‘Across all risks and with all children talking to someone was the most popular coping strategy’ EU Kids Online (2012) on CyberBullying and negative online experiences.   Research has found that building resilience in children and young people is vital in the battle against cyberbullying. Children need to be taught coping strategies early in a world immersed in digital.  Parents online confidence was also found to be a factor in reducing cyberbullying as the lines of communication were more open and understood when discussing online topics.   As our children become more exposed to technology as a growing part of their daily lives, they are somewhat comfortably numb in this environment and the way in which they are exposed to imagery and behaviour they may not experience so early in the offline world.  It is important as Parents and caregivers of young people that we help build their resilience in the online environment.   It’s common knowledge that while exploring the Internet is wonderful and exciting, there is a dark side with issues surrounding CyberBullying, Trolling, Sexting and other harmful behaviour which takes place online.  Building resilience in children and young people strengthens their ability to cope, adjust or recover from negative online experiences including bullying. It can also help them deal more positively and confidently with peer pressure and negative online experiences.   Being resilient gives the young person the ability to bounce back from negative postings or comments, is less likely to display bystanding behaviour and may help the young person become less vulnerable to sexual predators and sexual peer pressure.   As Parents, educators and community leaders we want to encourage our children to be confident within, so that if they experience bullying either online or off or have negative experiences they can keep safe, the experience will have less  impact on them and they are able to cope, recover and deal with the problem without lasting or devastating consequences, such as cyber related psychological problems, suicide and self harm.   So just how can we make our children more resilient when it comes to using technology or things they may come across or see online – here is few areas we can start with:    

• Being Empathetic to the world our young people live in - This is an important area when it comes to the gap between us as Parents and other care-giving adults when dealing with our  children’s use and grasp of technology, especially that of Social Media and networking.  If as a Parent you find yourself involved in a issue with your child and something which has taken place or happened online it is especially important that you put yourself in the shoes of that child and attempt to see the online world as they do.  Empathy does not imply that you agree with the situation but rather you attempt to appreciate the young persons point of view.

• Communicating effectively and listening actively  - It’s nothing new that many young people see communication with parents and adults in general as a one-way system.  I myself am guilty as charged when it comes to how I sometimes communicate to my two young sons.  It can and often does tend to be one way.  In order to get a better handle and truly understand the online world of a young person we want to encourage them to share and speak of their experiences using technology and the Internet.  As adults it is important for us to actively listen to understand what it is they are trying to say and respond in a way which will help empower them.

• Develop responsibility in online behaviour  - I was always brought up to help around the house and as Parents we try to reinforce responsibility in Children simply by giving them jobs to do around the house.  Children from a very early age like to help others. Encourage this helping approach and kindness in relation to Internet use, especially from an early age where children can make a positive difference within their online world & communities  - if they see something taking place they are confident to act, seek support for themselves and peers and avoid bystanding behaviour.

• Actively encourage children and young peoples time away from technology. Breathe in some fresh air.

  As technology and the Internet becomes more connected within our everyday lives and how children and young people learn and communicate with each other there are a number of areas which can be improved both at home and within schools in making children more resilient. These are not just limited to young people but also focus on the responsibility of adults.  Within schools and the home it is important that we encourage open communication.  It is also important that we continue to promote Internet access, use and awareness among adults so that parents and other adults can themselves narrow the gap and feel confident in guiding their children towards responsible use of the Internet .   Finally it is paramount that we strive to promote a confident and positive attitude towards being safer online and proactive coping strategies among children’s peer groups.  Parents who are confident online users communicating openly with their children who are supported and resilient to pressures and threats in the online as well as the offline world.

#Cyberbullying #BeatBullying - Give this a Like

The Deal is big. Before you do anything, head on over to the App store and download Vine. You, your business or brand may thank me later.

Now on a serious note, as businesses and marketers seek out new and engaging ways to connect with their audiences, we have seen over the past few months, video starting to take centre stage. (And rightly so).  A whole host of new Video Apps have hit the social media space. These videos can present many new golden opportunities. Exciting platforms such as Vine present new ways to create engaging brand content.

