Cutting Access to Social Media is Not the Answer in U.K. Riots

 

It was 5:34am when the hideous screech of the alarm finally woke me up. My wife was already in the kitchen on her second cup of coffee, clutching her iPad with determined eyes fixed to the screen. I kissed her on the head before pouring myself a cup as she glanced up at me quickly and without a word. Something wasn't right. "Whatcha reading," I asked casually in an effort to seem unaware of her obvious discomfort.

Social Media, the Riots and a Different New York Approach

British papers are full of news stories and commentary about the role social media has played in the riots that rocked London and other major cities. Prime Minister David Cameron’s calls to shut down some sites have been met with a barrage of criticism, such as this op-ed in the Guardian. Others have attacked the government’s overall response, including its attack on social media outlets and the deployment of water cannons comparing the aggressive behavior to the Mubarak regime’s initial response to the Egyptian uprising. The Telegraph  has a stream of comments on its web site, some from former police officers, critical of the police for not being aggressive enough, including their hesitation in shutting down the Blackberry and other cellular networks. The Blackberry network was reportedly instrumental in maintaining anonymity for many protestors and organizing riots.

June 10, 2011

The Gang Violence That Never Was — Social Media and Bad Journalism in Boston
http://bit.ly/k0AT5D

 

School Internet Filter Illegally Blocks LGBT Websites, Says ACLU
http://bit.ly/mEUWua

 

Journeys
http://bit.ly/gladxs

 

The Gang Violence That Never Was — Social Media and Bad Journalism in Boston

Law enforcement officials are trying to figure out why supposedly massive fights erupted between teens on a crowded Boston beach over Memorial Day weekend. Initial reports, from Massachusetts State Police, were that gangs had used Facebook to organize violent gatherings. Then, on Tuesday, Boston’s police commissioner said whatever fights that did break out didn't seem to have anything to do with gangs. And finally state police started backpedalling their gang violence theory. Regardless, media outlets were all atwitter with the social media, “gang warfare” angle  — underscoring how sensational media memes can overwhelm any attempt by the public to understand the dynamics of teen violence.

Get the Most out of JJIE.org

As I am sure you've discovered  JJIE.org is the best source for daily coverage of juvenile justice issues not just in Georgia, but around the United States. Every week thousands of people are logging on to find out what is happening in the lives of young people and in the issues they face. But did you know that many of the conversations taking place around our stories aren't happening on our website? The JJIE community is a lively bunch, chiming in on issues from all corners of the web. Below are some ways you can connect with JJIE outside of this website:

 

Facebook.

Updates you may have noticed

Greetings from JJIE's social media desk. If you're familiar with the site you've probably noticed some new features popping up the past few days. If you're new then you may be looking for the best way to get involved or make the most of your visits. At the bottom of each article you'll notice some updated 'sharing' features along with a 'report an error' button and a psuedo-pop-up welcoming our Interim Editorial Director John Fleming to the ranks. While the pop-up isn't here to stay, we think the other changes are a step in the right direction.

Update: Hyper-Texting Teens Linked to Sex, Stress, Binge Drinking

Some teenagers who text more than 120 times a day and spend hours using social media may be more likely to have sex, drink a lot, smoke and feel more stress.  Researchers at Case Western Reserve University are studying the link between heavy use of communication technology and risky behavior that can affect kids’ health. Dr. Scott Frank presented a study at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association in Denver.  Dr. Frank teaches at Case, he’s a family physician, director of a local health department and a substance abuse prevention group.  He surveyed 4,257 teenagers at 20 high schools in the Cleveland Ohio area. Click here to read the abstract. Click here for the full study.