It's only Common Sense!

It started about a week ago and it went kind of like this...

Hey Yossie - hear about the Momo video?

Oh, you mean the muumuu video - yeah, those dresses look comfortable.  I should get one for my wife to use as a house-robe!

No, no!  Momo!!  The video that is taking control of the cameras on iPads and telling the viewer to kill people and then to commit suicide!!

WHAAAATTT??!!!

Needless to say, I went into hyper-drive-research-mode to find out what was going on and how I could protect my students.

A quick search of the Internet brought forth the following supposedly first-hand accounts:

• Children were hurting/killing other children after watching the Momo video.
• Children were committing suicide after watching the video.
• The video takes over the camera on the mobile device and broadcasts the person watching the video live on YouTube.
• The video would take control of the computer and steal the contact list to mail itself out to other users.
• Young children were watching "kiddie videos" on YouTube and the Momo clip was being inserted in the middle of the video causing the young ones into being scared witless and having nightmares.

The more I found, the more it seemed to me to be a huge case of Internet-manufactured panic as, other than these "reports," there was no credible evidence.  Even so, the issues were way too serious to write it off!  So, what's a person supposed to do?

The answer should be obvious! Turn to an AUTHORITATIVE source!

For me, if it has to do with children and their safety, it is always Common Sense Media (www.commonsensemedia.org).  

So, what did I find?

Well, it would appear that most of the Momo issue came from poor reporting (gosh!!... you mean that the TV news doesn't always check facts?? sarcasm intended!!) and a lot of hype.  Now, don't get me wrong - the video does exist and it is scary to a small child.

You know what? Here, let me make this easy... You can just read the post from Common Sense Media for yourself and save me a lot of blog space! 

Hey! Do you want to know if Captain Marvel is appropriate for your 10-year-old to see?  Well, then just go to the site and search for it!  You will get a full review including my favorite part... "What Parents Need to Know"

What about that book that your child is reading in English class?  How does it rate?  Look it up!!

As an educator, I have been using Common Sense Media for years!  While you are there, why don't you make a donation to them so that they can keep on keeping us informed!! (Nope,  I am not paid anything by Common Sense Media - but if they want to send me a coffee cup, I will take it!!)

As always, I solicit your comments on the blog site.

Yossie

YossieFrankel

Director of Technology

Check out my blog @ technorebbe.com

Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy  
9120 W Olympic Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.276.6135

www.hillelhebrew.org