Facebook. YouTube. MySpace. Opportunities and Threats In the Digital Age Sydney Region Information Technology Support Unit Term NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way The Internet has Changed

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What was Web 1.0? When the Web started in the early 90’s only a select few could produce content for it: –People who could code in HTML –People who knew how to FTP –People who had access to (usually paid for) webserver space Many sites were produced full of static content: one-way information Known as the Information Super-Highway

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What is Web 2.0? The term was first used late-2004: –A new wave of dynamic and totally interactive websites – anyone can publish –the previous travellers of the information super- highway could all suddenly become consultants to and constructors of it –Web 2.0 sites and services are increasing the generation of content on the web exponentially, because everyone the ability to easily contribute, almost always for free.

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Web 2.0: How the Internet Changed Mitch Olson Outsmart Labs

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way “YouTube and other video sharing sites have 100,000 new videos uploaded… every day.” As at December 2006 source: Web 2.0 “myspace and other social blogging sites have 900,000 new blog posts uploaded… every day.” As at December 2006 source: “del.icio.us, digg and other social bookmark sites have millions of new sites and tags uploaded… every day.” As at December 2006 source: Flickr Social Photo Sharing Tag your photos Discuss your photos Blog your photos Last.fm Tracks music you listen to Recommends other music based on your listening choices Connects you to other people with similar tastes in music Blog about your musical tastes See why students might find it all so attractive? It gives them a voice. An identity. They are no longer just consumers.

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way A Vision of Students Today

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s MySpace? The most-popular social networking website offering an interactive, user-created network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos for teenagers and adults internationally Over 100 million users have accounts on MySpace 230,000 New registrations per day Kevin Rudd has a MySpace site

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s MySpace? BLOCKED AT SCHOOL BY NSW DET

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s YouTube? YouTube is the world’s largest video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips As at June 2006, more than 100 million videos were being watched every day and 50,000 videos were being added per day During January 2008, 79 million users watched over 3 billion videos on YouTube Rudd and Howard used YouTube in 2007

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s YouTube? BLOCKED AT SCHOOL BY NSW DET

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s Facebook? Facebook is a social networking website where users join networks organised by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people More than 70 million people worldwide visited the website in April 2008 Facebook is the most popular for uploading photos, with 14 million uploaded daily. Facebook was named the second most popular “thing” among university undergraduates, tied with beer and only ranked lower than the iPod

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What’s Facebook? BLOCKED AT SCHOOL BY NSW DET

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Internet Access Differences School Internet Acceptable Use Policy –Student Welfare and Discipline Student Supervision by staff Teaching Internet Awareness Providing a Safer Environment –Authenticated Internet Access –Website access Logs / Reporting –Age-appropriate Website Filtering –Global Website Filtering –Anti-virus / Anti-Spyware –No unauthorised Instant Messaging – Filter for inappropriate language Home Are there Home use guidelines? –What are they? Do you Supervise access? –Where is the Internet accessible? Do you discuss Internet Safety? What is accessible from Home? –Do you know what your children use the Internet for? –Does your ISP offer filtered access? –Do you use a local content filter? –Do you have up to date Anti-virus and Anti-spyware software? –Do you know who your children communicate with?

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way The Trouble With Web 2.0 Web 2.0 is outpacing (by far): –Governments –Privacy and Copyright laws –Schools, Teachers and Parents Without any guidance, students are: –Publishing videos and photos –Writing articles on anonymous and identified blogs –Communicating with friends and strangers –Commenting on “Rate Your Teachers” –Changing Wikipedia entries

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Anonymous Publishing Leads to: Cyber Bullying: –Bullying carried out through an Internet or Phone service Cyber Stalking: –Stalking or harassment by one person to another using Internet and phone technologies Cyber Defamation: –Defamation which takes place with the help of the Internet. eg. someone publishes defamatory material about someone else on a website, or sends s containing defamatory notes to all of that person's friends.

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Web 2.0 Issues in the Media Source: SMH

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Phone Cameras at School Most high-school students have a mobile phone with a camera It takes minutes to upload videos taken in the playground and in class YouTube has minefields of: –Teenagers damaging property and themselves (Jackass-style) –Playing pranks and bullying –Schoolyard fights –Teachers apparently out of control (all PhoneCams)

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Defamatory Articles & Comments You can say whatever you like anonymously about real people: – Contains positive and negative comments about real teachers in real schools in Australia – Negative comments about men that women don’t like (justified or unjustified) These are just two example sites

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Cyber Bullying What is it? –Mainly psychological bullying using ICT resources: –spreading rumours or malicious information via SMS, Chat, Instant Messaging, , MySpace and Facebook or other websites –Distributing and/or posting photos or videos intended to embarrass individuals –Forwarding personal messages to others without permission –Excluding or prompting others to exclude individuals from ICT activities such as messaging or MySpace The Impacts –low self-esteem –depression –self harm –suicide What Schools Can Do The policy Student Discipline in Government Schools (2006)Student Discipline in Government Schools The Anti-bullying Plan for Schools includes guidelines and a framework for schools to use to develop and implement an Anti- bullying Plan.Anti-bullying Plan for Schools Refer to the School Counsellor

