Facebook Depression?

Video courtesy of the Today Show

During the past week I have read at least five articles that talk about “Facebook depression.” Apparently this happens when kids (or adults) becoming obsessed with the social networking website and feel they are not getting as much attention as they would like.

Pediatricians and psychologists warn that Facebook puts vulnerable children at risk for depression. Being shunned on a social networking website may even be more serious than if a child is ignored by their friends in real life, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

For the first time, the AAP has published a set of social media guidelines. They believe that that cyber-harassment “can cause profound psycho-social outcomes.” Sometimes these cases can lead to suicide.

The AAP guidelines state that teenagers need to be monitored when using Facebook. And it goes without saying that children under thirteen should not have a profile on Facebook at all.

Parents should not think that the Facebook site causes depression. They just need to realize that some dramas that used to play out in the cafeteria or the locker room are now taking place in social media.

Learn more:
Pediatricians Should Discuss ‘Facebook Depression’ with Kids, Time
TechBytes: Facebook Depression, ABC News Technology
Aren’t We All Suffering From ‘Facebook Depression?’, PCWorld

Thank God It’s Not “Friday” – Most Hated Video on YouTube

Last week Techn(t)Parent posted on the tween one-hit wonder, Rebecca Black.

And the saga continues…

According to Mashable, “Friday” is now the most hated video on the YouTube. Rebecca Black’s “Friday” surpassed Justin Bieber’s “Baby” by around 27,000 dislikes this week.

Rebecca Black’s music video “Friday” was a rising star with 64 million YouTube views since last month. Now “Friday” has over 1.19 million dislikes. Only Justin Bieber’s “Baby” comes close with  nearly 1.2 million dislikes. (Word on the street is all the Bieber haters are boys.)

Since Bieber’s vieo has over 501 million views, he can take a million haters in stride. But Rebecca Black’s video has inspired “dislike” from nearly 2% of the viewers who saw the video. “Baby” has a hate-rate of just under .25%.

Not to worry. Rebecca still has some loyal followers. I read on Facebook how they were consoling her about the recent YouTube hate wave. Yes, she really writes in ALLCAPS ALL THE TIME!

Rebecca Black

OMG NO FRIDAY WAS TAKEN DOWN!!

Madison Holman
no way that sucks I love that song

Rebecca Black

HEY FRIDAY IS BACK UP WOOHOO!

Is “Friday” really so bad? You be the judge.

Media Usage among T(w)eens (continued)

We continue our conversation with Mike Bloxham, whose research has documented how this generation has grown to expect true interactivity. Brands see the increasing need to adapt to this mode and are starting to learn to engage with their audience without creating an interruptive experience.

This can explain why many brands are focusing on telling a story and tuning into the emotional benefits that lie behind their products. When they manage to weave these stories and benefits into a “conversation” that is taking place in social media they can strike gold with this elusive audience.

At Ball State University Mike Bloxham led an extensive study that examined how people watch screens of all sizes, such as TV, cell phones, computers, and others. Check out this video if you would like to learn more about the research conducted at Center for Media Design:

Media Usage among T(w)eens

As Director of Research for Ball State University’s Center for Media Design, Mike Bloxham has directed numerous studies involving media consumption. I called (actually skyped) Mike to ask him a few questions about how he observed tweens and teens using media… social or otherwise.

During our discussion he talked about how tweens and teens are “natively attuned” to interactivity. From their early intro to Webkinz and Club Penguin virtual worlds, today’s tweens are remarkably comfortable with play and interactions that cross various media. This experience is informing how they view the world. As touch screen devices become the norm, many young children expect the world around them to respond to their touch or comment.

Bloxham’s research has documented how this generation can expect true interactivity. Brands will need to adapt to this mode and engage with their audience without creating an interruptive experience.

Mike Bloxham

Mike Bloxham is the former Director, Insight & Research for the Center of Media Design (CMD), Ball State University. He champions research in interactive television, eye tracking and usability testing, the Digital Home and Heathcare Facility, the Digital Middletown Initiative, and was part of the team that produced the ground-breaking Middletown Media Studies – observational research that measured the exposure of 400 people to fifteen different media and seventeen different life activities throughout the day in 15-second increments. He has worked in media research and consulting for 17 years and his clients have included Microsoft, Cablevision, BSkyB, Le Monde, Procter & Gamble, MTVEurope, Time Warner and the British Government. Mike has recently left his position at Ball State University to pursue an opportunity in the private sector.

