Talking to Kids About Headline News; The Positive Social Media Lens

Talking with Kids About Ukraine: Resource Roundup March 10, 2022 Update-Russia's Invasion of Ukraine As parents and educators grapple with urgent headlines, grisly visuals and untenable war crimes popping up on social media, one has to be especially mindful of this same level of saturation landing on children with equal horror. I've 'added' to this initial post far too … [Read more...]

Dark Knight Rises: Resources to Reassure Kids

July 20, 2012 “Some Joker has to ruin it all,” a young ticket holder shaking his head fumed as news of the Batman movie premiere tragedy shot through every media channel from mobile to mainstream. The macabre pun was suitable, intentional or not. From CNN videos and sound reels to a CBS special airing in less than 24 hours we're reminded that media is ambient in surround … [Read more...]

Youth Data Mining 101: Privacy Breaches, Opt-Outs, ToolBar Add-Ons

"Holy data-sucking, Batman!" (no, not one of the boy wonder's bat quotes...but it should be...) In this SkypeJournal article called Batman, the Surveillance Society and Moral Design, the mobile-phone powered surveillance state of the Dark Knight movie is not so far off from reality right this very second. SkypeJournal blogger Phil Wolff asks, "If industry has the power … [Read more...]

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl; Product Placement or Literary Bridge?

Ruthe Stein, Senior S.F. Chronicle reviewer must be a soul-mate of sorts in the ‘thinking alike’ arena, as her opening marks hit me with a one-two punch over my coffee this morning, having just done a double-take on the four-color, full-page fireworks ad that screamed, "Celebrate the Holiday with An American Girl!” “Movies have become adept at … [Read more...]