Digital Playtime

Do play and learning go together?

According to the Pew Study on Teen Gaming and Civic Engagement, teens spend about half of their screen time playing games. Some of the most popular games have to do with racing, puzzles, sports, action, adventure and learning.

The new wave of gaming is highly social. Teens (and tweens) are becoming hooked on games that are a working model for online collaboration and problem solving. Some games even incorporate aspects of civic and political life.

My favorite interns from Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society created a video on this topic that covers this topic very well.

I have seen some of this social gaming first hand since my son participates in Future Cities competitions through his middle school. The participants start out by creating cities using Sim City software. The students work in groups to develop the infrastructure of their future city. Sometimes they go online to consult with teams in other parts of the country. Eventually each team builds a model of the city and develops working prototypes of their infrastructure projects. My son’s team went to a regional competition where they won an award for their transportation system.

What is interesting about the future cities program is that the kids learn how to build models to represent their virtual cities. They learn how to adapt their designs to real-world conditions, much like an architect or engineer must do. Then they meet with other kids and the engineers that judge each entry at the Future Cities competition.

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.

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.

Togetherville.com acquired by Disney

This week Disney acquired Togetherville, the tween social networking site that enables parents to build a social circle for their children based on their own collection of Facebook friends. The Togetherville online community was designed to protect the privacy of children under age 13. The site allows children to connect with their real-world friends in its virtual neighborhood while allowing parents to monitor what their kids are doing.

Togetherville has been described as “training wheels for social networks.” The idea behind Togetherville is to create online “neighborhoods” similar to real-life neighborhoods where children interact with each other and the adults they know.

Kids are looking for ways to express themselves and pursue their interests in an online social network that is safe. Togetherville founder, Mandeep Dhillon, identified this growing need for a safe online social network, but he did not want to make kids hide behind an avatar. Mr. Dhillon believed that open (yet monitored) online interaction would help children develop social skills that they can’t get from virtual worlds like Club Penguin.

The intent of Togetherville is to keep younger children off Facebook, where they are more likely to connect with strangers or encounter cyber-bullying. The site offers kids the videos, games and activities they seek on larger sites like YouTube or gaming sites while protecting them from inappropriate content.

The Togetherville acquisition is the latest move in Disney’s quest to dominate the market for websites targeting families with children. Their first steps to building out their online family network with social media ties began in in 2007 when they acquired Club Penguin, and continued in 2009 when they scooped up Kaboose.com. Last July Disney acquired social gaming company Playdom for $563 million. Togetherville adds a COPPA-compliant social media platform to Disney’s family-friendly online offering. With Club Penguin Disney quickly gained the trust of parents who were happy to shell out $60 a year in CP subscription fees to know their kids are “protected” from inappropriate content. Togetherville seems destined for a similar business model.

The Togetherville site just launched last May and had a lot of promise. On the horizon lies a less creative, yet more profitable future. The question remains: What price would parents be willing to pay to protect their kids from commercialism?

Everloop launches Network for Tweens

Recently we all heard about how the Obama girls are not allowed to go on Facebook. Well, Sasha and Malia may not be completely “out of the loop” if the First Lady approves of a new social network that was specifically designed with kids their age in mind.

A new site called Everloop is positioning itself as a safe, moderated social network that complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). “At Everloop, we’re recognizing that kids want to be online, and our goal is to get kids’ online time focused on connecting with a purpose,” Everloop’s website’s parents page says. The network launched last week and has partnered with i-Safe to run an Internet safety training program at 56,000 schools around the country.

Everloop calls itself a “social looping platform” and claims to keep tweens safe by maintaining a “privacy loop” around their connections. Kids can join a “loop” that relates to their interests, participate in school projects, connect with friends,  post pictures and share comments. They can also decorate their profile and add some personalization elements.

Like most COPPA-friendly sites, parents need to approve their child’s Everloop account before it is enabled. Parents also have the option of disabling certain site features, such as friend suggestions or instant messaging. Parents are always notified about new “connections” so they can stay “in the loop.”

Ultimately, kids will be the judge of whether this “parent-approved Facebook” will be cool enough to keep them interested.

Welcome to T(w)eens go Social!

Welcome to T(w)eensgosocial. The focus of this blog will be to explore how teens and tweens use social media. T(w)eens are flocking to social media platforms since many of them grew up playing in virtual worlds.

According to research from the Pew Internet Report on Teens and Social Media, teens are no longer interested in blogging. Instead nearly three-quarters of teens are creating facebook, myspace, and other social media profiles to keep in touch. Their younger counterparts, tweens, are following the same path though most social media sites prohibit kids under 13 from creating an account. So that means that tweens are lying about their age to create a Facebook or YouTube account.

In 2010 Common Sense Media conducted a survey to examine how social networks were affecting kids and families. They found that kids turn to social media sites to connect with friends, classmates, and people who share the same interests. In many cases they do this without parental permission. Once parents find out the truth it could be too late.

Researchers asked teens and parents about their views of online privacy and how their personal information is being used by websites, social networks and other online platforms.

• Parents are concerned about how much their kids are sharing.
• Families need guidance and information about online privacy.
• Parents expect companies to respect privacy and want government to enforce online privacy law.

Today’s pre-teens and adolescents are drifting away from face-to-face communication. Instead they share details of their life on social media platforms. This evolution is introducing risks that t(w)eens may not be aware of when they create their first social media profile. Many adult responsibilities come with entering this digital world. T(w)eens need to learn what it means to be a safe online, including ethical behavior, privacy and cyberbullying.

I work as a digital marketer in children’s publishing and have two tweens at home so I am familiar with the trends in social media. It is very tempting for kids to get hooked on social media sites and not think about the long-term effect of their online social presence. I want to explore the good and bad sides of this social landscape and see in which ways it impacts how kids communicate and grow into young adults.