Comments on: What would you ask Tanya Byron?

By: Maire Evans

Maire Evans — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:09:16 +0000

Would love to ask Professor Byron two things: (if it’s not too late).
1) What does she think of writers / thinkers such as Jaron Lanier (virtual reality) who talks about and appears to be disgusted by the internet’s capacity to create a ‘hive mind?’
2) Could it be that us + the internet = something that is neither technology or human, but an entity with emergent properties, perhaps that as a result might need a problem-solving approach that is radically different from either education or gatekeeping?
I’m an older trainee teacher in ICT with a background in computing, philosophy and psychology and am very interested (as well as personally involved, having my own young children) in finding new ways of approaching this problem, while side-stepping the inevitable problems associated with going via large organisations to get backing.

By: Dora Ellante

Dora Ellante — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:15:51 +0000

Tim, thanks for this opportunity to get some of our questions to Dr. Byron. I’d like to ask her about empowering youth. As Internet technology becomes increasingly mobile, adults won’t always be there to supervise. What are practical steps that parents, educators, and other can take to help youth be more responsible for their online actions?

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:12:07 +0000

Question for Tanya Byron: I heard you speak at a conference in the US where you said you would like to see people stop talking about keeping kids safe online and actually doing it. What are some specific actions you would recommend to start?