Now for those of you who are wondering what on earth Vine is, or indeed have yet to hear the hype about this effective little video platform, you should have already been curious enough from my opening statement to have it downloaded already. In a nutshell.. it’s Twitter’s New App.  This exciting new App from Twitter will present those who welcome it with open arms a unique opportunity to create content, which can connect with their customers.  Vine allows users to create and most importantly 6-second video clips.  Now I hear you say only 6 seconds?  Yes only 6! Think of it as the Dynamic Little Brother of 140 Character  Twitter if you will.

As we are all now beginning to understand with Twitter those users who can create effective brand messaging in 140 Characters which engage users tend to win big.  With Vine it’s no different, its almost like the animated Giff from the early Internet days has made it’s return.  You create your video in 6 seconds, which will endlessly loop.  Now this is good news because as research has shown on platforms such as Facebook, images and videos from businesses or brands tend to get a lot more traction.  With Vine there is an opportunity for Brands to create niche content which it can roll out to it’s customers.  On the other hand there is also a big opportunity if Vine continues to grow we will start to see the platform being used more for User Generated Content from the costumers end.   It presents those users who embrace it a new way to record and share experiences.

Here are 5 ideas I had on how Businesses can use Vine.  First thing I will say and I stress.. Be Playful.

1. ShowCase your Business or Products in 6 Seconds
2. A simple How -To video
3. Create teasers for upcoming product launches or events
4. Encourage your Customers to create short Vine Videos on experiences they have had with your Brand or Products (UGC)
5. Share behind the scenes news and insights  - think of a Chef knocking together a signature dish.

 These are of course, only a few ideas  - Vine presents a host of opportunities for businesses to create rich media, which will be far more effective and increase audience engagement.   What is important with the development of Apps such as Vine & Viddy is that increasingly customers are becoming more overwhelmed by the sheer volume of marketing messages around channels such as Facebook & Twitter  - Business & Brands need to find new & more engaging way to reach their customers.  Those Businesses & Brands who embrace  & incorporate video as part of their marketing strategy in 2013 are going to have a better chance of reaching and connecting with their customers.

Major Brands like GAP, America Airlines and Dove are already using Vine within their digital marketing efforts – here are some of there examples..

America Airlines  - Click Here 

GAP -  Click Here 

#Belfast City Hall

Its nothing new that many of us now are having our conversations via Social Media and in particular on platforms such as Twitter – I for one are am massive Twitter fan the platform has become an important aspect of how I communicate my messages to a world wide listener base in just 140 Characters but as more and more of our conversations move on-line this potentially can open up a whole new host of problems and as content creators we need to be aware of.

I’ve been lucky enough recently to have been working with a great team of Media Legal advisor’s based in Belfast called McKinty & Wright Solicitor’s & I recently asked them if they would be so kind to take some time out and outline some of the things as tweeters we need to be aware of when engaging with the platform -so have a look at this 10 point check-list to keep your tweets on the right side of the law.

Twitter – Legal Implications

Twitter has become the primary platform for individuals and businesses to connect, share and explore information.  There are many advantages when it comes to using Twitter either for your business or personally.  The use of Twitter is not however without legal risk and recent cases involving Lord McAlpine & Another have highlighted some potential legal consequences of tweeting certain information.

Some of the issues to bear in mind are the following:-

1.    Defamation

The law of defamation protects the moral and professional reputation of an individual from unjustified attack.  The most common definition of the meaning of defamatory is words that tend to lower the individual in the eyes of like thinking members of society.  If a tweet does so, then issues of libel will arise.  The author of the tweet may well find him/herself exposed to a claim for defamation and may well be liable unless he/she can avail of one of the limited defences, for example that the words complained off are true or that they are fair comment on a matter of public interest.

2.    Data Protection

The law of data protection protects against processing of personal information without permission.  If personal information in relation to an individual is revealed on Twitter without obtaining consent from that individual, there may be a breach of data protection legislation.  The penalty for breaching data protection legislation in the UK is fines and/or criminal convictions.

