As cyberbullying has become more frequent and increasingly vicious, the importance of educating parents about how to protect their kids is of paramount importance, says social media expert Ira S Wolfe. This epidemic of online bullying is what got Wolfe, managing partner/founder of Social Media Architects of Delmarva, involved with National Cyber Safety Awareness Day on May 17.
After listening to a recent radio interview about the threat and consequences of cyberbullying, Wolfe picked up the phone and called the radio guest, Shawn Edgington, America's leading cyberbullying prevention expert. The timing was perfect because Wolfe was about to give a presentation to local high school students and their parents about the threats and risks of cyberbullying. Edgington shared with him her just released book, The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media: Understanding the Benefits and Dangers of Parenting in a Digital World. “I immediately became immersed in the book, Wolfe said. “I rarely sit down and read a book but Shawn's research and statistics were startling.”
Wolfe immediately agreed to help promote National Cyber Safety Awareness Day which coincided with a book drive for The Megan Meier Foundation. On that day (May 17), donations of 1,000 copies of Edgington's book are being sought to help the foundation's founder,Tina Meier,educate parents about how to prevent cyberbullying. Meier created the foundation after her 13-year-old daughter committed suicide because she had been cyberbullied on a social network by a neighbor. This tragedy has been the impetus for Meier's drive to warn parents of the hazards kids face growing up in a digitally connected world.
Wolfe hopes to have more opportunities to speak with parents about how to use social media safely. “I’ve been helping hundreds of business people who attend workshops and classes at local Chambers of Commerce and Wor-Wic Community College understand how to use social media effectively and safely. Most of the participants are also parents and grandparents which makes what I teach in class touch them personally too. Helping children navigate online safely is also a great way to give back to the community."
Book donations are 100% tax deductible and any individual or organization that donates a case of books or more will be thanked in Edgington's next printing of her book. Books can be purchased at: https://secure4.planetlink.com/shawn_edgington.
About Ira S Wolfe: Ira Wolfe is the managing partner/founder of Social Media Architects of Delmarva (www.socialmediaarchitectsofdelmarva.com). Wolfe has been described as a “Gen Y operating in a Baby Boomer body,” a name aptly given to him after writing his book, “Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization.” Wolfe is also president of Success Performance Solutions (www.super-solutions.com), a pre-employment and leadership consulting firm as well as the author of several books including “The Perfect Labor Storm 2.0” and “Understanding Business Values and Motivators.” He has also been recognized by several human resources organizations as one of the most influential bloggers and is a sought after speaker at many CEO, business, and human resources association meetings.
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About Shawn Edgington: Shawn Edgington is America's leading textpert and cyberbullying prevention expert, and the author of the newly released The Parent's Guide to Texting, Facebook and Social Media and Read Between the Lines: A Humorous Guide to Texting with Simplicity and Style. She is also the founder of The Cyber Safety Academy. Her mission is to raise public awareness about textual harassment, online predators, sexting, and cyberbullying prevention. Edgington has been featured in the upcoming documentary Submit:The Reality of Cyberbullying, and by Fox Business, Imus in the Morning, ABC-7's View from the Bay in San Francisco,KRON4News in SanFrancisco, CNN Radio, the San Francisco Chronicle, The San Diego Union-Tribune, CBS Radio, ESPN Radio, NPR, andThe Leslie Marshall Showamong others.
Thank you for your kind remarks. Yes, please send this to your readers. It's an important message. I appreciate your help.
Posted by: Ira S Wolfe | October 28, 2011 at 12:26 AM
Great post, do you mind if I re-blog this (with full attribution and linking)? I really want to share it with my readers, they would find it very useful.
Posted by: cyberbullying | October 22, 2011 at 04:51 PM