UP-SMART is University/Professional Social Media And Responsible Technology. It is the idea that the internet and social media can be made safer for teens when we teach them how to use it ethically and responsibly, and more relevant to teens when we connect responsible use of technology and social media with both college and career success.
The following resources are specifically for teens and parents trying to sort through the sea of social media available to teens today.
TOUGH DIGITAL CHOICES
First, here are the notes from the presentation I give to the teens in my classroom and the student leaders I train at CADA events on responsible technology and social media use. Teens and their parents should have a discussion about what they feel their role is in making these "Tough Digital Choices."
Then there is the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI). Many of the resources I used in my presentation come from this organization. One video is titled "What Parents Can Do?" and is a good introduction into what FOSI is all about. You can check that out here:
There is the story of "Kiki Kannibal," which is a worst-case scenario of a teen who went way too far with technology, and parents who, unfortunately, just didn't know how to handle their daughter's out-of-control online presence. Basically, Kirsten Ostrenga was a teen on the fringe, largely ignored by her peers, seeking love and attention. She turned to the online world, and got that love and attention (and millions of hits on her MySpace profile) under the name "Kiki Kannibal." Here's an excerpt:
A year earlier, Kirsten "Kiki" Ostrenga was just another tween nobody living her so-called life in Coral Springs, Florida. Then she got a MySpace account, and everything changed. A stylish wisp of a girl who adored punky "scene kid" fashion, Kiki began filling her MySpace page with pouty photos of herself in heavy makeup and cropped tops, adopting a persona as brash and outrageous as the real Kirsten was awkward and insecure. She named her creation "Kiki Kannibal," and her new and improved online self swiftly became an Internet celebrity. But fame had come with a backlash she could never have anticipated.
The article is both fascinating and horrifying, but definitely an article parents should read here:
"Kiki Kannibal: The Girl Who Played With Fire," Rolling Stone magazine, April 15, 2011.
In 2010, MTV partnered with athinline.org to air a special titled "Sexting in America: When Privates Go Public." This is a great special to watch with your teen. It features the stories of two teens, one a girl who shared a topless photo of herself but never expected how far it would go or how it would affect her life. The other story is of a young man who--in a fit of anger with his ex-girlfriend--shared a naked photo of her with lots of people, including her parents. He ended up being tried and convicted as an adult, and because of his actions is now a registered sex offender in the state of Florida.
You can find those video segments here:
"Sexting in America: When Privates Go Public." MTV News Special, 2010.
Finally, I'll end this section with a video that I show in my "Making Tough Digital Choices" presentation. It's another good one to watch with your teen, and it makes the point that the photos and information you share with just your "Friends" aren't always limited to your friends. Remember that even strict privacy settings where you set posts or photos to be visible to "Friends only" really means "Friends only" plus . . .
1. Anyone who has access to your friend's home computer or cell phone (friends, siblings, parents, etc)
2. Anyone at a public computer (library, Apple Store, Staples, Office Depot, Best Buy, any other public place with internet access) where your friend accidentally stays logged into a social network
3. Anyone's home computer or phone where they have logged in and forgotten to log out of a social network.
Think before you post.
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