Period 2 Blog #20

Your comment post should be at least 400 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points). 

Student Question | Should We Be Privy to the Lives of Celebrities’ Children?

By 

SHANNON DOYNE

 APRIL 18, 2016 5:02 AM April 18, 2016 5:02 am

Blue Ivy, North West, Max Zuckerberg — the children of celebrities are often in the public eye, to the delight of their parents’ fans.

What do you think about this trend? Do you like knowing about — and seeing photographs of — the children of the famous? Is it fair to the children?

In “The Right to Privacy for Children Online,” Teddy Wayne expresses his opinion on celebrities who write about, share photographs or videos of or otherwise incorporate their children into offerings for their fans — and potential customers:

If I had a friend who told me he was starting a business named after his young child, I might find it cute, perhaps even touching. If he were using his son’s or daughter’s likeness as the logo (à la the Wendy’s franchise), I could understand how that might be fine, though I’d wonder how his offspring might react later to seeing his cartoon image plastered ubiquitously.

But if he also cast his child in commercials, and that was on top of a web campaign in which the little boy or girl was otherwise a prominent fixture, and if my friend already inhaled the rarefied air of the ultrarich and I suspected the deployment of the adorable tyke was a strategic showcase for his own relatability as a normal parent and a measure to downplay the crass commercialism of the enterprise — well, then I might be concerned.

And yet many parents on social media are doing much the same thing, albeit in less conspicuous fashion, and usually with a goal of praise, not profits.

We, too, are using our children on the Internet to burnish our personal brands, from the C.E.O. who wants to let everyone know she still takes the time to attend her child’s piano recital to the stay-at-home caregiver wanting recognition for his exhausting work.

… Less pettily, there are serious questions to be asked here about privacy and consent. For most children raised in analog eras, embarrassing Polaroids and stories were small-scale mortifications at worst. But now the possibility of mass exposure looms, and while most conscientious parents know better than to circulate, say, a photo of a child bathing, they do distribute other data that the young subject may someday wish had been kept confidential.

“It’s hard enough to get through puberty,” Amy Webb wrote, in a widely read 2013 essay on Slate, about a friend’s unfettered Facebook pictures of her 5-year-old daughter. “Why make hundreds of embarrassing, searchable photos freely available to her prospective homecoming dates?”

The 5-year-old clearly cannot approve with full understanding the uploading of these images, just as the only way Blue Ivy can refuse to endorse her mother’s marketing campaign is by throwing a temper tantrum. We have strict child labor laws, and I am certain that any applicable ones were upheld during Blue Ivy’s cameo. (I also imagine that she had fun.)

---

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Do you think celebrities use their children to “burnish their personal brands”?

— Do noncelebrity parents do the same thing, albeit on a smaller scale? Explain.

— Are you interested in what celebrities broadcast about their children? Why or why not?

— Do your parents use social media, and if so, do they share things about you and your siblings?

— If so, how do you feel about the way they portray you or the things they publicize about you?

Period 3 Blog #20

Your comment post should be at least 400 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points). 

Student Question | Should We Be Privy to the Lives of Celebrities’ Children?

By 

SHANNON DOYNE

 APRIL 18, 2016 5:02 AM April 18, 2016 5:02 am

Blue Ivy, North West, Max Zuckerberg — the children of celebrities are often in the public eye, to the delight of their parents’ fans.

What do you think about this trend? Do you like knowing about — and seeing photographs of — the children of the famous? Is it fair to the children?

In “The Right to Privacy for Children Online,” Teddy Wayne expresses his opinion on celebrities who write about, share photographs or videos of or otherwise incorporate their children into offerings for their fans — and potential customers:

If I had a friend who told me he was starting a business named after his young child, I might find it cute, perhaps even touching. If he were using his son’s or daughter’s likeness as the logo (à la the Wendy’s franchise), I could understand how that might be fine, though I’d wonder how his offspring might react later to seeing his cartoon image plastered ubiquitously.

But if he also cast his child in commercials, and that was on top of a web campaign in which the little boy or girl was otherwise a prominent fixture, and if my friend already inhaled the rarefied air of the ultrarich and I suspected the deployment of the adorable tyke was a strategic showcase for his own relatability as a normal parent and a measure to downplay the crass commercialism of the enterprise — well, then I might be concerned.

And yet many parents on social media are doing much the same thing, albeit in less conspicuous fashion, and usually with a goal of praise, not profits.

