We’re all familiar with the negative stereotypes associated with young adults and technology. But did you know they're actually using their devices to make a difference?
02 October 2013
31 July 2013
Introducing finderyU
Findery, and the world, is your classroom!
While it may seem like you just wrapped up finals, packed up the classroom and headed for a well-deserved summer break, the (sad) truth is a new semester is right around the corner!
As you sit on that beach, you may be wondering how can you incorporate more project-based learning activities into your course syllabus and grab the attention of your students who, let’s be honest, have the attention span of a gnat.
Even if you’re not currently enrolled in college, Findery is a powerful informal learning platform where you can tap into the collective knowledge hidden in Findery Notes and learn (or share!) more about Australia, space travel, candy, San Francisco architecture or anything else that matters to you!
Introducing Findery University
Today I am happy to share the launch of Findery University!
Findery, is a geo-location based website where anyone can share local knowledge, hidden secrets, stories and information about the world around you. Using Findery, your students (or you!) can annotate places in the real world, leave media rich (YouTube videos, SoundCloud audio, Instagram and your own images) notes tagged to a specific geographic location.
You can even embed Findery notes into your class blog or website or share them via Twitter or on your classroom Facebook or Google+ page.
Findery for Students
Findery is a great way to create a multimedia project for just about any class. Demonstrate your learning by adding notes infused with video, images and text along the paths of your explorations. Ask your classmates to contribute their reflections, narrative feedback and resources on your Findery project through the comments.
Be sure to follow @Campus on Findery to discover and contribute notes about student life and campus history. Your notes could capture memories with your friends or pay it forward by joining the Findery Campus Challenge and leaving tips for your current and future classmates!
Findery University for Educators
Here are a few examples of how you can use Findery University to support formal and informal learning:
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Are you a professor of film studies? Why not leave notes on the Findery map about the making of Giant? Or other famous movie locations?
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Studying community supported agriculture? Investigate and map local food in your area, then leave notes for food sources with commentary on sustainability.
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Have writer’s block? Explore the notes in a particular region and build a story around the local knowledge of that place.
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If you teach American Literature, create a Set that has Notes with facts, images or videos for books or authors included on your course reading list.
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Encourage observation through illustrating places. Go on a sketching excursion and post a note with the picture of your sketch. Tag your notes with #sketchproject to contribute to urban sketching fans on Findery.
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Use Findery as a way to create a living history map. Share a picture of your ancestors at the docks in Liverpool with an excerpt from their diary talking about how they feel about leaving England for America.
Share a note with a video clip about the hazards of transatlantic boat travel in the 1800s and include a passage from their diary about the challenges they faced during the journey. Bring your family history to life!
Enroll in finderyU
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Go to findery.com
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Click "Sign Up!" and follow the prompts. Don't be afraid of the FAQs
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Update your settings, jump in and create your first note, or just start exploring
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Download the free Findery University handout, or check out more lesson plan ideas at www.findery.com/university
It will be exciting to see how educators use Findery in the classroom, student projects or for your amazing passion projects!
Findery wants to share your Notes and lesson plans with our educator community. Send a tweet @finderyU or share the link on the Findery Facebook page, so they can share your FinderyU contributions!
And, oh--you can find me on Findery, here.
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05 July 2013
Study: 63% of College Students Actively Using Facebook or Twitter While Watching TV
Mobile is having the biggest impact on how college students apportion their screen time. Daily time spent on the computer and watching TV decreased in 2013, while daily time spent with the mobile phone and tablet were up by about 18 minutes each, compared with 2012.
But even if daily time spent watching TV is diminishing, a considerable 60% of college students reported owning a flat-screen TV; and TV viewing was still a major portion of students’ media time, clocking in at 2.8 hours per day. While time spent on the computer or mobile may be higher, activity on these devices can run the gamut—from using a word processing program for schoolwork to making a phone call.
By comparison, when students turn on the TV, it is to watch a program, even if using other devices is a corollary part of the experience.
The study found that eight out of 10 college students reported using a second screen at least a few times a week while watching TV. Only 13% did so less than once a week, or not at all.
The most popular activity students engaged in while watching TV was using Facebook or Twitter, at 63% of respondents. Social TV can be boon to TV marketers and advertisers, but there is always the possibility that social networks are merely distractions from TV content.
Surfing the web was the next most common activity while watching TV, at 58% of respondents, while half also reported playing games. Schoolwork wasn’t completely forgotten while students vegged out in front of the television, though—37% said they did homework or research while watching TV.
