New Research from Tween Online Life

The latest findings from Tween Online Life were released last week. The new research explores behaviors and usage for a variety of digital and online sites including online video, e-commerce, gaming, communications and entertainment destinations.

YouTube, ESPN, Google and AddictingGames remain the most visited sites for tween boys. Tween girls favor YouTube, Disney, Yahoo and Facebook.

Where the tweens are
Well, over 60 percent of tweens said they viewed at least one video on YouTube during the past month. Hulu is also catching on too… about one in six tweens said they watched a TV show or movie on Hulu. Over the past two years, tweens have become the heaviest consumers of movies and TV shows online

Game on
For tweens gaming is increasingly popular in social media. Nearly nine out of ten tweens participate in regular (monthly) online gaming for either casual online play, multi-player games or console-based games. Today online gaming is fairly gender neutral. Things don’t start to be male-oriented until the early teen years.

Born to shop
E-commerce is also gaining as Tweens have become loyal online shoppers, with more than a third shopping (and buying) online at least once during the past month, as compared to only 25 percent just a year ago.

We all know that kids need to be at least 13 years old to register for social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Tweens who really want in just need to fudge their birth date to register. And the research confirms that the “fudging” becomes all the more common as kids approach their thirteenth birthday.

Do T(w)eens Tweet?

Harvard social media researchers ask the question: Do t(w)een digital natives use Twitter?

 
 

Their answers are revealing about how many t(w)een social media users use various social media platforms and adapt their messages to the medium. They theorize that teens and tweens are developing code to avoid parents from spying on their conversations.

According to Harvard researcher, Dana Boyd, “Teens turn to private messages or texting or other forms of communication for intimate interactions, but they don’t care enough about certain information to put the effort into locking it down.”

Photo courtesy of Media Shift

Twitter is becoming a preferred platform for private communication among tech-savvy teens in affluent communities. Boyd has found that these teens keep their their Twitter accounts under wraps, sharing only with their inner circle of friends. They find that Twitter offers better crowd control (aka privacy) than Facebook. “Facebook is like shouting in a crowd, Twitter is like talking in a room,” stated one teen she studied.

The Harvard research indicates that teenagers have adapted to social media by developing their own private language which is based on song lyrics, personal jokes, na’vi etc. They communicate in code so that only insiders and close friends will understand the true meaning of their messages. There is even an online decoder to help parents understand what their t(w)eens are chatting/tweeting about.

Socrates offered up this critique on the youth of his day: “children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise… They contradict their parents, chatter before company… tyrannize their teachers.” Sound familiar?

Born Digital

Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society has a new crop of interns each summer that work on research projects relating to the Youth and Media project. I recently discovered this great collection of videos the 2010 interns created and was inspired.

Working with the Center’s digital media producer, each intern created a video to illustrate each chapter of Born Digital by John Palfrey and Urs Gasser.

About the interns

About Born Digital

Based on extensive original research, including interviews with Digital Natives around the world, Born Digital explores a broad range of issues, from the highly philosophical to the purely practical: What does identity mean for young people who have dozens of online profiles and avatars? Should we worry about privacy issues – or is privacy even a relevant concern for Digital Natives? How does the concept of safety translate into an increasingly virtual world? Are online games addictive, and how do we need to worry about violent video games? What is the Internet’s impact on creativity and learning? What lies ahead – socially, professionally, and psychologically – for this generation?

Videos and About Born Digital description:
©The President and Fellows of Harvard College

Underage Facebook Users

According to The Daily Telegraph, about 20,000 members are removed from Facebook every day for lying about their age. Last week Facebook’s chief privacy adviser Mozelle Thompson admitted to Australia’s cyber-safety committee that underage users were taking advantage of the site.

Video courtesy of WKRG

The Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that nearly half of all 12-year-old kids in the U.S. are using social network sites, despite not meeting the minimum age requirements for sites like Facebook.

Clearly, the honors system does not seem to be an effective way of checking a user’s age when they register. Do any of you have/know kids that are under thirteen on Facebook? Is thirteen the appropriate age to start engaging in social networking? What age is appropriate?

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

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.

T(w)eens go Mobile

Kids, consider a world without cell phones.

One of my favorite things about being a mom is watching my kids grow and express themselves. Today part of that expression is tied to their tech toys. I remember how excited my son was when he got his very own cell phone. It was blue and it was the first sign of his independence.

My son is not alone. For tweens and teens cell phones rule! Their devotion to mobile technology continues to increase with each passing year. As these young techies go mobile, they find that “third screen” time is merging with or even replacing computer and TV time. And the “third screen” goes with them wherever they go.

According to Kaiser Family Foundation research from 2010, most kids get a mobile phone around the time they start middle school. Text messaging reigns among mobile t(w)eens and is by far the most popular way that teens reach their friends, beyond talking face-to-face, email, instant messaging and voice calling.

