News Stories

May 31, 2017

Ed Tech Times on youth social media and smartphone use

Social media is a game you can win or lose. At The Social Institute, we do all we can to give parents and other role models the tools they need to equip kids to win. We like to think that the author of this thoughtful article in Ed Tech Times would agree with our approach. (But we didn’t ask because he’s busy being the faculty director for professional education at Boston University’s School of Education.)   

May 25, 2017

The Daily Dot on cyberbacking fourth-grade activist Little Miss Flint

THIS is cyberbacking. 👊 If you witness someone being bullied online, back them up. It’s that simple. Great coverage by The Daily Dot.

May 23, 2017

WCNC-TV on Charlotte social media elite who treat their fame like full-time jobs

Need to inspire a teen to “play to their core”? Share this article from WCNC. The social media stars profiled are great examples of this important social standard. They all started by sharing what they naturally love the most — including dressing up with a dog — and their passion, dedication, and hard work paid off with followers, fans, and (for some) a full-time job. 

May 19, 2017

Forbes reports on how social media is impacting how students learn

We are excited to learn about Goodwall’s efforts to integrate social media and education (versus devising more ways to separate them). “The reality is that students do spend many hours a day on social media and educators and schools can and should leverage the platforms to engage the students and enhance learning.” Read more in Forbes about how social media is affecting learning and the role it could play in the traditional classroom. 

 

May 17, 2017

espnW on Kate Fagan’s University of Colorado commencement speech

Consider this: “I have created a crude algorithm in my head, and I’m now altering THE STORY OF MY LIFE, to chase page views.” Or this: “We now seem addicted to the reaction, to the applause. And even more than that: It’s as if nothing is inherently beautiful, but only if enough people agree that it is…” Kate Fagan’s speech is full of life lessons stated simply, and relatably, for teens. Parents, share this one with your older kids. The transcript is on espnW.

May 9, 2017

espnW reports on the teen who shut down body-shaming with one tweet

After tweeting a photo of herself in her prom garb, an Indianapolis teenager got fat-shamed. By strangers. At The Social Institute, we encourage students to go high when others go low, and this high school senior did just that. Her follow-up tweet, as reported by espnW, went viral. 

May 9, 2017

Mashable covers Nicki Minaj giving straight-A students a surprise on Twitter

We love seeing this type of support and generosity anywhere, but especially on social media. High-fives 🙏 to Ms. Minaj (and to Mashable for covering the story). And those straight-A students she reached out to? We see you. Keep up the awesome work, and follow Nicki’s example on social, too. Use it for good.

May 4, 2017

Bustle on “the hidden villain” in Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why” (bad parenting)

OK, wow. That title is harsh. But the article, published in Bustle,  supports a belief shared by The Social Institute: Equipping our kids to win the game of social starts at home. And if they don’t or can’t talk to a parent about what they face every day on their devices, they aren’t set up to 🏆. We also agree that “it’s not as easy as asking ‘What’s wrong?’ at the dinner table,” and that sometimes it takes “persisting with a gentle touch and honest intentions.” In other words, it’s hard. We’re here to help.

April 23, 2017

ESPN on how NFL teams track prospects on social media

This article at ESPN reveals just how seriously an athlete’s career can be affected by what they share — or what others share about them — online. And it acknowledges the good social can do: “Everything you put up there, that’s going to be read by everyone,”draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. said. “You have to be careful of all of that and be aware of it. It can be a positive, or it can be a major negative.” 🎯🏈 #winatsocial

April 21, 2017

The Independent reports that Bill Gates limits his kids’ tech use

His kids weren’t allowed to have their own cell phones until they were 14, and no one — adults included — had a phone or tablet at the dinner table. Not crazy, right? We call it striking a balance. ⚖⏱ Read more in The Independent about why Bill Gates thought this was so important in The Independent.

April 20, 2017

ESPN on Steph Curry’s decision to log off during game time

The Golden State Warriors’ #30 is a role model on and off the basketball court, including social media. He plays to his core — sharing the best version of himself — and strikes a balance like the pro he is. Read why Steph Curry “deleted every social media application from his phone before Game 1 of the first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers” in this article at ESPN. Then go bounce some 🏀.

April 6, 2017

The Verge on how Facebook will stop revenge porn from spreading

ICYMI, revenge porn is revealing images or videos posted online without the subject’s consent. #notnice Often, this is done by a scorned lover, but sometimes — as reported by The Verge — it’s done for kicks and giggles, like the secret Facebook page of servicewomen made by Marines. #wow Facebook is trying to curtail revenge porn by making it more difficult to post but the best way to avoid revenge porn is by keeping your private photos private. The end. 

March 28, 2017

MWT posts a Nature Valley ad showing kids addicted to tech

Yes, an ad. Advertising both shapes culture and reveals it to us. In this video, posted on Most Watched Today, Nature Value promotes one of The Social Institute’s core values: striking a balance. Technology and social media can be used for good! They can build confidence, encourage community, affect change. But we all need to step away from it, too. Get outside. Talk to each other face-to-face. Take a walk.

March 16, 2017

Refinery29 talks to Alec and Hilaria Baldwin about social media education

The title of this article at Refinery29 was just the first thing we love about it. Let us count the other ways: 2) Like many parents, they feel like they can’t keep up with social media; 3) Alec cites the benefits of social and the need to teach those benefits; and 4) Hilaria uses the word “phubbing.” 📱🤦

March 15, 2017

USA Today reports on new Google app for parents

Parents can use Google’s new app, after downloading it on their phone and their child’s, to manage the apps she can access, how much time she can spend on each, and when the phone is turned off. (Think bedtime.) Google is still testing the app but hopes to release it this summer. An iOS 🍎 version is promised, too. We read about it in USA Today.