Inside: Guest Editor’s Column, February 2016

It is 2016, and I find myself guest editing another Contra Costa Lawyer edition. This month’s edition revolves around technology issues, which should be no surprise for those who know me and recall the prior issues I have guest edited.

In addition to all of the great articles written about technology and its effects on your practice, many readers are also parents. A few may even be grandparents. The applications that teens use to communicate today may eventually work their way into the law office, much the way Facebook has.

So, what are teenagers using to communicate today? This series of articles written by teenager Andrew Watts is a great primer:

• A Teenager’s View on Social Media
• What Teens Really Think about YouTube, Google+, Reddit and Other Social Media

He covers not only the major apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but also lesser-known (or unknown to adults) apps such as Yik Yak, Medium and Plag.

I highly recommend that everyone take a look at the two articles. Not only may you find your kids using them but, in litigation cases, they may provide additional resources of social media to use in discovery. With so much of our communication moving online and into various apps, even email can seem quaint at times.

Enjoy the February edition of the Contra Costa Lawyer and have a great 2016.