Derek E. Baird :: Barking Robot

CollegeOnly: A Parent Free, Exclusive Social Network for Students

Remember when Facebook was only for college kids? CollegeOnly is a return to those simple, pastoral days — with a whole lot more tech.

If you have a university e-mail address (.edu), you can join the site, where everyone in a school is instantly connected — no friending required (you can block people, though).

Currently there are three schools on the site — Princeton, Yale and Cornell — but it plans to expand.

Users can create profiles where they can include info like what dorm they live in, activities they’re into as well as their classes. They can also upload multiple profile pictures, as well as snaps from Facebook.

CollegeOnly emphasizes that these pictures will only be visible to those on the site, keeping them away from the prying eyes of parents, school administrators and future employers.

A savvy student would be wise to remember that privacy on the web, regardless of the marketing claims, is largely an illusion.

So bottom line: don't post anything online that you don't want to be seen in public.

via mashable.com

Membership is restricted to students with verified college e-mail addresses. CollegeOnly is “connecting student bodies” by allowing our members to see and share what’s going on on campus, chat with schoolmates or other collegiates, and have a protected online social identity.

In addition to our unique spin on current content and social sites, our site is the only one that is free from parents, potential employers, and other folks that shouldn’t see what you are up to on a Saturday night or at any given point during the day. Whether it is campus news and events or funny links, random chatter, and crazy photos -- all of your education and procrastination needs can be found in one convenient place.

It’s time to party, are you ready?

Nielsen: African-Americans, Women and Southerners Talk and Text The Most in the U.S.

Think you can guess which Americans talk or text the most on their mobile phones?

American kids under 18 send and receive roughly 2,800 texts per month, according to Nielsen, or about 93 per day. (Assuming 7 hours of sleep per night, on average, that's about 5.5 per hour spent awake, or one every 10 minutes or so.) In the next two age brackets, text-message usage falls by more than half each.

 

African-Americans and Hispanics Text the Most

According to Nielsen, African-Americans use the most voice minutes – on average more than 1,300 a month. Hispanics are the next most talkative group, chatting an average of 826 minutes a month. Even Asians/Pacific Islanders, with 692 average monthly minutes, talk more than Whites, who use roughly 647 voice minutes a month.

Hispanics send and receive around 767 SMS messages a month while African-Americans send and receive around 780 – significantly more than Asians/Pacific Islanders (384 texts a month) and Whites (566 texts a month).

The voice and text results are compiled from one year (April 2009-March 2010) of mobile usage data gathered by the The Nielsen Company, which analyzes the cellphone bills of more than 60,000 mobile subscribers each month in the United States.

Women Have Their Say

And if you think women in the U.S. talk more than men on their cellphones, Nielsen data confirms your suspicion. On average, women talk 22 % more than men (856.3 minutes a month compared to men’s 666.7).

Turns out, American women are more communicative in general on mobile devices; they text more, too, sending or receiving an average of 601 SMS messages a month compared to the 447 monthly text messages sent or received by the average American male.

Teens Rule for Texting

Not surprisingly, teens text the most, sending or receiving an amazing 2,779 SMS messages a month. In the next two age brackets, text usage falls by more than half each time, with those aged 18-24 sending or receiving 1,299 messages and those aged 25-34 exchanging an average of 592 messages.

While the text usage varies greatly between those 18-24 and those 25-34, their voice usage is quite close (981 voice minutes for 18-24 and 952 minutes a month for those 25-34 years old.)

The South Speaks Up

Location plays into usage patterns as well. Southerners are the most talkative, but while Florida ranks high in terms of monthly voice minutes used, it ranks very low for text messaging (the state has one of the highest median ages and older Americans text the least.) Mississippi, interestingly enough, ranks high for both talking and texting.

via blog.nielsen.com

Related: Mobile Web Key to Continued Growth at Facebook

Trend Watch: Universal Pictures Adds 'i-Trailer' For Teen Movie Push

Universal Pictures launched an i-Trailer on August 4 to promote Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, debuting the marketing tool on the Yahoo! Movie site. The movie studio partnered with Mark Woollen and Associates to create it.

The i-Trailer has the look and feel of an 8-bit videogame and leads consumers who opt-in to comprehensive information about the film.

Individuals can control the path they go on as they discover facts and information about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Examples of featured information are where a scene was shot, what the music cue was and how a particular scene in the movie relates to the graphic novel.

The goal is to better engage Universal Pictures' target audience for the film, 13 to 34 year olds, in a one-on-one experience. After its debut on Yahoo! Movies, Universal also made the trailer available on the film's official site.

via www.dmnews.com

Cartoon Network Launches 'Stop Bullying: Speak Up' Campaign

Last week the Cartoon Network announced further details of its multi-platform Bullying Prevention Campaign at the National Bullying Prevention Summit in Washington, DC.

Speaking to an audience comprised of government officials, business leaders and leading educators of bullying prevention, Cartoon Network’s President and Chief Operations Officer Stuart Snyder unveiled the official title of the campaign—STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP—which will serve to educate and empower young bystanders to take action to reduce/prevent bullying.

Bystanders represent the 75-85% of students in schools that witness incidents of bullying every year, whether on the playground, in the classroom, on the bus, on social media websites, or cell phones.

The STOP BULLYING: SPEAK UP on-air and online CAMPAIGN will launch in October to coordinate with the fifth annual National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Center for Bullying Prevention.

As part of a larger commitment to the anti-bullying efforts, CNN, sister network to Cartoon Network, which has to date covered numerous stories about the rise and growing concern over bullying in America, will also recognize October Bullying Prevention Month by presenting an Anderson Cooper 360° Town Hall event the first week in October.

“Bullying recently has been designated by the American Academy of Pediatrics as a national health crisis.” -- David Doss, senior executive producer for Anderson Cooper 360°

Award-winning journalist Anderson Cooper will welcome government and education leaders, parents groups and child behavioral experts from top universities and non-profit institutions to discuss the many issues and concerns surrounding bullying.

Cartoon Network’s initial steps include launching a new series of original PSAs that will premiere on Friday, Oct. 1, at 9 a.m., introducing the pro-social effort and directing viewers to key online resources at CartoonNetwork.com.

Myth Busters: Facebook, Teens & Cyberbullying

Facebook handles 2m abuse reports through its site every week, and 80% of those are false. But of those cases that are genuine, by far the biggest issues are cyberbullying, addiction, oversharing and 'sexting' - when girls are bullied into sending photos of themselves to 'boyfriends'.

Balkam cites research by Ncmec, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the US, which found that 1% of child victimisation cases involved the internet. "Those cases are shocking and disturbing and they make the nightly news, but therefore they seem a greater problem than they are."

The future of online safety is also about far more than just Facebook, which bears the brunt of the publicity because it is the most visible site.

via www.guardian.co.uk

It's Official: Facebook Hits 500 Million Members

via techcrunch.com

This is no surprise to anyone even remotely following the company, but Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg just made things official on the company’s blog: the social network is now 500 million members strong.

Watch Mark Zuckerberg's interview with Diane Sawyer.

Houle: Your Kids Are Different and It's Okay!

Futurist David Houle has an interesting series of articles over on Oprah.com that explore the world of Millennials and the challenges of raising kids in the digital age.

The thing that I really like about Houle's column is that he takes a rational and, unlike so many other guru's, non-alarmist approach to the subject.

There are so many fear based stories out there about kids, digital technology and social media, so it's refreshing to see such a balanced approach on the subject.

The one area where I disagree slightly with Houle is his use of the term "digital natives." I'm sure from his perspective and based on his conversations with CEO's and other corporate types, that Millennials in the workplace, compared to their older colleagues, appear to be super digital, technology gifted whiz kids.

Coined by author Marc Prensky in 2001, the phrase has its usefulness in helping us adults grasp the major media shift we're experiencing and embrace young people's openness to it.

But two leading new-media thinkers – Sonia Livingstone of the London School of Economics and Henry Jenkins at the University of Southern California – both have concerns about the phrase becoming too definitive.

Sure kids can work an iPod or update their status on Facebook, but what about using technology in an authentic, useful context? But when it comes to using technology in a situated context to complete a task, navigating privacy settings and all around digital literacy, or using technology at school kids still come up a bit short. 

Over the last decade there has been lots of talk, in both the press and educational circles, about the technological prowess of digital natives. We've heard a lot about what's exciting in educational technology, but the reality is that teachers still see a lot of kids struggling to use technology.

In the end, what's important here, and I'm sure Mr. Houle would agree, is to take a balanced position when it comes to kids and technology. As a parent or teacher, don't be afraid to jump into the technology and social media pool and get your feet wet. Use this as an opportunity to spend time with your kids and  learn more about how they are using technology, mobile phones and social media in their lives.

Most importantly, don't panic! As a wise man once said, 'your kids are different...and it's okay!'

Image Credit: www.oprah.com

Study: Video Games May Sap Attention Span

Parents who believe that playing video games is less harmful to their kids' attention spans than watching TV may want to reconsider -- and unplug the Xbox. Video games can sap a child's attention just as much as the tube, a new study suggests.

Elementary school children who play video games more than two hours a day are 67 percent more likely than their peers who play less to have greater-than-average attention problems, according to the study, which appears in the journal Pediatrics.

Playing video games and watching TV appear to have roughly the same link to attention problems, even though video games are considered a less passive activity, the researchers say.

"Video games aren't less likely than television to be related to attention problems," says the lead author of the study, Edward Swing, a doctoral candidate in the department of psychology at Iowa State University, in Ames. "They were at least as strong as television at predicting attention problems."

However, the study doesn't prove that video games directly cause attention problems. It could be that kids who have short attention spans to begin with might be more likely to pick up a joystick than a book, for instance.

via www.cnn.com

Trend Watch: Teens Getting High On Nutmeg. Yes, Nutmeg.

Move over Smarties. There's a new "drug" in town. Apparently nutmeg, found in just about every kitchen in America--when used in the right doses--provides a marijuana-like buzz.

In a quest to document everything, teens have uploaded videos to YouTube to share their nutmeg exploits.

 

The teen nutmeg debauchery also caught the attention of LA-based KTLA reporter Lu Parker who filed this report on the latest (but not last) way that teens are getting high.

How to Use Social Media to Reach Teen Influencers

A survey conducted by MyYearbook estimates about 80% of US teen Internet users visit social networking sites at least monthly, but it may seem difficult for marketers to reach them there when they’ve signed on mainly to chat with their friends and post personal updates.

The most influential users there care a lot about what their friends say, and are down on marketers. Just 5% trusted what they heard from ads most, and another 5% trusted information from companies.

Reaching teen influencers will mean taking advantage of earned-media opportunities and word-of-mouth that comes from highly trusted friends.

Influencers are more likely than other teens to recommend a variety of products to their friends.

The top 15% of teen social network users are 70% more likely to share purchase decision information with their friends.

via www.emarketer.com| Photo Credit: Derek Baird

Study Reveals Shift As Social Networks Become “Social Entertainment”

Research released last week by Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, shows that consumers believe social networks provide a higher value experience compared with other forms of entertainment.

Edelman’s annual Trust in the Entertainment Industry survey, now in its fourth year, also reveals that the Internet, as a source of entertainment, is second only to television.Edelman’s fourth annual Trust in the Entertainment Industry

The survey of 1,000 18-54 year olds in the United States and United Kingdom analyzes the issues that influence consumer trust in entertainment companies.

Key findings

• Study reveals consumers in UK and US recognize social networks as entertainment

• Seventy-three percent of 18-24 year olds in the US and 61 percent in the UK see social networks as a form of entertainment.

• Fifty percent (US) and 56 percent (UK) of respondents aged 35-49 also consider social networking sites as a form of entertainment.

Internet & TV

• In the US, the rise of the internet as a frequent source of entertainment is most dramatic in the 18-34 group, rising from 27 percent in 2009 to 42 percent in 2010.

• In the US, 32 percent of 18-54 year olds look most frequently to the web for entertainment (compared with 58 percent watching TV). 

• The internet also ranked second in the UK, with 30 percent turning to the web most frequently, compared with 57 percent watching TV.

• Internet is second only to TV as a frequent “source of entertainment.”

Freedom of Content

• In the 2008 study, free content was the dominant issue.  This year’s study shows it is the ability to access content across devices, not cost, that is of significance to consumers.

• 65 percent of US respondents think it is important that they are able to access their entertainment on a number of different devices.
• 59 percent of UK respondents think it is important that they are able to access their entertainment on a number of different devices.
• 58 percent (US) and 53 percent (UK) of consumers state they would be willing to pay for content if they were able to move it across devices.

Spending

• Spending on entertainment continues to stay strong according to this year’s results.

• On average, US respondents spend $47 per month on entertainment content.
• On average, UK respondents spend £25 per month on entertainment content.
• 83 percent of US and 76 percent of UK consumers state that ease of purchase influences their decision to pay for content.
• In the UK consumers who think social networking is a form of entertainment are more likely to have spent more money on entertainment in the last year.

Impact on Trust

• Those that state that they trust entertainment companies are also more willing to pay for content.
• Quality  (65 percent US and 58 percent UK) and Pricing (65 percent US and 58 percent  UK) have the most impact on consumer trust.
• 32 percent of UK consumers and 28 percent of US consumers trust entertainment companies.

Related: Trend Watch | Google, Sony & Intel to Launch Google TV

Infographic: The Generation Gap in Your Office

via blog.socialcast.com (hat tip @shapingyouth)

Network With Youth Brands at the 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup

The 2010 national Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup is where today's top brand, corporate and social marketers, media professionals, educators and non-profit organizations gather to share best practices, research and latest strategies on marketing to youth with technology.

This is the event where you'll find out what leading-edge technologies youth are using today – and will be using tomorrow. You'll also get an insider's view into youth-focused tech and media startups and learn how to leverage social media, gaming, virtual worlds, mobile and more to authentically reach youth.

The Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup will be held on May 24-25 in San Francisco! You still have time to register, so come join us!

Event Program | 2010 Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup

Weekly Wrap: NBC's Social TV, Blocking Bieber, Will.I.Am on the Music Industry, Google TV Roundup, Facebook's Influence on Girls, Age of Curation, Aussie Gen Z's & More!

NBC Turns Television into a Social Media Game: The endeavor is a network-wide initiative designed to leverage the presence of show fans on social networks and incentivize them with points for engaging with content — i.e. watching videos on NBC.com, Liking shows, chatting and recruiting friends.

Points can be redeemed for goodies like NBC merchandise, show previews, virtual goods, badges and sweepstakes entries. [Mashable] 

Creating a Content Driven Community: When you create a content-driven community, don't forget to set measurable goals, establish meaningful benchmarks, evaluate results, and document what moves the needle for the business. Every business already has an organic community: its employees, partners, and, depending on its degree of involvement, its customers. [Conversation Agent]

Will.I.Am: "The Music Industry is Gone": “The band of the future is not going to be a singer, a guitarist and a bass player. It will be a singer, a guitarist, a bass player and a code writer – the guy who does apps, computer animation. That is a group. It is going to be about self-contained content-providers.” [Harlem Loves]

Google TV Round Up

Guide to Google TV's Ecosystem [TechCrunch] | What We Know So Far About Google TV [Search Engine Land]| Google TV Has Arrived [Mashable] | Here's What Google TV Looks Like [BI] | Google TV Explained [Logitech]

Overwhelmed? Welcome the Age of Curation: Still don’t believe we live in the Age of Curation, of which the iPad is just a recent manifestation? Go save everything you run across to read later using Instapaper, even from your Twitter and newsreader feeds (themselves forms of curation), which you can then read on the functionality-curating iPad and Kindle devices. Related: Trend Watch | Content Computing [Video] [Wired] [Barking Robot]

Study: Facebook Is a Major Influence on Girls: A study of eight to 15-year-olds for National Family Week found 40% of girls identified Facebook as one of the most important things in their lives - compared with 6% of boys.

Parents were found to underestimate the significance of technology. Asked to name the three most important things in their lives, the most popular choices for girls were friends, family and then Facebook and MSN. [BBC]

Connecting with Generation Z: Meet Generation Z, otherwise known as The Naturals. Give them any label you like, but you better make sure your business understands this powerful new generation of consumers that has never known life without the internet. Related: Those Digital Natives? Not So Savvy. [nineMSN] [BarkingRobot]

Why Twitter Radically Reworked Its Trending Topics Algorithm: How to keep Twitter from seeming like "an inane playground for hormonally cracked-out tweens." Related: Blocking Justin Bieber > New Tweetdeck version allows you to block all Justin Bieber related Tweets. [AdAge] [Mashable]

Research: Adolescent Peer Relationships and Behavior Problems Predict Young Adults’ Communication on Social Networking Websites

This University of Virginia study (Mikami, Szwedo, Allen, Evans, and Hare, 2009) examined online communication on social networking web pages in a longitudinal sample of 92 youths (39 male, 53 female). Participants’ social and behavioral adjustment was assessed when they were ages 13–14 years and again at ages 20 –22 years.

At ages 20 –22 years, participants’ social networking website use and indicators of friendship quality on their web pages were coded by observers. Results suggested that youths who had been better adjusted at ages 13–14 years were more likely to be using social networking web pages at ages 20 –22 years, after statistically controlling for age, gender, ethnicity, and parental income. Young Adults Communication on Social Networking Websites

Overall, youths’ patterns of peer relationships, friendship quality, and behavioral adjustment at ages 13–14 years and at ages 20 –22 years predicted similar qualities of interaction and problem behavior on their social networking websites at ages 20 –22 years.

Findings are consistent with developmental theory asserting that youths display cross-situational continuity in their social behaviors and suggest that the conceptualization of continuity may be extended into the online domain.