We, too, are using our children on the Internet to burnish our personal brands, from the C.E.O. who wants to let everyone know she still takes the time to attend her child’s piano recital to the stay-at-home caregiver wanting recognition for his exhausting work.

… Less pettily, there are serious questions to be asked here about privacy and consent. For most children raised in analog eras, embarrassing Polaroids and stories were small-scale mortifications at worst. But now the possibility of mass exposure looms, and while most conscientious parents know better than to circulate, say, a photo of a child bathing, they do distribute other data that the young subject may someday wish had been kept confidential.

“It’s hard enough to get through puberty,” Amy Webb wrote, in a widely read 2013 essay on Slate, about a friend’s unfettered Facebook pictures of her 5-year-old daughter. “Why make hundreds of embarrassing, searchable photos freely available to her prospective homecoming dates?”

The 5-year-old clearly cannot approve with full understanding the uploading of these images, just as the only way Blue Ivy can refuse to endorse her mother’s marketing campaign is by throwing a temper tantrum. We have strict child labor laws, and I am certain that any applicable ones were upheld during Blue Ivy’s cameo. (I also imagine that she had fun.)

---

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Do you think celebrities use their children to “burnish their personal brands”?

— Do noncelebrity parents do the same thing, albeit on a smaller scale? Explain.

— Are you interested in what celebrities broadcast about their children? Why or why not?

— Do your parents use social media, and if so, do they share things about you and your siblings?

— If so, how do you feel about the way they portray you or the things they publicize about you?

Period 9/10 Blog #20

Your comment post should be at least 400 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points). 

Student Question | Should We Be Privy to the Lives of Celebrities’ Children?

By 

SHANNON DOYNE

 APRIL 18, 2016 5:02 AM April 18, 2016 5:02 am

Blue Ivy, North West, Max Zuckerberg — the children of celebrities are often in the public eye, to the delight of their parents’ fans.

What do you think about this trend? Do you like knowing about — and seeing photographs of — the children of the famous? Is it fair to the children?

In “The Right to Privacy for Children Online,” Teddy Wayne expresses his opinion on celebrities who write about, share photographs or videos of or otherwise incorporate their children into offerings for their fans — and potential customers:

If I had a friend who told me he was starting a business named after his young child, I might find it cute, perhaps even touching. If he were using his son’s or daughter’s likeness as the logo (à la the Wendy’s franchise), I could understand how that might be fine, though I’d wonder how his offspring might react later to seeing his cartoon image plastered ubiquitously.

But if he also cast his child in commercials, and that was on top of a web campaign in which the little boy or girl was otherwise a prominent fixture, and if my friend already inhaled the rarefied air of the ultrarich and I suspected the deployment of the adorable tyke was a strategic showcase for his own relatability as a normal parent and a measure to downplay the crass commercialism of the enterprise — well, then I might be concerned.

And yet many parents on social media are doing much the same thing, albeit in less conspicuous fashion, and usually with a goal of praise, not profits.

We, too, are using our children on the Internet to burnish our personal brands, from the C.E.O. who wants to let everyone know she still takes the time to attend her child’s piano recital to the stay-at-home caregiver wanting recognition for his exhausting work.

… Less pettily, there are serious questions to be asked here about privacy and consent. For most children raised in analog eras, embarrassing Polaroids and stories were small-scale mortifications at worst. But now the possibility of mass exposure looms, and while most conscientious parents know better than to circulate, say, a photo of a child bathing, they do distribute other data that the young subject may someday wish had been kept confidential.

“It’s hard enough to get through puberty,” Amy Webb wrote, in a widely read 2013 essay on Slate, about a friend’s unfettered Facebook pictures of her 5-year-old daughter. “Why make hundreds of embarrassing, searchable photos freely available to her prospective homecoming dates?”

The 5-year-old clearly cannot approve with full understanding the uploading of these images, just as the only way Blue Ivy can refuse to endorse her mother’s marketing campaign is by throwing a temper tantrum. We have strict child labor laws, and I am certain that any applicable ones were upheld during Blue Ivy’s cameo. (I also imagine that she had fun.)

---

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Do you think celebrities use their children to “burnish their personal brands”?

— Do noncelebrity parents do the same thing, albeit on a smaller scale? Explain.

— Are you interested in what celebrities broadcast about their children? Why or why not?