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Your Digital Footprint Access to everything you’ve ever posted can be just a Google search away Content authored by people who post under their real name are easily found Content authored by people who post under a pseudonym can also be easily found Employers, police and others regularly search for people’s “digital footprints” – think about what you post – it’s often a permanent record

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Identity Theft Identity crime is one of the fastest growing crimes and has been referred to as “the crime of the new millennium” It is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person for the purpose of assuming a new identity It is an enabler for major crime including: –people smuggling, drug trafficking, terrorism and money laundering Mainly used for fraud and illegal financial gain ID Fraud cost Australians $4 billion in 2001* * Source: Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Internet Stranger Danger When we were children, we were told about “stranger danger” when outside , instant messaging, social networking & chat rooms brings “stranger danger” inside –only it’s capable of being a lot more sinister Hidden behind children’s language, a 50 year- old man can appear to be a 14 year-old girl In a recent study*, 40% of children who chat on- line said they were contacted by a stranger * Wallis Consulting Group – July 2007

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Internet Stranger Danger An online-groomer is a person who hides behind the anonymity of the Internet to contact a child with the intent to establish a sexual relationship: –Either cybersex or physical sex Children need to be educated about the methods used by groomers Parents need to build the confidence in students to speak up if they are uncomfortable with something they encounter on the Internet

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way The Methods Predators Use Strategies –Frequenting popular teen chat rooms, forums and blogsites –Awareness of latest trends in music, fashion, language and hobbies –Listen to and sympathise with children’s problems and concerns –Respond with Attention / Affection / Kindness – even gifts –Invite the child into a private chat room or Instant Messaging (eg MSN) conversation or discussion –Ease children’s inhibitions by introducing sexual content into conversations –Show sexually-explicit material –Open webcam-based discussions –Arrange face-to-face meetings Targets –Any child is a potential target – but are they equipped to handle the initial contact? –Children new to online activity –Children who are regularly on-line –Types who like to try new, edgy activities –Those actively seeking attention/affection –The Rebellious –The Isolated or lonely –Those with mood swings –Curious children –Those confused regarding sexual identity –Easily tricked by adults / the naive –Those attracted by subcultures apart from their parents' world

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Issues Children Faced Online Research indicates that the likelihood of children having negative online experiences increases with their age

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What Authorities Should Do Governments and Laws are ill-equipped to manage the problems of Web 2.0: –What if the poster is a minor? –What if the service is hosted in another country? –What lesson will be learnt by the poster if the only repercussions are that the offending post will be removed - sometime after it has been found and reported? Appropriate, enforceable guidelines and laws are needed

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What Schools Should Do Develop an Anti-bullying Plan & inform the school community : –To provide students with strategies to respond positively –That include strategies that promote appropriate behaviour, and the consequences for inappropriate behaviour –That parents have an important role to play in resolving incidents of bullying behaviour Follow-up complaints

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What Carers Should Do Avoid placing Internet-access computers in child bedrooms or private spaces Set acceptable-use guidelines for all at home Reinforce the core family values of respect, sharing, communication Take an interest in what they do and get them to talk about their on-line “friends” Find the right balance between caring and being over-bearing

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What Students Should Do It’s GREAT to have an on-line identity–BUT: –You have to be aware of the risks –It’s safer to keep your MySpace/Blog set as Private (invitation only) rather than Public (globally visible) Carefully consider WHAT you publish on-line. –What may look and sound hilarious now may not in years to come Prospective employers now regularly check for employee “on-line lives”

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What Everyone Should Do Keep your private stuff private Keep all your passwords secure –No-one should know your passwords Think about possible repercussions BEFORE posting anything on the Internet Read the screen before you agree to something by clicking OK The Internet is a fact of life now. At least try to keep up with it

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way The Teachers’ Challenge How do you teach to a generation of students who are so tech-savvy? The reality is they NEED you. For centuries we have taught students how to seek out information –Now we teach them how to sort relevance from an over-abundance of information For the last 10 years we’ve taught students how to protect themselves from inappropriate content –Now we have to teach them to CREATE appropriate content

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way The Teachers’ Challenge Our students may be “Digital Natives”, but their knowledge is actually surface level They have no Fear They have not developed Patterns They desperately need training in critical thinking skills Teachers MUST enter “their” world because “their” world is fast becoming the “Real” world

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way What YOU can Do Find out more about blogs, wikis, forums, and other Web 2.0 sites Start a blog yourself – doesn’t have to be about school or work –Investigate other blogs in the same field of interest and make contacts Ask students if they have a blog –Some may be hesitant to tell you –Others are very proud of their self-produced on-line work –Show an interest and ask them about it Think about ways to use Podcasting

NSW Department of Education & Training NSW Public Schools – Leading the Way Questions? Thank you for your time