What's
up With YouTube?
by
Amy Cortez, Editor - The Eclectic Telegraph
Feeling "out of it?" The world of technology is mind boggling
and there are so many more places for our kids to find the "boogey-man"
these days than when we were kids.
What's YouTube? Founded in February 2005, YouTube.com
is a consumer media company for people to watch and share original videos
worldwide through a Web experience. YouTube originally started as a personal
video sharing service, and has grown into an entertainment destination
with people watching more than 70 million videos on the site daily.
YouTube, however does have restrictions , as does MySpace
Video, that have spawned other sites hoping to be as popular and generate
the advertising revenues. Some it seems only care about the bottem line:
*
Stickam - attracts young people comfortable with
the idea of a continuous self-produced reality TV show starring
themselves. Unfiltered live broadcasts from Web cameras. 260,000
registered users — 50,000 of them say their age is 14 to 17
— and is adding 2,000 to 3,000 each day. |
*
Dailymotion - French based site that it is more accessible
for posting pirated material. |
*
LiveLeak. - gruesome war videos and other political
fare that has been banned from sites like YouTube. Footage from
the Iraq war in particular. Sexually explicit material and footage
of "grisly accidents" are also popular on the site. |
*
Abbreviated Descriptions taken from New York Times
article referenced below |
As a parent, the obvious concern is predators. A concern, but your knowkledge
of what's really out there can help spark conversations that mettter with
your teen. (And if I catch mine at any of the sites I am writing about
here, I'll break his little keyboarding fingers...kidding.) Not a parenting
expert mind you, here are some ideas I'll throw out that may work at your
house.
-
Know
what's out there. The resources included here outline some
of the video sharing sites that are popular these days. Even if you
think your teen is not tuned in, I'd bet the farm, they know what
these sites are. I'd bet they even know people using these sites and
maybe have even seen what goes on, if they don't already have an account.
- Don't
be afraid to discuss ANY topic with your teen. In my opinion, I'd rather
they hear it from me than from some 16 year old "expert".
-
If they are downloading videos from one of these sites, be aware of
what they are downloading. Look at the videos and discuss if they
seem "on the fringe" of appropriateness for your family.
If your teen doesn't want to show you what they are downloading, there's
a reason for that sentiment. It is possible to review "downloaded"
information on a Mac or a PC. Let them know you know that. It's also
possible to install parental control programs that can block access
to some of these sites. But just remember, the best filter is the
one between your teen’s ears.
- A
Word on Safety: From YouTube
The first thing everyone needs to know is that YouTube is NOT for people
under the age of 13.
Some Things Are Better Left Private...
Protect Your Secret Identity!
Keep Your Cool, Keep YouTube Safe
- Know
about other resources you have access to and pay attention to them.
From
www.wiredsafety.org
- the world's largest online safety and help group
We at WiredSafety.org
are developing a special program just for parents concerned about
their kids using social-networking and online dating sites. It will
teach you what you need to know about finding out if your child
has a profile on one of these sites, how to review them and remove
them, if you want to. It will also help you if your child is being
cyberbullied using one of these sites or members from these sites,
or is cyberbullying others.
So what do you, as a parent, do? First you need to find out if your
child has a page on one of these sites. The best way to find out
if your child has a profile on this or another similar site is to
ask them. If you’re not sure that your child is being honest
with you, you can search MySpace.com (or the other sites) using
their e-mail address, or by searching for their school. (You click
on “search” and enter their email address or full name
in the appropriate search box.)
If you find that your child has a profile on the Web site, you should
review it. It’s amazing how much you can learn about your
child by reading their profiles. Does it contain personal information,
such as their full name, address or phone numbers? Has your child
posted photos? Are they photos of themselves or someone else? Are
they sharing poems they write or provocative comments about themselves
or others?
If you want the profile removed (you must remove your child’s
profile if they are under age), first ask your child to remove it
themselves. If that doesn’t work, MySpace.com has a section
explaining how to remove a page. If you find someone who is underage,
you can report it there as well. It’s not as easy a procedure
as the other Web sites. |
Young
Turn to Web Sites Without Rules
By BRAD STONE, New York Times, January 2, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 1 — Popular Web sites like YouTube and
MySpace have hired the equivalent of school hallway monitors to
police what visitors to their sites can see and do by cracking down
on piracy and depictions of nudity and violence.