— Do your parents use social media, and if so, do they share things about you and your siblings?

— If so, how do you feel about the way they portray you or the things they publicize about you?

Period 2 Blog #19

Student Question | What Makes You Happy?

By Michael Gonchar

April 7, 2016 5:00 am April 7, 2016 5:00 am 

What makes you happy?

Have you figured out the things in life that truly make you happy? Have those things changed as you’ve gotten older?

In “The Keys to Happiness,” Victoria Shannon reports on what we know about how to achieve happiness, according to recent research and expert advice:

Make Friends and Family a Priority …
One of the longest-running studies on living well and happily emphasizes the importance of your relationships with family, friends and spouses.

… Especially on Weekends
Busy lives can get in the way of happiness. Our feeling of well-being peaks on weekends, largely because of more time spent with friends and family, this academic says.

Income Equality Helps (So Move to Scandinavia)
National unhappiness is strongly associated with a country’s social inequality, research shows. One index finds that Scandinavia, a place with a wide and broad social net, is the location of the world’s happiest countries.

Gratitude Does, Too
Pharrell Williams, the star behind the 2014 hit music video “Happy,” on the happiness phenomenon: ”If you’re grateful, you can find happiness in everything.”

The Health Factor
A correlation between happiness and good health has been evident for centuries. But which comes first? Does robust health lead to a good mood or the reverse?

It’s Really Good for Kids
Happy kids learn faster, think more creatively, tend to be more resilient in the face of failures, have stronger relationships and make friends more easily.

Well, most of them. Fifteen-year-old girls were found to be the unhappiest group in this report last month on boys and girls.

Don’t Overdo It
Happiness engineers, chief fun officers, ministers of happiness … there’s evidence that “fungineering” at work might have precisely the opposite effect: making people miserable.

And Don’t Obsess About It
Four academics discuss whether the pursuit of happiness is an unhealthy preoccupation.

If All Else Fails, Fake It
Can you fake your way to confidence and happiness? You can, if you “just say yes,” advise self-help books by Amy Cuddy and Shonda Rhimes.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— What recent moments of happiness have you experienced, whether large or small? What do you think made them so satisfying?

— Have you figured out a “magic formula” for happiness that works for you? What are the ingredients? Do you think those ingredients will change as you get older?

— Look through the list that Ms. Shannon compiled? What is your reaction? Did anything surprise you?

Period 3 Blog #19

Student Question | What Makes You Happy?

By Michael Gonchar

April 7, 2016 5:00 am April 7, 2016 5:00 am 

What makes you happy?

Have you figured out the things in life that truly make you happy? Have those things changed as you’ve gotten older?

In “The Keys to Happiness,” Victoria Shannon reports on what we know about how to achieve happiness, according to recent research and expert advice:

Make Friends and Family a Priority …
One of the longest-running studies on living well and happily emphasizes the importance of your relationships with family, friends and spouses.

… Especially on Weekends
Busy lives can get in the way of happiness. Our feeling of well-being peaks on weekends, largely because of more time spent with friends and family, this academic says.

Income Equality Helps (So Move to Scandinavia)
National unhappiness is strongly associated with a country’s social inequality, research shows. One index finds that Scandinavia, a place with a wide and broad social net, is the location of the world’s happiest countries.

Gratitude Does, Too
Pharrell Williams, the star behind the 2014 hit music video “Happy,” on the happiness phenomenon: ”If you’re grateful, you can find happiness in everything.”

The Health Factor
A correlation between happiness and good health has been evident for centuries. But which comes first? Does robust health lead to a good mood or the reverse?

It’s Really Good for Kids
Happy kids learn faster, think more creatively, tend to be more resilient in the face of failures, have stronger relationships and make friends more easily.

Well, most of them. Fifteen-year-old girls were found to be the unhappiest group in this report last month on boys and girls.

Don’t Overdo It
Happiness engineers, chief fun officers, ministers of happiness … there’s evidence that “fungineering” at work might have precisely the opposite effect: making people miserable.

And Don’t Obsess About It
Four academics discuss whether the pursuit of happiness is an unhealthy preoccupation.

If All Else Fails, Fake It
Can you fake your way to confidence and happiness? You can, if you “just say yes,” advise self-help books by Amy Cuddy and Shonda Rhimes.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— What recent moments of happiness have you experienced, whether large or small? What do you think made them so satisfying?