Middle School Sexting Goes Viral

This morning an article about middle school “sexting” made the front page of the The New York Times.

At first I was wondering if the Times had gotten caught up in the media’s recent fixation with teen sexting. After reading the article and learning how may states are dealing with cases of middle schoolers allowing nude photos to get into the wrong hands, I have to admit this is a wide-spread problem. There are not clear laws in place to protect the victims of sexting. Some states have gone so far as to charge minors (12- to 16-year-old kids) with dissemination of child pornography, a Class C felony, because they took a girl’s personal message and sent it out virally.

According to a 2010 AP poll, 25 percent of teens admit to having engaged in “sexting,” where they have ether sent or received sexually explicit photos or messages. The issue is become fairly common so lawmakers, parents and schools need to think about the best way to protect young people form doing serious harm to themselves and their peers.

A middle school in Maryland had a case last year where a group of boys were charging their classmates to see nude photos of girls from the school.

There was a similar case in Westlake, Ohio.

The New York Times article has already generated 168 comments. Most readers find the prosecutor was overzealous in charging these kids as distributors of child pornography. They add that law is supposed to protect minors from adults sharing nude photos, not their own peers. However these kids are disciplined, they need to become reacquainted with the “golden rule.” How would they feel if someone did this to them?

Tinkering School: Putting Knives in the Hands of Kids

Americans (myself included) may find it odd that some cultures give knives to children as a rite of passage. My own kids received a pocket knife for their seventh birthday from their French father. The French do this to acknowledge when a child reaches “l’âge de raison.”

Giving a child a pocket knife may not seem like a reasonable thing for a parent to do, but many American parents would not think twice about giving a seven-year-old child an iTouch. If parents thought about it, they would understand that the iTouch, just like the knife, can be dangerous.

Turns out that little Opinel No.7 knife was not only a practical tool to carry while hiking, but my son learned a lot about how to handle a knife.

Gever Tulley, founder of Tinkering School, has spoken a few times at TED about the importance of letting kids make mistakes and figure things out as they build with tools. His tinkering schools offer a hands-on experiences to today’s techie kids so they won’t wind up with two left thumbs.

Watch Tulley talk about 5½ Dangerous Thing Every Kid Should Do:

• Play with fire
• Own a pocket knife
• Throw a spear (preferably at a target)
• Deconstruct machines and appliances
• Drive a car
• Break the DMCA (Digital Media Copyright Act)

OMG, Are Text-isms Changing the English Language?

My high school English teacher surely has her knickers in a twist this week. The latest update of the OED Online includes LOL, OMG and other common abbreviations “<3″ed by texting tweens and teens. Chat and Internet slang like LOL and OMG are de rigueur for Twitter and Facebook, IM and SMS, but do they really belong in the dictionary?

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) is adding many “initialisms” to the authoritative reference book’s latest online update. The dons who update the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) did some etymological research and found that these terms actually have pre-Internet roots. The first quotation of OMG, was traced back to a personal letter from 1917 and FYI originated in 1941. The original LOL was used as an abbreviation for “little old lady” and dates back to 1960.

The OED editors explain that “initialisms are quicker to type than the full forms, and (in the case of text messages, or Twitter, for example) they help to say more in media where there is a limit to a number of characters one may use in a single message.”

Mashable summarizes with a quote from the OED Blog:
“The intention is usually to signal an informal, gossipy mode of expression, and perhaps parody the level of unreflective enthusiasm or overstatement that can sometimes appear in online discourse, while at the same time marking oneself as an ‘insider’ au fait with the forms of expression associated with the latest technology.”

Watch what the OED editors have to say about the March 2011 update here:

Other examples of new OED entries include:

• muffin top – ”a protuberance of flesh above the waistband of a tight pair of trousers.”
• wag – “wives and girlfriends.” It was first used in 2002 to describe the female partners of members of the England soccer team. Now it denotes the glamorous and extravagant female partners of male celebrities.
• meep (think Road Runner cartoon character) – a short high-pitched sound
• heart or <3 (used as a verb) – a casual equivalent of “to love” that is represented with a symbol, as seen on millions of souvenirs proclaiming “I (heart) New York.”

Kid-friendly Online Privacy

Kids are quick to reveal personal details when they think they are among “friends.” As tweens and teens connect through “free” sites and social networks, they may not see the true cost—their privacy. A recent poll published by Common Sense Media highlights the real-life price of online privacy.

