I'm heading to Austin for the first time March 10 for South By Southwest Interactive where I will be moderating a panel called Meet Judy Jetson: How technology is transforming 21st century teens. Here's the backstory: After last year's teen panel at Blogher, the organizers at SXSW Interactive were interested in having a similar panel at their conference. At the same time my contact at P&G's Beinggirl.com was very interested in doing something to support an organic form of teen expression. So all of us got on the phone (SXSW, P&G, Blogher and me) and decided to make this panel happen. I would moderate and select the panelists, P&G would foot the bill to get myself and two of the teen bloggers plus a parent each to Austin, Blogher would handle the logistics and of course SXSW would promote, give us a time/space and help us on the ground. I also asked Varsity Media Group to get involved since they are a local company and have been in the teen ugc (user generated content) space for the past several years.

The panel will be podcast and I will post the link on Ypulse as soon as I get it. It is also free and open to the general public if you get an If! pass so spread the word to anyone you think might be interested in Austin. Here's a preview of who is on the panel and some of the topics we will be discussing.

Elaheh Farmand, Bluebirdescape.com
Casey Lewis, Teen Fashionista (who already asked me what she should wear!)
Carson Cummings, teen blogger, Varsity Media Group Inc.
Kelly Hoffman, Founder & CEO, Varsity Media Group Inc.

Generation Y or the "Net Generation" has grown up wired. These teens use the Internet and other technologies as naturally as Gen Xers used the three-way phone call. This panel offers perspectives from teens on how they use technologies such as SMS, blogs, social networking sites and IM in their daily lives. We will focus on how these technologies are used to do what teens have always done (write diaries and poetry, gossip, bully, hook-up, cheat) and the difference – or lack thereof – from doing this offline. Some of the questions will be:

- Are there any secrets online (aka what does it mean to be public online)?

- What's the biggest mistake you've ever made online (online being code for interactive media)? Do you think about this before you post, text, IM? Do your friends?

- What's the best/worst thing that's ever happened to you online?

- Are cliques harsher/more closed online or kinder/more open? How are teens using different technologies (SMS, blogs, social networks, etc.)?

- Are there any major differences between the way girls use tech vs. boys?

- Biggest complaint about tech? What is used the most/least?

- What don't the institutions in your life understand about your use of technology (schools, college apps, tests, homework, etc.)

- Let's apply that last question to parents and other adults: What don't they get?

If any Ypulse readers are attending SXSW Interactive, email me so we can meet up!

Posted by anastasia