And in a sign that the second screen may be an opportunity for TV marketers and advertisers to gain student viewers’ extra attention, about one-quarter of students looked up the TV schedule on a second screen, and about the same percentage shopped. (Source)
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04 July 2013
MTV Study: 57% of Millennials Like to Take a Break from Technology to Make Things with Their Hands
In a recent survey, MTV Insights set out to understand the younger end of the Millennial demo, 13-17 year olds, who will soon move into the “sweet spot” of MTV’s core target demographic of 18-24 year olds.
This is a landmark generational study that builds on MTV’s long legacy of deeply understanding their audience, as part of an effort to constantly reinvent ourselves and stay at the bleeding edge of youth culture.
One of the most interesting findings?
Of those who repsonded, 57% reported that they like to take a break from technology to make things with their hands…and 82% agree “when I’m stressed or overwhelmed, I like to stop and just do one thing at a time." As Julia, 17 puts it “When I craft I’m in the zone, it really soothes me."
With social media, crafts & baked goods are granted a “second life" and serve an important function in helping hone one’s personal self-brand. We see teens today even more adept at developing their unique persona from a young age, realizing both the need to stand out to get social media likes and, moreover, showcase a unique side to get noticed in a highly competitive college admission process.
Why are younger Millennials so stressed?
They came of age in an economic downturn, seeing college grads struggling with huge student loan debt and living through a cascade of social media-amplified tragedies like Hurricane Sandy and Sandy Hook. For them, life has always been a 24/7 social media show.
Younger Millennials’ “adaptive survival strategies”
Life-Prepping
These pragmatic youth are natural preppers in the face of an unpredictable world – whether planning for physically safety in light of violence or prepping for their futures in a more uncertain economic climate.
Accustomed to high school intruder drills, they are always in “exit strategy” mode, withover a third agreeing they “plot out escape plans when in public places, because of events like Sandy Hook.” Although half are scared of violence at school, they seem to have adopted a practical “Keep Calm and Carry On” mentality.
Mono-tasking
YMs are consciously taking time to self-soothe (a classic coping mechanism from hyper-stimulation) disconnect, de-stress, de-stimulate and control inputs. They “mono-task” and focus on immersive hands-on activities like baking, sewing or crafting. They claim their dependence on social media is overrated: one girl says “My parents Facebook more than I do.”
- 8 in 10 young Millennials agree that “Sometimes I just need to unplug and enjoy the simple things”
- 82% agree “when I’m stressed or overwhelmed, I like to stop and just do one thing at a time”
- 57% like to take a break from technology to make things with their hands
- 54% of 14-17 year old girls say baking makes them feel less anxious
Hyper-Filtering
This is the first generation of “digital latchkey kids.” Though increasingly physically protected by parents, teens’ web behavior is not as closely monitored. But like the Gen X Latchkey Kids who created their own rules and regimes while parents worked, youth today are surprisingly filtering out what’s overwhelming to them online: avoiding certain Youtube videos or sites that they think are gross, inappropriate or disturbing.
They’re slimming down their social networks and finding niche/private places to share in a controlled environment, whether it’s Snapchat or a locked Instagram feed.
Unlike older Millennials who were pioneers in the “Wild West of social media,” today’s teens are “tech homesteaders” – they’re more savvy about how to use the internet, build "gated" groups, "hide in plain view", curate and filter.
Source: MTV Insights | The New Millennials Will Keep Calm and Carry On
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03 July 2013
Infographic: Golden Rules for Social Media Use by Teens
The British Council is marking Social Media Day 2013 with a set of five golden rules to help parents and educators keep kids safe on social media.
Every year the British Council engages directly with up to two million children globally, and seven million indirectly through teaching, exams, programmes, and projects. The organisation is committed to keeping children safe and protecting them from all forms of harm and abuse.
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02 July 2013
Facebook for Education: Instagram in the Classroom
Here's a new Facebook for Educators handout that covers the basics of using Instagram, part of Facebook, in the classroom.
Feel free to share this, and our other (free!) Facebook Education handouts, with your colleagues, parents, youth pastor, coach or anyone who works with youth.
Related: Learn more about privacy on Instagram or get help with FAQs.
Instagram in the Classroom by Facebook for Educators
Click HERE to download the handout! It's free!
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01 July 2013
COPPA 2.0: FTC Rolls Out New Rules for Mobile, Social and Geolocation Apps for Kids
Today the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rolled out the biggest changes to the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) since its launch in 1998.
For those of you not familiar with the law, COPPA regulates what information and data can be collected on children under 13.
The regulations relate to all aspects of privacy protection and are intended to give parents complete control over their children’s personal information.
