlets allow for moderation of content displayed on the individual's profile/page.  However, once a photo gets on the internet it is not going to disappear.  This hard fact of life should serve as a warning to teens.  Cameras are everywhere these days.  If you don't want a picture of your activities to spread, don't participate in that activity.  Prevent the conflict before it starts because erasing a picture from the internet is hardly a viable method of conflict resolution.

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Permalink Reply by Joey Creiglow on November 8, 2013 at 3:17pm

As much as I would like to say that we are doing an adequate job educating the youth of today “about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens”, I don’t feel that we are. I believe that there is only so much that media, social networking cites and school systems can do to prepare a teen for the explicit content and potential bullying that they may run into on the internet. I think that the education has to start with the parents and part of the problem is that many parents who were not raised in an era of internet and social media aren’t aware of the content that their young have access to. Another issue is that internet is so easy to access now. Kids have access to computers at school, smart phones, tablets, etc. Even if a parent is doing a great job at monitoring their child’s social media or internet searches at home they may be unaware of the child is doing outside of their supervision. I don’t have this great solution for fixing this issue or for educating youth. I think it is a problem that will continue and maybe even increase.

I think that there can be better monitoring on behalf of websites as to who can access them and what content is going in and out of it.  Even if sites increase their access security, I think that the ultimate responsibility for the children lies with their parents and how well they prepared the child for the internet.

Thinking a little more positive, I have a strong hope and even belief that parents will become more knowledgeable about issues with their teens and social media and will become better able to educate their children as the years go on. As parents who grew up seeing the negatives of social media and internet begin to educate their children, they will have experience and better insight to help their children have “good digital citizenship”.

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Permalink Reply by Leah Wing on November 8, 2013 at 7:28pm

What a fantastic and engaging discussion--so many contributions and threads to the conversation, where does one begin to respond?!  A few thoughts come immediately to mind:

• Many people have commented on the impact of 'distance' (in time and space and through anonymity) that is magnified online and seems to foster the ability to be cruel or uncivil.  James speaks about the need for more feedback loops, Krista, Alyssa, and others talk about how we educate people to realize what they do does impact others.  It seems to me that this is a crucial dilemma that online communication has yet to sufficiently tackle.  I have hope that we will continue to see innovations that respond to this--in both technological applications and in education.  However, we have known for decades now, that this is a problem.  And suicides from cyberbullying is not a new story.  What will it take for there to be more changes--again, in technology and in education?  Public pressure on legislatures?  Public pressure on businesses (ie: Facebook and Twitter)?  Or will it be that those raised with a cell phone in their hand (cheers for that image, Alyssa!) will be the generation of dispute resolvers and business leaders who will foster sufficient change?  What do you all think are ways we can foster these changes sooner than later?
• I have found the work of Dukes, Stephens, and Piscolish, Reaching for Higher Ground, very useful for working with groups f2f to create ground rules that are based on aspirations and shared principles rather than the lowest common denominator.  I have wondered if there are useful ways to apply a similar approach for both educational purposes and also to build relationships that consider how we impact and are accountable to one another online. 
• In the discussion forum on trust Colin Rule referenced a Respect Pledge that was created and adopted unanimously by everyone in attendance at the at the 5th International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution in Liverpool, England.  You can read it at:  http://www.odr.info/respectpledge  It will also be open for signing next week.  Perhaps more such efforts--even the process of creating them, circulating them, and demanding them of social media sites--can help.  

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Permalink Reply by Krista Grace Jessacher on November 10, 2013 at 7:52pm

I have to thank everyone for their wonderful contribution to this discussion.  We seem to be so much further ahead on many of these topics and concerns than we were even 12 months ago.  It has been wonderful, thank you.  Krista

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Permalink Reply by Victor Diaz on November 13, 2013 at 6:28pm

Are we doing enough to resolve conflicts between teens on social media?  

Most of the people on here have been saying that a lot of the responsibility lies with the parents. I would have to disagree with that point. While the internet and other forms of technology are making their way into most households, there are only certain things that parents can control. Sure they can refuse to pay for their teen’s phone bill or decide to discontinue the internet service. However, what people aren't picking up on, is that if teenagers want access to the digital world, they're going to find some way to gain access to it.

One of the reasons why teenagers keep harassing each other online is because the perpetrators are not being held responsible for their words or actions. Another thing that contributes to this ongoing conflict is how some institutions react. For example, there have been numerous cases where students have posted naked photos that were meant to stay private between two parties. When brought up to school administrators, nothing has been done in some cases and instead of sticking up for the person who is being exploited, they have taken to shaming them, saying they shouldn’t have sent those pictures to anyone in the first place. That’s not the point! The point is that the person is being exploited, yet the school chooses to shut their cries for help out.  

 

Are we providing education about good digital citizenship at the right time, with the right message, to the right groups - in a format that is easily understandable to teens?  

Once again parents are receiving way too much blame for how teenagers behave online. I agree with Kathryn, that maybe this is something that should be included in a life skills class at school. That of course is difficult to do since schools these days do nothing but focus on how to take standardized tests.

What people are failing to point out that is that teenagers themselves have to take on some of the responsibilities of learning how to be a good citizen not only online, but also in the real world. My parents have no idea how to use a computer and get online, yet I don’t go around the internet attacking people and bullying them. People just need to understand that it’s not okay to be a jerk. Some of are going to get it, and some are not.

As far as resources go, there are quite a few campaigns out there to stop cyber bullying. Many of these organizations have even been started by kids and teens who have been bullied themselves.

Is Plagiarism being managed adequately or have some teens "beat the system"?

Plagiarism has always been difficult to manage, especially with ever changing technology. However, just as people are figuring out more ways to “beat the system,” people are developing new ways to fight plagiarism. In a few of my undergraduate classes we were only allowed to submit our papers through a certain website that would screen the paper and see if was something that had been taken from somewhere else.  

Are teens viewing adult content, much too soon, and in much too explicit a format - do they have the option to opt out and still maintain a social presence in social media?

Teenagers are definitely being exposed to adult material at younger ages, but it all depends on the person. Some parents are able to monitor what material their children have access to while others to do. Eventually though, teens are going to get access to these materials one or another, if they’re that determined to do so.

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