Author Archives: larrymagid

When it comes to privacy and security, I’m reminded of folks who drive to the airport without their seat belt on and then worry about the plane crashing. Planes do crash on very rare occasions but not nearly as often … Continue reading →

A new study, Coming and Going On Facebook,  from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 61% of Facebook users have taken a “voluntary break” from the service for several weeks or more, and 20% of the online adults who don’t use Facebook said … Continue reading →

Although still not widely recognized in the US, Safer Internet Day is neverthess “official” – at least as far the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is concerned. Though marked by Net users in schools, nonprofit organizations and governments in a … Continue reading →

  by Larry Magid Vine is a fun new iPhone app from Twitter that has lots of people shooting and sharing very short videos. Although it’s too early to know if this app will catch on with teens and tweens, … Continue reading →

By Larry Magid A recent story from the Gilroy Dispatch gives me concern about the unintended consequences of our recent campaigns to stop bullying. The report, which lacks specific details, quotes police officials referring to the children involved as “suspects”and “victims.” It reads … Continue reading →

As he opened Tuesday’s press conference, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proudly announced that this was the first product announcement from Facebook’s sprawling new campus in Menlo Park, California. He then wasted no time talking about the company’s new “Graph search” … Continue reading →

In a follow up to a 2011 study, the Federal Trade Commission found that “little or no progress has been made” on disclosure of information gathering since the first report was issued. Read more on CNET News

by Larry Magid Several years ago, my site SafeKids.com, developed a Family Contract for Online Safety and every few months I make sure it’s up-to-date.  The idea of a contract, or series of pledges, is to get everyone in the family on … Continue reading →

Researchers at Facebook took a look at friending patterns within families and discovered that teens — especially young teens — are more likely to friend their parents than the other way around. Facebook found that over 65% of friendships between … Continue reading →

Amazon has just fired another shot in its battle to convince families to buy its Kindle Fire tablet (starting at $159). The company just announced Kindle FreeTime Unlimited, which it describes as an “all-you-can-eat content service built from the ground … Continue reading →