The refreshed COPPA rules take effect on July 1, 2013 and focus largely on the explosion of mobile devices, geolocation, mobile photography, social networking and app use by children under the age of 13.
FTC Resources
- New suite of resources can streamline COPPA compliance
- Complying with COPPA: FAQs
- Children's Privacy Resources
- COPPA: A Six Step Plan to Compliance
- New Suite of Resources Can Streamline COPPA
Additional Resources & Information
- COPPA: Helping Parents Protect Their Children (Fun Education Apps)
- New Online Child Safety Rules Aim to Protect Kids on Smartphones, Social Media (NBC News)
- COPPA: 10 Rules Every Business Should Know (VentureBeat)
- Children's Online Privacy Rules Updated for Social and Mobile Era (Mashable)
- Google Education Apps & COPPA (Google Apps Education Edition)
- Privacy Alert: New COPPA Rules Effective July 1st (JD Supra News)
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29 June 2013
Trend Watch: What do your Instagram posts say about you? It's high school all over again.
How you see the world is at the heart of Instagram, turning it into the digital version of high school, complete with its own cliques and cast of characters.
If you think about it, it’s not a surprise. After all, the idea at the heart of the social network is to use photos as a unique expression of your personality.
So when you choose what to capture and how to filter to get the right effect, you’re not just composing a shot, you’re revealing who you are. And like high school, those masterpieces peg you into broad archetypes, creating a Breakfast Club 2.0, if you will, for the 21st century.
Instead of jocks and cheerleaders roaming the halls or the cool clique smoking in the bathroom, you have visionaries, fashionistas, artistes and proud parents, each with their unique slant on the world, as well as hidden neuroses that make them human.
No matter what effect you lean towards or how much you crop, ultimately, you filter your sense of identity through the same lens that started to develop in high school — and it’s what you carry through life, whether you realize it or not.
So where do you fit in? What do your Instagram posts say about you?
Photo Credit: eminic23
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16 June 2013
Facebook for Edu: Introducing Hashtags on Facebook
This week Facebook rolled out a new feature--hashtags!
Similar to other services like Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, or Pinterest, hashtags on Facebook allow you to add context to a post or indicate that it is part of a larger discussion.
Here's a new handout that covers the basics of getting started using hashtags on Facebook, along with a quick look at hashtag privacy. Feel free to share this, and our other (free!) Facebook Education handouts, with your colleagues, parents or youth pastor.
Introducing Hashtags on Facebook by Facebook for Educators
Get the Official Facebook for Educators Guide
The Facebook for Educators Guide is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and German. The guide is a collaboration between myself, Dr. BJ Fogg, Linda Fogg-Phillips and Facebook.
We invite you to join the conversation and share your best practices for using social media in the classroom with educators from around the world on our Facebook for Educators Page (http://www.facebook.com/FBforEducators).
You can find more free handouts, resources and profession development materials on our Scribd page (http://www.scribd.com/collections/2978485/Facebook-101).
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21 May 2013
22 April 2013
Trend Watch: Is Teen TXTNG Killing Language? [VIDEO]
Does texting mean the death of good writing skills? John McWhorter posits that there’s much more to texting -- linguistically, culturally -- than it seems, and it’s all good news.
In this TED talk, linguist John McWhorter thinks about language in relation to race, politics and our shared cultural history.
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09 April 2013
Cyberbullying: A Sociological Approach [RESEARCH]
Social media and text messaging have assumed a dominant role in communication among adolescent society. And, as common in teenage social environments, these circumstances often involve online teasing and harassing. This has become known as “bullying.”
Delaware state Attorney General, Beau Biden, describes cyber bullying as a communication that “interferes with a student's physical well-being, is threatening or intimidating, or is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it is likely to limit a student's ability to participate in or benefit from the educational programs of the school.”
According to Delaware Online, the state recently implemented a law enforcing that schools penalize cyber bullying issues the same as they would for incidents that happen within school walls.
Many states have begun to implement similar laws enforcing stricter punishments for those engaged in cyber bullying, and sometimes the victims are not only teens. NPR recently addressed a North Carolina law that was passed to protect teachers against bullying from their students.
A teacher at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School had a student create a fake Twitter account under the teacher's identity, and posted offensive comments. Under new laws, students charged with such offenses could potentially face a month in jail and fines of up to $1,000.00.
The recent International Journal of Technoethics article “Cyberbullying: A Sociological Approach” evaluates the concepts of bullying and cyber bullying and addresses the emerging nature of these occurrences: “Cyberbullying has become a major social concern because it raises questions about the ethical use of technology.