— Have you figured out a “magic formula” for happiness that works for you? What are the ingredients? Do you think those ingredients will change as you get older?

— Look through the list that Ms. Shannon compiled? What is your reaction? Did anything surprise you?

Period 9/10 Blog #19

Student Question | What Makes You Happy?

By Michael Gonchar

April 7, 2016 5:00 am April 7, 2016 5:00 am 

What makes you happy?

Have you figured out the things in life that truly make you happy? Have those things changed as you’ve gotten older?

In “The Keys to Happiness,” Victoria Shannon reports on what we know about how to achieve happiness, according to recent research and expert advice:

Make Friends and Family a Priority …
One of the longest-running studies on living well and happily emphasizes the importance of your relationships with family, friends and spouses.

… Especially on Weekends
Busy lives can get in the way of happiness. Our feeling of well-being peaks on weekends, largely because of more time spent with friends and family, this academic says.

Income Equality Helps (So Move to Scandinavia)
National unhappiness is strongly associated with a country’s social inequality, research shows. One index finds that Scandinavia, a place with a wide and broad social net, is the location of the world’s happiest countries.

Gratitude Does, Too
Pharrell Williams, the star behind the 2014 hit music video “Happy,” on the happiness phenomenon: ”If you’re grateful, you can find happiness in everything.”

The Health Factor
A correlation between happiness and good health has been evident for centuries. But which comes first? Does robust health lead to a good mood or the reverse?

It’s Really Good for Kids
Happy kids learn faster, think more creatively, tend to be more resilient in the face of failures, have stronger relationships and make friends more easily.

Well, most of them. Fifteen-year-old girls were found to be the unhappiest group in this report last month on boys and girls.

Don’t Overdo It
Happiness engineers, chief fun officers, ministers of happiness … there’s evidence that “fungineering” at work might have precisely the opposite effect: making people miserable.

And Don’t Obsess About It
Four academics discuss whether the pursuit of happiness is an unhealthy preoccupation.

If All Else Fails, Fake It
Can you fake your way to confidence and happiness? You can, if you “just say yes,” advise self-help books by Amy Cuddy and Shonda Rhimes.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— What recent moments of happiness have you experienced, whether large or small? What do you think made them so satisfying?

— Have you figured out a “magic formula” for happiness that works for you? What are the ingredients? Do you think those ingredients will change as you get older?

— Look through the list that Ms. Shannon compiled? What is your reaction? Did anything surprise you?

Period 2 Blog #18

Your comment post should be at least 380 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points).

Student Question | If Teenagers Are Such Bad Drivers, Should They Be Allowed to Drive?

By MICHAEL GONCHAR

 MARCH 22, 2016 5:00 AM March 22, 2016 5:00 am 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, “Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.”

If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive?

In “Teenage Drivers? Be Very Afraid,” Bruce Feiler recommends that one way to improve safety among teenage drivers is to get parents more involved:

Spend enough time having parenting conversations, as I’ve done personally and professionally for the last dozen years, and certain patterns emerge. In nine out of 10 cases, if you’re talking about highly motivated parents, the message to Mom and Dad is: back off, chill out, park the helicopter.

Whether you want your children to be independent, resilient, creative; whether you’re talking to teachers, psychologists, grandparents; whether you’re discussing homework, food, sports; the recommendation, time and again, is relax.

Recently, I stumbled onto a topic in which the advice was the exact opposite.

Among the people who know what they are talking about, the unanimous message to parents is: You’re not worried nearly enough. Get much more involved. Your child’s life may be in danger.

What’s the topic? Teenage driving.

“If you’re going to have an early, untimely death,” said Nichole Morris, a principal researcher at the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, “the most dangerous two years of your life are between 16 and 17, and the reason for that is driving.”

Among this age group, death in motor vehicle accidents outstrips suicide, cancer and other types of accidents, Dr. Morris said. “Cars have gotten safer, roads have gotten safer, but teen drivers have not,” she said.

Students: Read the entire essay, then tell us:

— If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive? Why?

— Do you think it would make sense to raise the age that teenagers get full, unrestricted driver’s licenses from 16 and 17 in most states to 18 or even 20? Why?

— Do you agree with Mr. Feiler that parents should get more involved when it comes to their teenage son or daughter’s driving?

— Can you drive yet? Are you a good driver? Are your friends? Or do you think you will be a good driver when you’re old enough to get your license? Why?