3.    Confidential Information

Care should be exercised when tweeting, particularly by employees or parties to contracts, not to reveal information in respect of which there is an obligation, contractual or otherwise, to keep confidential.

4.    Trademarks

Users of Twitter commonly use hash tags in conjunction with the name of a business or product.  A trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorisation of the trademark owner.  Care should be exercised in this context particularly by users who may be seeking to advertise or promote their own products.

5.    Malicious falsehood

Apart from the laws of defamation, tweets which seek to damage the business or services of another by revealing false information may result in a liability under the law of malicious falsehood.

6.    Indecent, obscene or grossly offensive tweets

Criminal law sanctions may be imposed in relation to tweets which incite racial hatred or are obscene etc.

Paul Chambers, angry at the delays he was facing at Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport tweeted that he was minded to blow it sky high.  The result? Being charged with sending a “menacing electronic communication”, having his house raided, losing his job and fighting a two year legal battle!  Thankfully eventually (albeit after costly expense to the tax payer) sense prevailed and Lord Judge overturned the conviction noting it fell into the category of “ridiculous banter”  and not, perhaps unsurprisingly, a terrorist threat.

7.    Copyright law

Copyright law seeks to protect the rights of an author or originator of certain literary artistic productions.  There is a risk that unauthorised use of a copyrighted image as a profile photo, header photo or background may give rise to legal liability.

8.    Harassment

There appears to be a growing trend for well-known individuals and sports people to be harassed on Twitter.  The recent example of a 17 year old boy being arrested as part of an investigation into Twitter and messages sent to the diver Tom Daly should sound a note of caution.

9.    Importance of social media policies in the workplace

Employers and organisations such as academic institutions should considering having in place guidelines on the use of social media when using accounts associated with the employer/organisation.

It is sensible to make it clear on your Twitter account that the views expressed are personal opinions and not representative of any other organisation or employer that you are associated with, if that is indeed the case.  This will not however necessarily prevent other publication of tweets which may well have adverse implications for your employer or any organisation for which you are associated.

10. Other points to bear in mind

Tweets can be circulated to other media and published therein and therefore they have a circulation far beyond Twitter.  Bear this in mind before you tweet.  You must always be in a position to stand over any information you have tweeted.

I hope like me readers of this blog post have found it extremely useful, interesting and something we all need to start thinking about.  Until I started chatting with the team at McKinty & Wright I was unaware of many of the pitfalls when broadcasting messages via Social Media Platforms.  If you require any further information or for an informal chat on the legal aspects of Social Media both for your Business or Personally I’d recommend you get in touch with them on the following contact details: 028 9024 6751 (Paul Mc Donnell) by visiting www.mckinty-wright.co.uk

 I’ve been asked many times to justify my fee. Or been declined because of my fee.  I’ve been told ‘We don’t have the budget’.  One teacher recently told me ’ We can get speakers in FOR FREE’. I understand that.

For 15 years I’ve bootstrapped my businesses and lifestyle, making sacrifices to keep costs down.  Frequently finding ways to figure things out for myself to save money. When I started to speak and prepare talks and presentations I soon realised that I had to charge accordingly.

 My fee is not just for the 45-minute keynote or hour assembly talk or 4 hour workshop.  It’s for the hours of research and preparation that lead to that point.  Each time I speak or present I’ve had the initial meetings and researched the group, school or organisations needs to death.  By the time I’m in front of you, I’ve spent hours crafting a presentation that will engage and entertain you.  I’ve discussed the topics with other specialist partners and experts, frequently from all over the world and researched and planned the key information, messaging, content, videos and activities for the programme. I will spend days or weeks before the talk continually assessing current and emerging news, information and trends to support my 15 years experience and knowledge. Often I will not get to see my two little boys that day or the following depending on travel.  I will return late that night or the following day.