So where do the young thrill-seekers go?
|
Video
Sharing Sites Filling In Niches Around YouTube Censorship
Posted by: Sam Ford, MIT Convergence Culture
Consortium Blogs, January 3, 2007
Yesterday's New York Times featured an interesting piece about the
video sharing and streaming sites that are making a name for themselves
by lowering the safeguards that YouTube has put up in various ways.
The piece, by Brad Stone, looks at sites like Stickam, LiveLeak,
and Dailymotion and explains both the niche that these sites intend
to fill as well as the industry and parental concerns about the
services these sites provide. Each provide an interesting method
of looking at both the legitimate problems of video sharing online
but also the way that child safety discussions often obscure some
of the valuable aspects of these sites as well. |
Summer
Opportunities
for Teens
February-March
is the time when a lot of summer programs begin to advertise and look
for campers -- and employees. So if you are a camper, or looking for a
fun way to spend the summer here are some opportunities:
Baylor
University High School Summer Science Research Program
The purpose of the High School Summer Science Research Program (HSSSRP),
an annual program established in 1991, is to give superior high school
students hands-on research experience by working on research projects
with Baylor University science professors in many disciplines.
The
Clark Scholar Program is an intensive seven week summer research
program for highly qualified high school juniors and seniors. The Clark
Scholars Program is designed to attract gifted students from around the
nation. The program allows students the opportunity to work hand-in-hand
with outstanding faculty in a research intensive setting. The seven-week
program also includes weekly seminars, discussions, and field trips. The
students are afforded an atmosphere designed to develop their critical
thinking abilities and career interests with faculty and other students
like themselves.
Michigan
State University High School Honors Science/Mathematics/Engineering
Program
Research
Internship Program in Science and Engineering at Boston University.
(A High School Honors Program)
AwesomeMath
Summer Program A three-week intensive summer camp for mathematically
gifted students from around the globe.
Canada/USA
Mathcamp is an intensive 5-week-long summer program for mathematically
talented high school students.
The
Ross Program at the Ohio State University is an intensive
summer experience designed to encourage motivated pre-college students
to explore mathematics. During those eight weeks, students are immersed
in a world of mathematical discovery.
The Gifted
Education Resource Institute (GERI) at Purdue
University.
Stanford
University Summer Institutes
The EPGY Summer Institutes at Stanford University are residential summer
programs for students ages 13 through 17.
The
Making of an Engineer - An Engineering Experience Course
For High School Students
The Making of an Engineer Program is a special college level engineering
course, designed especially for high school students with a strong interest
in science and technology. Offered in June, this course is for undergraduate
college credit and is restricted to high school students. The course emphasizes
the art and science of engineering, including engineering measurements,
use of engineering tools and lab equipment, Boolean algebra, the use of
logic gates, combinational logic analysis & design, and mechanical
dissection and instrumentation. (University of Denver)
Early
Experience Program
The Early Experience Program is designed for high school students with
exceptional academic ability who wish to enrich or accelerate their education
with university-level courses. The program is offered during the traditional
school year and in the summer. Eligible students take regular University
of Denver courses for college credit while still in high school. Participating
students have taken courses in computer science, mathematics, chemistry,
astronomy, biology, statistics, physics, accounting, engineering, art,
foreign languages, history, psychology, music, sociology, literature,
business, and political science. The program provides course selection
advising and follow-up counseling. This is a commuter only program.
The
Making of a Scientist
A college credit course for high school students interested in exploring
the relationship between mathematics and computer science, and their applications
to chemistry. (University of Denver)
Study
Abroad
Study Abroad in Spain, France, Italy, England, Australia and Argentina
with Global Student
Experience.
Summer,
Specifically for Girls
The SEARCH
program at Mount Holyoke College is designed for high school
girls who have done well in mathematics and who would like to see a different
aspect of the mathematical world.
Smith
College Summer Science & Engineering Program
Women's
Technology Program in EECS At Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
The WTP-EECS is a residential summer program in the MIT Dept. of Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science to introduce high school girls to EECS
in the summer after 11th grade.
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