Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites

Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

As social media use has become pervasive in the lives of American teens, a new study finds that 69% of the teenagers who use social networking sites say their peers are mostly kind to one another on such sites. Still, 88% of these teens say they have witnessed people being mean and cruel to another person on the sites, and 15% report that they have been the target of mean or cruel behavior on social network sites.

Adult social network users are less likely to say they witness or experience this type of behavior, but they still report that it is prevalent: 69% of adults who use social networking sites say they have seen people be mean and cruel to others on those sites.

More HERE.

New York State Assembly supports 2009 Teen Read Week

New York State Assembly members support Teen Read Week and encourage teens to read and visit their local libraries.

The assembly has created a Teen Read reading list based on the 2009 theme, “Read Beyond Reality@ your library.” It encourages teens to read something “out of this world,” just for the fun of it, including sci-fi, fantasy, virtual realities, and much more.
In addition, written materials urge teens to visit their local public libraries.

Teen Read Week, October 18 – 24, is a national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association. It is aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers, and other concerned adults.

Contact your local Assembly members with information about your library’s Teen Read Week activities and encourage him or her to work with the library in support of teen reading.

To find the Assembly member for your library, visit here and enter your library’s zip code.

For more information on Teen Read Week, visit www.ala.org/teenread.

Working Papers and Facts for Teenagers under 18

I used to deliver the Evening and Sunday Press in Binghamton, NY. so I have actual experience getting working papers.

An employment certificate, often referred to as "working papers", is required for minors under 18 before they may begin work. High school graduates, minors who work for their parents, and minors who do industrial homework are included in this group.

A recent pamphlet from the New York State Department of Labor, Division of Labor Standards describes types of working papers, how to obtain them, and the details that apply to different age groups. Additional information on topics such as school attendance, child models, and newspaper carriers, as well as contact information for the District Labor Standards Offices, is available at < http://www.labor.state.ny.us/workerprotection/laborstandards/workprot/wphmpg.shtm >here.