YouTube debate as homework assignment (love this: "Ray Keller, a Nebraska teacher, turned the YouTube invite for questions into a video homework assignment to get his students interested in the election.") (WSJ Washington Wire blog)
- Sundance lineup announced (Ypulse-y docs to watch: "American Teen" and Slingshot Hip Hop) (Variety)
- Vice report (R. J. Reynolds pulling print ads. Plus Millennials still love beer and "The only effect slightly larger than the effect of media violence on aggression is that of cigarette smoking on lung cancer" ) (New York Times, reg. required) (Marketing VOX) (Media Life Magazine, last item)
- Toy scare... (a boon for video games. Plus the first Latino Gamerz Match) (L.A. Times, reg. required)
- Magi-Nation to launch a kids' virtual world (Magi-Nation: Battle for the Moonlands will be going into beta in December) (Izzy Neis)
- What kids are watching (OpEd on kids' TV diet of reality programming and "Family Guy." Plus MTV to put every "South Park" clip online) (Yahoo! News) (Paid Content)
- Uncle Sam wants (your parents. Army targeting mom and dad with recruiting messages) (WSJ)
- Phoning it in (cell phone classes in Japan. Plus teachers reading teens' texts from confiscated cell phones prompting the ACLU to say, "Oh no you don't.") (USA Today) (Textually)
- Cosmetics and personal care products (to target tweens and teens big time)
- Curvy girls (can now find plus sizes to their favorite brands online) (NorthJersey.com)
- Alloy formalizes its ad rep relationship (with college newspapers) (MediaPost, reg. required)
- The AdCouncil (launches on YouTube) (New York Times, reg. required)
P.S. Please read my post from yesterday about the Ypulse widget. I really want to make this happen, but need help from a widget-eer. RockYou? Off to go speak then flying home from "the Magic Kingdom."
Posted by anastasia
Campus Marketing | Education | Fashion | Gaming | Hispanic Youth Marketing | Movies | Newspapers | TV | Tweens | Web | Wireless
Comments
Widgets aren't simply for information dissemination. The idea of a widget is that they are a technology short cut. So one would have to need to find regularly updated information before a widget becomes necessary, or at least have an interest in say, displaying static information on one's Facebook profile. The shortcut in the first example is to save time doing web searches, and the shortcut in the second is to save time coding. Viral doesn't happen magically - if there's no reason to adopt a widget, people won't.
Further, I'm not convinced that teens don't know what the warning signs are on someone's profile or blog, or even away message. In fact, I'm pretty sure they do know. The problem is that they don't know what to do about it, that they're afraid to do something about it (in case they're wrong), and they're occasionally too wrapped up in the problems they're facing to take action.
What shortcuts might make a real difference are: 1) the ability to report concern to a monitoring agency easily, 2) the ability to easily come to consensus with other friends without alerting the person they're concerned about.
Posted by: Kristen O | November 29, 2007 10:40 AM
Hi Kristen. On this one I don't agree with you. The widget could have quizzes or other interactivity build into it, and I think the pro-social, look out for other teens message will be embraced and spread, especially if it's being promoted by the social networks and has a clear message attached to it.
I definitely don't think teens know all of the red flags or warning signs on every issue, and sometimes, while very well intentioned, when they do try to help, they may be giving advice or information that isn't accurate. Talk to any sex educator and they'll tell you this.
I think something enabling reporting sounds big brothery though there should be a message that if someone has certain red flags, that's exactly what they should do.
I think having a handy list of sites and hotline numbers right there, might encourage a teen to call and get help. So instead of just trying to help with advice that may or may not be accurate, they can say, try one of these sites or numbers....
Posted by: Anastasia | November 29, 2007 11:23 AM