— What do you think is the best way to make teenage driving safer?

Period 3 Blog #18

Your comment post should be at least 380 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points).

Student Question | If Teenagers Are Such Bad Drivers, Should They Be Allowed to Drive?

By MICHAEL GONCHAR

 MARCH 22, 2016 5:00 AM March 22, 2016 5:00 am 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, “Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.”

If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive?

In “Teenage Drivers? Be Very Afraid,” Bruce Feiler recommends that one way to improve safety among teenage drivers is to get parents more involved:

Spend enough time having parenting conversations, as I’ve done personally and professionally for the last dozen years, and certain patterns emerge. In nine out of 10 cases, if you’re talking about highly motivated parents, the message to Mom and Dad is: back off, chill out, park the helicopter.

Whether you want your children to be independent, resilient, creative; whether you’re talking to teachers, psychologists, grandparents; whether you’re discussing homework, food, sports; the recommendation, time and again, is relax.

Recently, I stumbled onto a topic in which the advice was the exact opposite.

Among the people who know what they are talking about, the unanimous message to parents is: You’re not worried nearly enough. Get much more involved. Your child’s life may be in danger.

What’s the topic? Teenage driving.

“If you’re going to have an early, untimely death,” said Nichole Morris, a principal researcher at the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, “the most dangerous two years of your life are between 16 and 17, and the reason for that is driving.”

Among this age group, death in motor vehicle accidents outstrips suicide, cancer and other types of accidents, Dr. Morris said. “Cars have gotten safer, roads have gotten safer, but teen drivers have not,” she said.

Students: Read the entire essay, then tell us:

— If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive? Why?

— Do you think it would make sense to raise the age that teenagers get full, unrestricted driver’s licenses from 16 and 17 in most states to 18 or even 20? Why?

— Do you agree with Mr. Feiler that parents should get more involved when it comes to their teenage son or daughter’s driving?

— Can you drive yet? Are you a good driver? Are your friends? Or do you think you will be a good driver when you’re old enough to get your license? Why?

— What do you think is the best way to make teenage driving safer?

Period 9/10 Blog #18

Your comment post should be at least 380 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm (worth 70 points) and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm (worth 30 points).

Student Question | If Teenagers Are Such Bad Drivers, Should They Be Allowed to Drive?

By MICHAEL GONCHAR

 MARCH 22, 2016 5:00 AM March 22, 2016 5:00 am 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, “Per mile driven, teen drivers ages 16 to 19 are nearly three times more likely than drivers aged 20 and older to be in a fatal crash.”

If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive?

In “Teenage Drivers? Be Very Afraid,” Bruce Feiler recommends that one way to improve safety among teenage drivers is to get parents more involved:

Spend enough time having parenting conversations, as I’ve done personally and professionally for the last dozen years, and certain patterns emerge. In nine out of 10 cases, if you’re talking about highly motivated parents, the message to Mom and Dad is: back off, chill out, park the helicopter.

Whether you want your children to be independent, resilient, creative; whether you’re talking to teachers, psychologists, grandparents; whether you’re discussing homework, food, sports; the recommendation, time and again, is relax.

Recently, I stumbled onto a topic in which the advice was the exact opposite.

Among the people who know what they are talking about, the unanimous message to parents is: You’re not worried nearly enough. Get much more involved. Your child’s life may be in danger.

What’s the topic? Teenage driving.

“If you’re going to have an early, untimely death,” said Nichole Morris, a principal researcher at the HumanFIRST Laboratory at the University of Minnesota, “the most dangerous two years of your life are between 16 and 17, and the reason for that is driving.”

Among this age group, death in motor vehicle accidents outstrips suicide, cancer and other types of accidents, Dr. Morris said. “Cars have gotten safer, roads have gotten safer, but teen drivers have not,” she said.

Students: Read the entire essay, then tell us:

— If teenagers are such bad drivers, should they be allowed to drive? Why?

— Do you think it would make sense to raise the age that teenagers get full, unrestricted driver’s licenses from 16 and 17 in most states to 18 or even 20? Why?

— Do you agree with Mr. Feiler that parents should get more involved when it comes to their teenage son or daughter’s driving?

— Can you drive yet? Are you a good driver? Are your friends? Or do you think you will be a good driver when you’re old enough to get your license? Why?

— What do you think is the best way to make teenage driving safer?