 I expect challenges. While schools, colleges, university and youth talks are enjoyable and exciting, there will be difficulties. Audience expectations and moods can be varied and are impossible to gauge beforehand. Enthusiasm from the audience is not a pre-requisite. It has to be worked for and encouraged. Students might be apathetic, teachers distracted. Young audiences ‘fidgety’. The venue may have incompatible facilities, the projector may malfunction, the presenter may go ‘on the blink’.

I’m ready for anything.   I’ve planned well and can think on the spot for most eventualities.  I may have to shorten the presentation or fill out time till another speaker arrives. This won’t faze me. I’m confident and focussed in my ability to engage and enthuse my audience. I can pull out a story from my own experiences at a moments notice and love to interact with the audience so time passes quickly.

 When you hire me you’ll find a speaker with education and life experience who connects with your students, and you can be sure you’ll receive value for money.  I work hard to ensure the messages ‘stick’ and your students will be inspired by them.

Every audience and every student is unique but my delivery of these messages will resonate. And they will be remembered. For years to come.

 So it’s up to you. Someone who will speak for free. Or a speaker who is relevant, real and positively disruptive!

Like it or not, Social Media Platforms like Facebook & Twitter have become a fundamental way in which young people CHOOSE to communicate. You’ll notice I’m emphasising the word ‘choose’ because of how central in our lives technological communication has become. This is increasingly the case in education, where many Apps targeted towards learning use and integrate social media platforms.

So in regard to the CyberBullying issue and incidents, where does the responsibility lie - in terms of teaching students responsible use of social media. With many parents feeling out of depth with Social Media should the responsibility fall to schools to teach good social media conduct in the classroom?

Here’s what I think. I believe that teaching our children positive and responsible use of social media is a duty of care for both parents and educators.

Like it or not, our children communicate via social media. Technology has become very much a part of modern childhood and can be very valuable in a child’s learning development. I believe that teaching Children & young people how to use Social Media Responsible can help tackle CyberBullying and other crimes, which are committed in a digital space. It’s my belief that before we just allow our children to freely access the Internet & use Social Platforms we need to ensure they have a solid understanding of appropriate behaviour online and what constitutes acceptable usage of technology.

The creation of an informal partnership is one route forward which I think could make a real difference. This could work in a very simple and straightforward way with Parents, Educators & Policy Makers working together to help shape a learning policy, not only for children but for Parents, Educators and those involved within Government. This learning opportunity would be provided so that everyone involved within the partnership gets the chance to understand appropriate online behaviour, what constitutes acceptable usage of technology and pass this knowledge on - almost like a knowledge transfer program.

It is by taking these steps that we can truly start to tackle the problem of negative and inappropriate online behaviour and CyberBullying and start to make the digital space which our children frequent on a daily basis, a much safer place for be.

The finished #Lego #christmas project

It’s not news that young people being affected bullying online is on the increase within our communities.  Let’s take stock:

• 30,439 children called Childline in 2010/11.  11% of calls were about bullying.

• Between 8% and 34% of children and young people in the UK have been cyber bullied, and girls are twice as likely to experience persistent cyber bullying than boys.

• 38% of young people have been affected by cyber-bullying, with abusive emails (26%) and text messages (24%) being the most common methods.

• 28% of children did not tell anyone about the abuse.

 Source NSPCC Report 2012

The child or young person being bullied in the schoolyard is now more likely not to escape the bully at all due to the virtual connected world, which we now live in.   Cyber Bullying is now becoming common amongst young people and is rife on many well-known social platforms. Recent tragedies involving suicides of young people who have been bullied have highlighted this in the media.

In my opinion ‘real’ action is now needed.  So as Parents & Educators how can we help keep our children safe online and develop awareness and educational programmes which will help tackle this growing problem within our society.

