tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5474194216259052444.post2147436219411817753..comments2023-10-14T06:10:35.712-07:00Comments on Literacy, Technology, Learning: A Sense of UrgencySarah Hanawaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16562865776353395978noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5474194216259052444.post-45064681451212297392008-12-10T15:35:00.000-08:002008-12-10T15:35:00.000-08:00Nice post Sarah. I agree. There's too much fear-ba...Nice post Sarah. I agree. There's too much fear-based decision making. The writers/researchers of PBS's Growing Up Online found:<BR/>One of the biggest surprises in making this film was the discovery that the threat of online predators is misunderstood and overblown. The data shows that giving out personal information over the Internet makes absolutely no difference when it comes to a child's vulnerability to predation. Also, the vast majority of kids who do end up having contact with a stranger they meet over the Internet are seeking out that contact, at least at first.<BR/><BR/>Most importantly, all the kids we met, without exception, told us the same thing: They would never dream of meeting someone in person they'd met online. As a matter of fact, we had trouble making contact with kids online during our research. Most kids we approached were suspicious and loath to respond to requests for an interview over the phone. We tried everything -- links to our Web site, offers to send copies of films we had made -- but kids are conditioned not to talk to strangers online. It was oddly reassuring.<BR/>Cheers, BillAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com