Do kids need social media? Ask their future bosses

New research published by Forrester Research shows that businesses, and in particular business buyers have very high social media participation. Some key findings are:

• 55% of decision-makers were in social networks (Joiners) --
  
• 43% are creating media (blogs, uploading videos or articles, etc.) and 58% are Critics, reacting to content they see in social formats.
  

What does these mean to educators? The correct use of social media is not only a safety issue, part a part of today's business requirements. We need to prepare kids to communicate with social media on a professional level.

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The Case for Kids - FaceBook illustrates the urgency of education now

The recent FaceBook news -Sketchy Facebook Friends Could Haunt You Forever - illustrates the immediate need to educate kids, and adults, of the threats of social networking. The transparency of the Internet is a double edged sword that requires us to carefully evaluate what we publish, or allow to be published, about ourselves. From the story -"... if you're thinking of a career in government service, or with any other employer who will do even a casual background check, think twice about who your "friends" are on the Web. You never know when your associations may come back to haunt you."

In this instance, evil intent may not be the issue as much as discretion and caution. FaceBook content, like tatoos, can leave marks that last through several life phases.

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1-Out-of-Every-8 Convicted Sex Offenders Created MySpace Pages in Past Two Years

Our hat is off to John A. Phillips, CEO of Aristotle, who created a web portal designed to educate parents as to the real risks of online predation. Phillips, an expert in identity verification technologies and Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) member, launched COPS with the goal of empowering parents to have a voice in this debate and provide a means to hold social networking sites (SNS) -- such as MySpace -- accountable for failure to adopt appropriate safety protocols and user identification technologies necessary to reduce risks of online predation.

The portal, www.ChildOnlineProtectionService.com (COPS), was launched recently along with the statistic that 1-Out-of-Every-8 Convicted Sex Offenders Created MySpace Pages in Past Two Years