Anti-Social Media

The following is a Medianote Classic. It was originally presented to MC101 students in Spring 2016.

At its worst, social media can be cruel, creepy and dangerous. Most of us are able to avoid the worst effects, but adolescents are disproportionately damaged by abusive posts, photos and texts. NPR reports.

Questions...

•Is the internet more dangerous for girls than boys? Why or why not?

•What is the line between acceptable and unacceptable online banter between middle school or high school boys and girls?

•What do parents, teachers and other older people not understand about cyberbullying?

•A Crescenta Valley student committed suicide a couple of years ago after being cyberbullies. The school district responded by hiring a company to scan student social media posts for mentions of drug use, gang membership, cyberbullying or suicidal thoughts. Was this a good idea or a bad idea? Why?