Below I have outlined some practical tips aimed at helping both Parents & Educators

• Awareness from the parents & educators perspective  – When it comes to online activity many young people already think that their parents and educators are out of touch in relation to online communities and technology it’s therefore paramount that we spend time researching the platforms which our young people might be using, watching out for tell tale signs which might mean a young person is being Cyber Bullied or involved in it.
• What goes online stays online – Remind young people particularly teenagers that what goes online will stay there – information posted on forums, chartroom’s, blogs, social network website event IMs (Instant Messages) can be made public.  Saying something in a private message has the potential not to stay private and can be cut and pasted on other peoples walls so encourage young people to be carful and highlight the dangers to them.
• Thinking before revealing  – Teach them to be careful of the content they place online, and if possible keep an eye on pictures both inappropriate and not which are being posted and shared online.  Remind young people that other people can misuse things posted online.
• Encourage an online code of conduct – Create & develop a code of conduct, which young people can use to model their online behaviour.   The code of conduct can include real practical tips on how they behave online it can also outline aspects of negative behaviour and potential consequences as a result.
• Remind them to ask for help – just because many young people believe they are more savvy online than older people does not mean they can’t ask for help or talk about an issue which they have experienced online.  Encourage young people to speak out about unsafe behaviour online or if they feel something is taking place, which is affecting them or one of their friends.

The idea for this blog post came to me on Christmas Day. I was at my local Church’s Christmas Day Children’s Service. On Christmas morning our Priest likes to ask the children in the congregation what Santa had brought them. The kids (and parents!) love this part of the service, which is now a tradition.

Unsurprisingly many of the children, particularly those aged around 7 or 8 upwards had received either Smartphone or Tablet devices or some sort of Wifi enabled device.

This got me thinking about guidance and advice for parents around safe and positive use as while technology is fantastic and our children’s’ grasp of it amazing, many parents out there are leaving their children exposed to the more dangerous elements of technology such as Cyber Bullying. I decided to take some time over the Christmas Period and jot down some useful advice and safety tips for those parents who gave their kids internet connected devices for Christmas with little thought, awareness or understanding of the door they are opening for their children into the online world.

As a Parent myself I feel it is so important that when allowing our children to use technology we use some common sense. As Parents we need to understand that the technology, which we are allowing our children to use, is neutral. It’s how it’s being used which can cause the issues and problems connected with CyberBullying. Children need to be educated about the dangers of being online and on positive use to ensure they communicate safely and positively. Just as they’re warned not to talk to strangers outside, they should not be engaging in conversations online with users they don’t know.

1. Set up Parental Controls & Content Filtering.
For very young children turning off your browser completely is a good idea. Older children can benefit from browsing especially if they are using a tablet device for learning, but as a parent its important you remember there is lots of inappropriate content on the web. In order to keep them safe, invest in a program, which incorporates a content filtering engine, which will restrict access to websites based on age ranges. Child-Safe App made by Finnish Security F-Secure is one such App which blocks users from ending up on harmful websites use as phishing websites.

2. Set up location based restrictions.
I routinely use a location based service let other users know where I am. However I would not want my children to be broadcasting their location on a smartphone or tablet device. So it’s a good idea if children are online, to turn off location services on any Apps which they are using.

3. Control Access Via your Home Router
Most Parents should by now have at least for basic protection, enabled their home router to be connectable via a passcode. If you don’t please DO IT NOW. It is also possible though to control access to the Internet from within the home. Lock down access via MAC (a unique number for every network device address) this can allow you to set up the days and times a device accesses the internet to prevent any late night surfing when a child should be sleeping or working on homework.

4. Be aware of the Apps your children are downloading
Within I-tunes and Google Play there are a whole host of fun & educational games, which can be downloaded and used on a smartphone or table device. Ensure that any downloading of Apps are done by an Adult and if the children want to download an App, that you clearly read the overview and description of the App and that you are aware of any location based activity which it broadcasts. Also turn it off, once installed. Never give your password to a child so that they can download or purchase Apps by themselves and if you find that they have found out your password, change and update it as soon as possible.

These are only a few steps you can take to keep your kids safe when using Smartphone or Tablet devices.

As Parents we have a Duty of Care to protect our children when they are online. We need to be aware and understand the dangers as well as the benefits of our children using this wonderful technology in our homes.