Study: blogs put teens at risk for cyberstalking

By revealing real names, ages and locations, teenage bloggers put themselves at risk for cyberstalking and cyberbullying, according to a Northwestern study.

The study analyzed 68 randomly selected Web logs created by teenagers between 13 and 17 years old. Researchers found that of those blogs, 70 percent included at least the first name of the creator, and 61 percent revealed contact information of some form. Of that 61 percent, the city and state of the blogger was provided in 59 percent of the Web sites.

David Huffaker, who conducted the study, said blogs provide a unique way for teens to share stories, but unlike traditional diaries, the stories are available for anyone to read on the Internet. Huffaker recommends limiting access to the Web sites by requiring passwords that only friends would know.

The study was presented at the Feb. 19 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in St. Louis.

Online time doesn’t hurt children socially

Young people who spend a lot of time online do not lose a sense of community involvement or the benefits of social interaction as many adults fear they do, according to a study by NU researchers.

The study found that interaction over the Internet has replaced more traditional face-to-face meetings for youngsters who are particularly interested in technology. But the interactions still foster a sense of civic involvement and do not diminish how much the individuals care about their communities or the world.

Communications Studies Prof. Justine Cassell studied the online behavior of 3,000 youngsters aged 10 to 16 over the course of seven years. Cassell also presented her findings at the Feb. 19 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Ethnic descriptions help focus heath programs

Permitting patients to describe their ethnicity in their own terms for medical records might help reduce differences in the health care provided to racial and ethnic minorities and whites, an NU study found.

Health care providers rely on information about a patient’s ethnicity to measure the quality of care the individual is receiving. If the ethnic information is vague, it is difficult to determine what programs should be improved to address inequalities in treatment, according to the study.

In the study, led by David W. Baker at NU’s Feinberg School of Medicine, patients were asked to detail their ethnic information in two ways. The traditional way asked them to choose a specific category, while the new method allowed them to use their own words. When the participants were asked which they preferred, about 25 percent chose the non-traditional option. Researchers found that using the category “other” decreased when patients were able to use their own terms.

Reach Joanna Allerhand at [email protected].