Mobile provides a whole new way to communicate, learn and interact with their favorite content. So why are mobile devices being banned in most schools?

Distractions
Many schools, including those in New York City, are banning cell phones, so kids have to keep their cell phone shut off during most of the day. At least there is the bus/car/subway ride home to make up for lost time.

Unlimited texting plan, please
The average American teen sends and receives 50 or more messages per day, or 1,500 per month.
More than 31% of teens send and receive over 100 messages per day… that’s over 3,000 messages a month

SMS insights from the Pew Report that made me LOL
“My mom, she’s old school too, but she loves texting. But the only reason why I don’t text her is because I do the up-and-down letter-thingy, where you have capital words.” Ah yes, texting has it’s own rules and kids are not willing to bend them. Deal with it, mom!

How teens use their phones besides texting and talking

• 83% use their phones to take pictures
• 60% play music on their phones
• 46% play games on their phones
• 32% exchange videos on their phones
• 27% go online on their phones
• 23% access social networking sites

Mobile apps like Facebook, Pandora and YouTube are growing in popularity as more kids get smart phones. Surfing the mobile web has topped mobile gaming (meaning pre-installed) based on the 2010 data.

Summary: Most T(w)eens use their mobile phone to text, take photos, share, play games, listen to music and watch videos.

Over the past five years, the kids between eight and 18 who own their own cell phone has nearly doubled. Current estimates show that roughly 66 percent of kids from eight to 18 own a cell phone. (Source: Pew Internet, FOSI 2010)

“A Thin Line” takes on Digital Abuse

After reading about the White House Summit on Bullying Prevention I decided to check out some interesting campaigns produced by main stream media properties. MTV has a multi-platform campaign called “A Thin Line” that addresses the issue of digital abuse. The term digital abuse is meant to be broader than “cyberbullying” since texting or digital spying are just as central in how young people can be bullied with technology.

Are you playing a part in someone’s digital drama? This quiz from MTV may help you figure it out.

 

MTV is leveraging all digital platforms to spread the word about “A Thin Line.”

The MTV “Thin Line” site includes “Draw Your Line,” which features an interactive map that shows some of the positive steps being taken against digital abuse. On the map you can read about where young people have helped to disarm an online attack.

Also MTV and Common Sense Media have started a road show to promote the campaign in communities across the nation. Here is an example from Omaha, Nebraska:

Today’s teens and tweens encounter more sophisticated forms of bullying that are taking a real toll. It is really hard for parents or schools to know what is going on. They often make the mistake of thinking that it is less real, just because it is happening digitally.

More on this topic next time…

Cyberbullying 101

Bullies lurk in the most unexpected places these days. Today’s schoolyard dramas play out largely on Facebook and YouTube and Twitter.

One in three kids say they’ve been cyberbullied at some point. Middle school seems to be the prime time for this type of behavior. Even the most web savvy kids can fall prey to cyberbullying so it is important to know the facts.

How to Recognize It
A lot of innocent teasing happens on Facebook and via text message. So when does a good joke go bad? When someone “repeatedly harasses, mistreats, or makes fun of another person,” say Sameer Hinduja and Justin Patchin, co-directors of the Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.us).

Cyberbullies are often motivated by anger, revenge or frustration. Sometimes they bully for entertainment or because they are bored and have too much time on their hands and too many tech toys available to them. Some do it for laughs or to get attention. Some do it by accident, and either send a message to the wrong recipient or didn’t think before they did something. Kids with aggressive egos do it to torment others. Mean girls do it to help bolster or remind people of their own social standing. And some think they are getting revenge or even standing up for others.

Cyberbullying Stats

• Cyberbully 411 reports that 40% of kids say their cyberbullying took place on instant messenger services. 30% said it happened on social networking sites, and 29% said they were bullied while playing an online game.
• USA Today reports that girls generally mock others for their physical appearance, while boys tend to make more sexually explicit comments.
• Cyberbullying is especially prevalent among middle school kids (9-14).

Middle school students were surveyed about who cyberbullied them:

• 52% identified another student at school
• 36% said they had been cyberbullied by a friend
• 13% had been cyberbullied by a sister or brother
• 48% did not know who had cyberbullied them (Kowalski et al., 2008)

How to stop the bully

• Don’t respond.
• Sign off and block the bully.
• Change contact information.
• Save all bullying emails or text messages.
• Talk to an adult about what is happening.

Learn more
For tips about identifying, preventing, and responding to cyberbullying, please visit the Cyberbullying Research Center (cyberbullying.us).

Some kids’ websites also have articles or videos to help kids address cyberbullying. Here are a few resources we found:
PBS Kids
Scholastic

http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:nick.com:660744 

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