No track left behind
Constant changes in tracking technology and digital media have made it harder for families to comprehend a Web site’s privacy policy so they can protect their data. An overwhelming 85 percent of parents reported they are more anxious about online privacy now than they were five years ago.

Opt-in preferred
Both kids and parents favor an explicit “opt-in” approach, with 88 percent of parents and 85 percent of teens agreeing that sites should be required to ask permission before using personal or behavioral information for marketing purposes.

Privacy concerns
Three out of four parents say that social networks aren’t doing a good job of respecting kids’ privacy. 92 percent of parents feel that their kids are sharing too much about themselves online.

Many kids are unaware that their information and actions are being tracked then mined by marketers. Most teens don’t feel their personal information is secure online, though 44 percent of teens think that their personal data is safe when they are online. Older kids are waking up to the risks. Nearly 80 percent of teens think their friends reveal too much information when connecting online.

Start with online literacy
Education is a key component to addressing these concerns. 70 percent of parents think schools should educate students about online privacy. Schools have responded by introducing media literacy to their curriculum.

The mother of Innovation
As families begin to choose sites for their kid-friendly privacy policies, the online competition will adapt. Safe sites with compelling content will lead the pack.

21^st century privacy legislation
Over 60 percent of parents believe it is time for Congress to update online privacy laws. The Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) was enacted in 1998 so it is in need of a 21^st century reality check. Some advocates propose extending online protections to all kids under 18 (currently COPPA only protects kids under 13).

The current political landscape is ripe for legislative change. The Internet is evolving from the days of the Wild West to that 2.0 place where consumers are empowered to use “do not track” features in their browsers.

To help families protect kids online, Common Cause Media developed a privacy campaign with six main goals:

1. Do not track kids
2. Opt-in required (for behavioral tracking)
3. Clear and simple privacy statements
4. Universal privacy education
5. Innovate to protect
6. Privacy for the 21st century: Congress should update COPPA.

Poll Source: Common Sense Media/Zogby Poll of Parents and Kids on Privacy (Published October 2010)
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/privacypoll.pdf

Methodology: Zogby International surveyed an online panel of parents and teens; 2,100 adults and 401 teenagers (ages 15-18) participated.

Teen Party Canceled After Facebook Invite Got Too Viral

I found this strange (but true) post on AllFacebook.com and found it amusing and worth sharing:

Facebook lesson of the day: If you’re creating a party invitation, make sure you keep it closed to the public.

A girl in Australia learned this lesson the hard way, and had to cancel her 16th birthday party after almost 200,000 people reportedly accepted an invitation to her birthday bash…

Teen Party Canceled After Facebook Invite Got Too Viral.

Tweens learn What’s What or What’s Imbee in Social

As I continue to research tween social media sites I keep finding more tween networks that are either new or relaunched. Here are two of the kid-friendly social networks I uncovered this week.

WhatsWhat.me was just launched in January and it looks like it would appeal to younger tweens. The site has some new “facial recognition” technology that helps keep the site safe and prevent someone from hacking into a kid’s profile.

• Only for kids – Webcam and facial recognition software is used for login. Photos are encrypted and stored for authentication.
• Protected content – The site claims they don’t use or sell user activity. Content is not searchable outside of the site.
• Professional moderators – Trained monitors review site content and activity.
• Community rules – Users are reminded of the rules and can be blocked for unacceptable behavior.

I found it interesting that WhatsWhat.me only allows kids to “friend” within their grade, one grade above and one grade below. Parental approval is needed for any other “friending.” I can see how this type of control would appeal to parents, but it could get a little frustrating for kids who have siblings and friends with siblings. We should not teach younger kids to be wary of some kids just because they are a couple years older.

This WhatsWhat.me’s promo video gives parents a preview of how kids interact on the site:

Imbee is a kids social network that has been around for a few years and recently decided to relaunch with a more robust privacy settings. Common Sense media reports that Imbee is best for kids over 12. From my brief experience with Imbee I tend to agree with their age rating. Right on the home page there was a Mindless Behavior video where the boys were doing a little bump n’ grind with Ciara.

It’s also worth noting that the Federal Trade Commission fined Imbee in 2008 for collecting personal information about more than 10,000 kids without properly notifying parents. According to recent statements on the site, they’ve updated their policies to comply with COPPA. The relaunch is their latest step to clean up their image.

Imbee’s promo videos appeal directly to the older tween/ young teen target audience: