Derek E. Baird, M.Ed.

Trend Watch: Twitter, Facebook and Social TV

Twitter Embraces Its Social Role in TV: Like so many other things that the Twitter community has established on its own (hashtags and retweets, for example), the company is now fully embracing the role it plays in supplementing the TV-watching experience of millions of people. [RRW]

Social Media and TV - Who's Talking, When and What About? : Social media continues to influence how consumers interact with brands and share content every day. Increasingly, TV viewers leverage social media as a platform to talk about and engage with TV content.

These conversations are not only opening new channels for consumer engagement with their favorite TV shows and fellow fans alike, but also are providing insight into which viewers are driving the conversations and when. [Nielson Wire]

Yahoo's IntoNow Provides Signs of Life for The Premier Digital Media Company: Yahoo! is known for acquiring startups and letting them languish. But IntoNow cranked out a whole new product--and a possible game-changer for the TV industry--in six months. Is this the beginning of something new? [Fast Company] Get the free IntoNow App on iTunes

MTV Exec: Social is a New Programming Platform: Many people are talking about how TV networks can leverage the power of social networks to help build their show audiences. But they may be missing the point. According to Dermot McCormack, EVP of Digital Media for MTV, social networks aren’t just for announcing when the next episode of Jersey Shore airs, but a whole new platform for media creation and distribution. [GigOM]

TV Isn't What it Used to Be: According to a recent Ypulse report, only 28% of students say they can’t live without TV (referring to traditional viewing), compared to 83% who can’t imagine life without music. Some students even prefer streaming video to traditional TV viewing; after all, it gives them what they want when they want it. What’s a TV company to do? [MediaPost]

In the U.S., Tablets are TV Buddies: The Nielsen Company​’s most recent research on mobile connected devices sheds new light on how consumers are using their tablets, eReaders and smartphones – and where they are using them, too. [Nielson Wire]

Multask Mania | Viewers Watch TV, Discuss on Social Sites: Almost 40% of TV viewers are discussing TV shows on social media sites, with almost three-quarters of TV viewers with broadband access, generally using the Internet at same time, per U.K.-based Ovum, a business/technology research firm. [MediaPost]

What's the Future of Social TV Look Like?: Real-time entertainment is what people are looking for–we always want something fresh to keep us up to date.  But with this demand for real-time entertainment, how has it affected traditional TV? [Silicon Angle]

The Future of TV, From Apple to ZeeBox: “The future of TV” has become a buzzword over the last few years – but what if it was time to stop talking about it and acknowledge that the future has already arrived? [TNW]

Barking Robot > Category > Social TV

CNN, Cartoon Network and Facebook Hold Town Hall on Bullying Epidemic

 

CNN, Facebook, Cartoon Network, and Time Inc. have teamed up for a special multi-platform effort aimed at taking a stand to help stop the bullying crisis. Tune in to the AC360° Town Hall “Bullying: It Stops Here” on Sunday, October 9 at 8 pm ET, and the special week-long series that follows.

You can get involved by following @AndersonCooper and @AC360 and using the hashtag "#stopbullying" on Twitter.

If you or someone you know is experiencing bullying or harassment, please reach out for help. Here are some organizations that can assist you:

• Facebook Safety Center
• Facebook for Educators
• Digital Parenting Resources: Teens, Social Networking & Cyberbullying
• Barking Robot > Bullying
• Reach Out.com > What to do if you are being bullied
• Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• The Trevor Project
• Pacer Center's Kids Against Bullying

Infographic: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials & iGen Media Consumption

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

via MBAOnline.com | View Large

Block social media at the office? Gen Y won’t work for you [VIDEO]

via www.ragan.com

None of the top 100 companies to work for block social media access at the office, reports Erin Lieberman Moran, senior VP at the Great Place to Work Institute.

Learn more about why employees should be trusted.

Study: One in Four Young Adults Say the Education System Has Little to No Understanding of Their Values and Goals

As part of its commitment to education, Viacom partnered with The Associated Press to conduct "Young Adults' Perspectives on American Education 2011," a groundbreaking study based on a combination of peer-to-peer interviews and a large-scale poll of more than 1,100 American 18-24 year-olds.

Viacom and The Associated Press approached the study by looking at 18-24 year-olds as "core consumers of education" and evaluating how the education system is meeting their needs.  

According to the study, young adults are optimistic that high schools and colleges can prepare them for the working world, but also feel these institutions aren't adapting quickly enough to meet students' changing needs.

As a result, more and more 18-24 year-olds are taking a less traditional approach to higher education, via self-directed curricula, internships and self-teaching.

Recognizing the important role young people can and should play in reaching their goals, Viacom launched Get Schooled, which provides the tools and guidance young adults need to succeed in today's competitive environment.

The full "Young Adults' Perspectives on American Education 2011" study is available on the Get Schooled website at www.getschooled.com or on the Get Schooled Facebook Page.

According to the study, students are increasingly creating individual, self-tailored curricula by cherry picking schools and courses. They're also taking longer to graduate because they feel that, by combining school with work and internships, they stand a greater chance of finding a desirable job.

Young adults are relying more on themselves, their families and friends and less on community or religious organizations and high school counselors when it comes to education decisions.

Detailed findings from the study include:

• Overall, 27 percent of young adults say the education system has little to no understanding of their values and goals. More than a third (36 percent) report it is ambivalent to their values and goals.

• Only 37 percent say the education system mostly or completely understands them.

• Among those surveyed with a high school diploma, but no college experience, 33 percent say the education system has little to no understanding of their values and goals.  

How College Leads to a Better Life is Unclear

The most consistent theme among those interviewed – from those with no college experience to those with bachelor degrees – is that college should prepare one to join the workforce.

But today's pragmatic, goal-oriented young adults are unsure that the education product being offered to them will deliver the job or career that they want.

• More than half of young adults say it's more worth the money to get "an education that is focused on success in the world."

• In fact, 28 percent of those who have attended college say college doesn't adequately prepare you for the workforce, while almost twice as many young adults (55 percent) say high school doesn't prepare you for the workforce.

• Thirty-one percent say college doesn't provide enough practical skills to survive as an adult and 51 percent say the same about high school.

Young Adults' Perspectives on American Education 2011

Infographic: Generational Web Use

View LARGE | via www.sitejabber.com

Oscar 'All Access Pass' Gives Viewers A Rare Peek Behind the Scenes Look at Hollywood's Biggest Night

Here in SoCal, we have five seasons: Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall and Award Season. The grand finale of 'Award Season' are the Academy Awards.

This year the ceremony takes place on February 27, 2011 at the Kodak Theatre and will be hosted by Gen Y stars James Franco and Anne Hathaway.

It's been a rough couple years for the annual telecast with ratings taking a bit of a hit---especially among Millennials. However, last year the Academy Awards made a concerted effort to attract youth to the show and it paid off with a 14% boost to Oscar TV ratings among 18-49 year olds.

The 2010 Oscars youth strategy included a more social media experience, the inclusion of teen friendly stars like Miley Cyrus, Zac Effron and Taylor Lautner as presenters, two original Oscars web series (Behind the Dress & The Road to the Oscars), extra video features and live streaming of the Red Carpet arrivals.

 

This year The Academy of Motion Picture Art & Sciences is once again rolling out the red carpet in a bid to attract a more youthful and technically savvy demographic with a new interactive technology that gives online Oscar fans the ultimate insider's view of Hollywood's biggest night.

The new premium feature is called Oscar All Access, and gives fans an insider’s view of the evening from the Red Carpet all the way through the Governor’s Ball.

Members (signing up is $4.99) actually will have the ability to control their own experience using the groundbreaking “360 cam” technology to control multiple cameras along the Red Carpet, at the Awards show, and afterwards at the Governor’s Ball.

 

In addition to Oscar All Access experience, the Academy also has an official Backstage Pass iPhone and iPad App that allow you to have a more interactive social entertainment experience with the Academy Awards show. Hopefully next year they will expand the Backstage Pass to include all types of Android mobile devices.

It's great to see The Academy embracing new media and providing fans with a more interactive experience. Last year was a step in the right direction and hopefully their social TV friendly approach will pay off in big ratings boost among younger and tech savvy demographic groups.

You can also connect with the Oscars on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

P.S. As long as I have your attention, if you haven't already--go see Oscar host James Franco in his Oscar nominated role for the film 127 Hours. The story, the acting, the cinematography are amazing. Go James! Go Danny Boyle!

 

Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University | Summer Internship Program 2011

Each summer The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University swings open the doors of our big yellow house to welcome a group of talented, curious, and energetic full-time interns - Berkterns! - who are passionate about the promise of the Internet and issues related to media and journalism, civic engagement, policy, identity and privacy, education, technology, the developing world, law, and more.

Summer interns jump head first into Berkman research - joining efforts such as our Broadband project, our freedom of expression projects, the Youth and Media Project, Herdict, Cooperation, the Cyberlaw Clinic, the Global Network Initiative, the Digital Media Law Project, Law Lab, and others - where they have an opportunity for deep and substantive involvement in project operation. 

Performing topic-based research; drafting and editing blog posts, papers and other written outputs; conducting outreach, developing partnerships, and maintaining relationships; exploring project and research design; and undertaking academic responsibilities of all kinds both independently and collaboratively is part of the Berkman summer intern experience. Specific tasks and experiences vary depending on interns' skills and project needs.

In addition to contributing to project based work, summer interns participate in special events and lectures with Berkman faculty and fellows, engage each other through community experiences like the weekly interns discussion hours and group video productions (check out the crew of summer 2010's amazing chapter-by-chapter Born Digital videos).

In addition, each year Berkterns innovate new opportunities for fun and learning, such as organizing debates, producing podcasts and other media outputs, and hosting book clubs and cookoffs. 

Learn more about this internship and get all the application details here. But hurry! The deadline is March 13, 2011. Good luck!

LG Launches Text Ed with 'Glee' Star Jane Lynch

The LG Text Ed program, which was launched in early 2010, offers parents a number of articles, tips, videos and other content so they can educate themselves on the dangers of mobile phone misuse, employ strategies to help protect their children from potential problems, and discover how they might be modeling their children’s mobile phone behavior.

In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, presented during the Federal Communication Commission’s recent Generation Mobile Forum, 40 percent of teens said they’ve been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.

LG Text Ed with Jane Lynch

Bringing her trademark intensity and flair to the LG Text Ed campaign, award-winning actress Jane Lynch is working with LG Mobile Phones to raise awareness about risky mobile phone behavior.

In a series of comedic vignettes, which can be viewed on www.LGTextEd.com, Lynch tackles issues such as sexting, texting while driving, mobile bullying, and other questionable teen behaviors. 

At the end of each video, Lynch directs parents to LGTextEd.com where they can find professional advice and guidance to help promote safe and responsible mobile usage among their text- and tech-savvy families.

In the texting while driving video, Lynch confronts a classroom of parents about their own texting and driving bad habits and urges parents to model good behavior for their children.

Using humor to get to the heart of the issue, Lynch helps parents help themselves by putting the phone away in the car and encouraging their kids to do the same.

Parents can find additional information on the LG Text Ed initiative and mobile phone misuse (mobile bullying, sexting) by visiting www.lgtexted.com. You can also connect with LG Text Ed on Facebook.

 

Related: 'No Phone Zone' Lesson Plan: Teaching Teens the Dangers of Texting & Driving

Trend Watch: Gen Y Affluents

Digital media is trouncing traditional channels with Gen Y, the largest U.S. consumer group. Deft marketers are recognizing the value of investing in their own sites, social media platforms, and mobile apps.

“It’s the ‘end of the beginning’ of a dramatic shift in ad-spending from traditional formats to digital. Power will shift as brands cultivate authentic relationships via social media, creating cohorts whose size dwarfs media brands’ subscriber bases.” ~L2 Founder and NYU Professor Scott Galloway

L2 surveyed nearly 1000 high-achieving and high-earning Gen Y adults for this study. Refined to a panel of 535, on average this sample set is on a trajectory to earn more than $80,000 in the short-term and double their income within the next five years.

Gen Y Affluents: Media Survey

KEY FINDINGS:

• Facebook, hands down: 81 percent of millennial use Facebook every day—nearly twice as many as watch TV or read newspaper content.

• Blogs scale the gates of the fourth estate: 45 percent read blogs every day, as many as those reading newspaper content.

• News brands thrive—it’s paper that’s dying: Nearly half read a newspaper every day, but 79 percent access that content digitally on a daily basis.

• Digital killed the TV set: 42 percent watch TV shows online; 27 percent watch movies online.

• The upwardly mobile go mobile: 25 percent use mobile to access social media, and one in eight watched a video on mobile in the past 24 hours.

• Digital branding is paramount: 63 percent use social media to engage with brands, and more than 50 percent say that Facebook, blogs, and brand videos affect their opinions about products.

• Websites are flagships, too: Websites are as influential as physical stores in shaping Gen Y sentiment, second only to friends’ opinions.

Boomers, Millennials & Gen X: We All Want to Be Young [VIDEO]

via vimeo.com

The movie "We All Want to Be Young" is the outcome of several studies developed by BOX1824 in the past 5 years. BOX1824 is a Brazilian research company specialized in behavioral sciences and consumer trends.

Some of the key generational characteristics (or insights) showcased in the film include:

• the sense of global, personal connection and collective consciousness enabled by the internet (and information age);

• a generalized sense of anxiety brought on by access to an overwhelming amount of information – and the need to stay connected across networks;

• use of hyperbolic language in self-expression, arguably to avoid getting ‘lost’ amidst this information overload;

• blurred definitions and categorizations of self (think designer-slash-DJ-slash copywriter-slash blogger);

• transience in short-term relationships;

• balancing work & pleasure by seeking out pleasure in short, pre-programmed breaks – this generation is used to having access to things that give them immediate pleasure.

Related: Watch 'We All Want to Be Young" in Spanish

Game Changers: Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg [VIDEO]

A new original documentary series, Bloomberg Game Changers gives viewers a compelling look into today's most influential leaders in technology, finance, politics and culture.

In this episode Bloomberg Game Changers follows the career of Mark Zuckerberg, founder and chief executive officer of Facebook Inc. and one of the world’s youngest billionaires.

 

This program features interviews with Tyler Winklevoss, Cameron Winklevoss and Divya Narendra, who accused Zuckerberg of stealing their idea for the social-networking website, Yuri Milner, chief executive officer of Digital Sky Technologies, Michael Wolf, former president and chief operating officer of Viacom Inc.’s MTV Networks, and David Kirkpatrick, author of “The Facebook Effect."

Trend Watch: Vinyl Records Back in Vogue Among Teens

Yes, like cropped tops and high-waisted Levis, vinyl records are making a comeback.

Why, when we have such lightweight, simple technology at the tip of our fingers, are teenagers fascinated by these oversized, nearly obsolete discs?

Perhaps it is the fact that most of us, used to having all our music stored in iPods that fit in the palm of our hands, completely missed out on the tangibility of records.

Even “vintage” music is becoming popular again. Shows such as “Glee,” in which the characters perform songs from every genre and era, are drumming up interest by teenagers in songs from America’s yesterdays

In this digital age kids are growing up in, songs skip around and change with the simple click of a button. Young people never physically see the music playing, and it doesn’t matter, so long as they hear what they want. But, there is a certain wonder to watching a record spin on a turntable and maneuvering the long, fragile needle.

Another possibility, of course, is that today’s teens are in awe of the amazing art displayed on the album covers. Sure, CD cases show interesting pictures, and occasionally album covers are displayed on iTunes, but there seems to be no comparison to looking at a 12-by-12 picture that adds a certain depth to the music.

Read more over on www.buffalonews.com

Trend Watch: U.S. Hispanic and Latin American Digital Youth Trends

 

• A 2008 report by the Pew Hispanic Center forecast that "the Latino population, already the nation's largest minority group, will triple in size and will account for most of the nation's population growth from 2005 through 2050. Hispanics will make up 29% of the U.S. population in 2050, compared with 14% in 2005";

• According to Internet World Stats, Latin America (28%) has the highest rate of Internet penetration. The world average is 23.5%;

• The most wired Latin American countries are Brazil (67%), Mexico (23%) and Argentina (20%);

Hispanic Youth Marketing

View more presentations from Sensis.

• Research conducted by U.S.-based Bromley Communications finds that the Hispanic Latina is quickly replacing Anglo moms as the dominant consumer target from now to 2050;

• Hispanic trends firm Packaged Facts reports that Gen-Y Hispanics (ages 18-29) Gen-X Hispanics (ages 30-44) are particularly influential, because they control more than 60% of all Hispanic buying power;

• U.S. Hispanic mobile consumers have a subscriber growth rate two to three times that of the overall U.S. teen market;

• Hispanic teens aged 12-17 represent 2.5 million subscribers. By the age of 15, penetration of wireless services among US Hispanic teens is 64% - by the age of 17, the penetration rate rises to 78%;

• According to Politico.com, in the 2008 election 76% of young Hispanic voters preferred Obama, compared to 67% of the overall Hispanic vote. That marks a 14-point rise in young Hispanic support for the Democratic candidate since the previous election, and a 10-point improvement with the Hispanic population overall.

Related Resources

• Demographic Research on U.S. Hispanic Youth & Mobile Phones
• Latin American Internet Population Stats
• McD's, Pepsi Score Best with Young Hispanics
• Hispanic teens set for strong mobile growth
• Exploring the Dora Uproar
• Hip Chicas Launches Beta for Latina Virtual World

Mr. President, sign my iPad

At a rally in Seattle on Thursday, Sylvester Cann decided, like many, to ask the president for his signature. Unlike hundreds of other clamoring supporters, Cann asked President Obama to go digital.

He asked him to sign his iPad. Using the Adobe Ideas app, Cann scrawled "Mr. President, sign my iPad" onto his screen.

Obama obliged.

Check out the YouTube video of the electronic signing.

via latimesblogs.latimes.com