Should You Be a Digital Tattletale?

Nancy Friedman is the co-founder of KidzVuz.com. She blogs about her 20-year quest to lose the same 10 pounds and other of life's dilemmas at FromHiptoHousewife.com.

In the real world, you might not think twice about telling a friend you saw their child engaging in dangerous behavior. As they say, “it takes a village.” So why would you hesitate about intervening in the digital space? I say, “it takes a digital village” and here’s why I think it’s ok to be a digital tattletale

Earlier in the school year, I tattled on a 12-year-old boy. He is a classmate of my kids’, and I saw him crossing a major intersection against the light, flaunting his bravery to his friends who were (smartly) waiting on the corner for the light to change. I didn’t agonize over what to do. I thought, “it takes a village,” so I told his mother. I figured she’d want to know. And I figured he should know that even when his mother isn’t watching…somebody’s mother is. Read more...