POS GTG IH8U!

Research social networking and cyberbullying to answer the following questions:

• How do you personally and professionally use social networking?
• What is your own definition of cyberbullying?
• Why do you think the prevalence of cyberbullying has increased?
• What are some suggestions for helping students protect themselves?

I use social networking personally to keep up with friends, pass the time and de-stress with games like Words iwth Friends (addicting!) and as a cloud for photos and information. I personally have accounts with LinkedIn, Facebook, Tumblr and Google +. I use social networking professionally by friending professional contacts and keeping those contacts "wet" by conveniently touching base, forwarding relevant links. I also use sites like Diig and Facebook to bookmark articles and videos I find of interest, because then I can go to my page and find a record of them. Sharing these links I think also raises my visibility and credibility because it shows I am spending time with studies and news items relevant to the field. 

I believe cyberbullying is the use of technology to intentionally harm someone. It is the same definition of bullying, the main difference is the method... technology... and the impact, which has significant variations due to the possibility of going viral and touching tens, hundreds thousands and even millions of people. Another significant difference is that it is pervasive. When students are bullied the old fashioned way, when they go home they can expect some kind of respite. However iwth technology the harassment can go on 24/7 and it is very difficult for teens to resist the impulse to reply immediately which technology now affords them... it reduces the possibility of cooling off periods that old school bullying afforded.

I think cyberbullying has increased because access to technology has increased, and because texting and IMing are such a part of students social lives it is one of the primary ways they communicate, thus the harassment and arguments are digital, thus it is now cyberbullying. Also the factors of the immediacy of reply, as previously mentioned, as well as the "veil" that screens provide that make cruelty easier and nonverbal cues nonexistent add to mis and mal-communication.

The message in my cyber bulling presentations are "Stop Block Record". I encourage students to save important discussions for face to face, and to think before they press send when they are upset. Block perpetrators from friend lists. I also encourage record-keeping, saving screenshots of harassment, reporting harassment, knowing when to bring it to school versus the police (police if the perpetrator of harassment is not a student of our school) I also encourage parents to take devices away at night, to have the charging area in the master bedroom or kitchen since many students are texting all night instead of sleeping! I encourage parents to monitor their children's online interactions and be aware that students often create other accounts where they conduct their true social transactions beyond the account where the parent and other family are friends. 

A hidden benefit of cyber bullying is that there is a record that can be retrieved so the bullies end up hanging themselves so to speak... it is one thing to call someone something cruel in the hallway, that is horrible and painful but no one else may have seen or heard it. When they do it online there is a digital trail so if students are good at Stop Block and Record at least there can be consequences from administration and/or law enforcement.