Schools in New Jersey Take Social Media On

Schools in New Jersey are preparing to teach middle school courses on social media -- focusing on making the most of the technology and also on responsible use.  "Kids should never be held back later in life because of their social media use today. It is our job to prepare students for the professional world, one that increasingly takes place online," said Angel Fuentes, the New Jersey assemblyman who sponsored a bill that passed last month, making New Jersey the first state to require the courses. "Strategic social media use can build bridges just as easily as inappropriate social media use can build walls.

Twitter Now Able to Send Pictures Via Direct Message

Twitter's revamped mobile application, which launched recently, allows users to send photos to one another via direct message. That makes Twitter a bigger competitor in the already crowded social networking space, but could also mean new risks for those who aren’t paying attention to where their messages are going - like to more public spaces on Twitter. This feature may make Twitter more like Snapchat and may end up promoting sexting. If you, or your family, make use of this new feature, try sending a few practice messages at first and, as always, be discreet about what you send.

Twitter Age Verification – Just Legal Mumbo Jumbo

I have to say, when I read press releases like the recent one from Twitter about its new “age gate” filtering, I wonder if they realize how silly they are being – but, then their lawyers don’t think so. Twitter has modified its "age gate" screening processes so that users can input a date of birth to follow adult brands, such as spirits vendors, inside the Twitter application instead of being forced to a separate Web page. The new service immediately follows the desired adult brand when the date is accepted, and Twitter will note that the account is for a "legal adult," making it easier to follow more restricted brands. This is just indemnification for the site so they can say that they asked the user for their age, because no age check is done, in case there are legal problems that might develop later. This is yet another reminder to parents  -- no one is looking out for your kids except you.

Twitter Now More Popular than Facebook with Teens?

Teens in the U.S. now prefer Twitter to Facebook, according to a study from Piper Jaffray, a reversal of a survey from earlier this year. Although Twitter is most popular among 26% of teens, Facebook is just behind at 23%, and another 23% say they prefer Facebook-owned Instagram, the survey showed. Of course, it is doubtful that Facebook is going anywhere soon especially now that it is been adopted on so many mobile platforms and because it has its hooks into users since you often need a Facebook login to gain access to a site. Perhaps, it does mean, though, that younger users do want that instant gratification that Twitter allows.

Twitter and Disaster Notification

Twitter recently said it would notify subscribers that they can sign up for a program to receive emergency alerts and directives from dozens of global government agencies via text messages and Twitter's mobile application. The social media network played a major role last year in assisting East Coast victims during Hurricane Sandy. The problem is, though, that the Twitter feed can also be filled with misinformation spread by pranksters. Some people may also be uncomfortable about turning over their cell number to some of these agencies who have been hacked in the past. Twitter, for its part, has maintained a strictly hands-off attitude toward monitoring its content and denied responsibility for ensuring its accuracy.

Online Etiquette

Part of keeping yourself safe online is watching what you say no matter the social media you choose to use to express yourself. Keeping that in mind, take a look at this list of 6 Rules for Making a Great Virtual Impression. While these are rules for making a good professional impression, there is some spill over into what to do in daily communication. Rule #6? Know when to pick up the phone when more clarity is needed. This is good to remember as the school year approaches.

Don’t Text and Drive

The National Safety Council estimated that roughly 200,000 crashes in 2011 involved texting; and an AT&T Wireless survey found that 75 percent of teenagers say texting while driving is “common” among their friends. In an attempt to educate the public about the dangers of texting and driving, America’s four largest wireless carriers have financed a 35 minute documentary by filmmaker Werner Herzog , “From One Second to the Next,” and released it online. AT&T will take the lead in distributing it to more than 40,000 high schools. As the school year approaches, think about taking the pledge to never drive and text and urge your teens to do so.

Fake Endorsements on Twitter Surface

Twitter was left with egg on its face this week after a report surfaced that the company had created and published mockups of product endorsements that showed real users posting enthusiastic tweets that they never wrote about products they had never seen. The episode raises the familiar question of how far social media companies can go in harvesting user images and content for advertising. Twitter and other companies regularly offer assurances that users own their pictures and images. While this is technically true from a copyright perspective, the companies also impose licenses that let them do nearly anything they like with the images. Or, in other words, once you post something on a social media site, that site can basically co-opt the picture for any reason.

Study Finds Parent Child Bond Strengthens Because of Social Media

Teens who used Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites to communicate with their parents felt closer to them and were less likely to manifest aggressive behavior and depression, a new study says. The study also found that these teens had increased "prosocial behavior," compared with peers who did not engage with their parents on such sites. Of course, there is a bit of a "chicken-and-egg phenomenon" going on here. Parents who are more connected to their kids may just use social media to keep that connection cemented. Researchers also said “the important thing for parents to note is that they should teach themselves to be "media savvy and to know where their kids are," whether it's on Twitter, Facebook, or some other new social networking site.”

Twitter Shields Users – Most of the Time

Through its latest update for iOS and Android phones, Twitter says it will now automatically screens posts for "sensitive content," particularly for images containing "nudity, violence, or medical procedures," and will hide such content behind a warning label for the site's mobile users. It’s a simple way to keep the service clean for all age groups — including kids and teens, one of Twitter’s fast-growing demographics — and improve the user experience. (In theory, at least.)