In recent years, this has been the subject of research and information and prevention activities for different groups such as governmental and non-governmental organizations and schools and parents’ associations to protect against the misuse of technology.”
Written by José Neves and Luzia de Oliveira Pinheiro of the University of Minho, Portugal, the article features studies evaluating Portuguese University students in observation and focus groups, interviews, and investigations that aims to explore and define the characteristics of cyberbullying in Portugal.
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08 April 2013
Search, Music and Social Networking Among Top Activities of UK Youth
UK teens have a significant presence online and are at the leading edge of many digital behaviors, according to a survey conducted by Research Now and initiated by K&A BrandResearch.
When UK teens go online—whether via PC or mobile—using search engines to seek out information is their No. 1 activity, in line with the ubiquity of this action among older age groups as well.
The next two most popular activities showed the ways in which teens’ digital priorities may somewhat diverge from older consumers.
Just about 80% of UK teens said they went online to visit social networks. And another seven out of 10 used the internet to listen to music. These responses beat out email, watching video and playing games as teens’ primary digital activities.
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07 April 2013
Trend Watch: Teen Girls, Social Media and the 'Thigh Gap' Obsession [VIDEO]
Quick. Here's a test: Stand-up straight with your feet together in front of a mirror and look for a space between your upper thighs. If you see a gap, you have the latest body image obsession teen girls are starving themselves to achieve.
The 'thigh gap', as it is known, is a new teen girl obsession with a huge following on social media sites like Tumblr, YouTube and Instagram.
The trend is fueled by digital media and magazines that feature celebrities with the elusive 'thigh gap'---which is, in most cases, the work of a highly skilled Photoshop guru and not so much based on reality.
Exposure to this dangerous body image trend is just an app click away---girls can read tweets from Supermodel Cara Delevingne about her thigh gap on Twitter or scroll through thousands of thigh gaps on Tumblr with images of ultrathin women in bikinis, super short skirts, and lingerie, all baring thighs so thin they don't touch.
Whether or not this is a widespread trend or just a blip across teen culture is yet to be seen. However, this is another example of where parents, teachers and youth pastors need to step-in and faciliate a discussion about body image, social media and celebrity culture with their kids.
And remember, body image issues aren't just a 'teen girl' issue.
While there has been lots of media coverage and press about young girls/women regarding body image & eating disorders, there has been very little devoted to how the media effects boys. In many cases, boys are an understudied group with regard to body issues (dysmorphia, bigorexia).
Even as the media continues its obsession (yes, Twilight I’m looking at you) for the almighty 'six pack', boys have been gaining on girls in eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia.
Additional Resources
- Boys and Body Image: Eating Disorders Don't Discriminate
- Packaging Boyhood
- Instagram Beauty Contests Worry Parents
Photo Credit: @ready_for_thynspo on Instagram
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02 March 2013
INFOGRAPHIC: 81% of Americans use a smartphone and watch TV simultaneously
There is a chance that you are reading this post on a tablet or smartphone. In fact, you might even be dividing your attention between these words and a nearby TV or laptop. If that’s the case, you are in good company.
According to an infographic created and sponsored by Uberflip, 81% of Americans use a smartphone and watch TV simultaneously. The biggest use of the second screen appears to be social networking, and watching TV, it’s easy enough to see networks strive to make the connection.
Nearly every reality show has related hashtags flash by occasionally, encouraging viewers to weigh in on Twitter, which is the biggest drivers of social TV, with 33% of users tweeting about it last June. (via)
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Selected Publications
- Derek E. Baird :: Virtual Reality Pop
- Derek E Baird :: Google Scholar
- Derek E. Baird :: Patents
- AMAZE.org: “Less Weird” SexEd YouTube Series for Teens, Parents and Teachers
- How Media Contributes to Boys’ Body Image Pressure
- Derek E. Baird :: Virtual Reality Pop
- "Instagram Together" Showcases Mental Health Issues
- Meet the Tweens of Gen Z
- Derek E. Baird :: Amazon Author Page
- Togetherville: Designing a Social Web Experience for Kids
- How Social Design Influences Student Retention and Self-Motivation in Online Learning Environments
- Let It Out: Mike Schmid On Miley, Fame, Twitter, And Music For Kids | Ypulse
- Digital Pedagogy: Using Social Media to Support Gen Y Learning
- Online Learning Design That Fosters Student Support, Self-Regulation, And Retention
- Flickr: The Promise of Social Networks
- Millennial User Experience Design Strategies: Utilizing Social Networking Media To Support "Always On" Learning Styles
- Making mLearning Work: Gen Y, Learning and Mobile Technologies
- Gen Y, Social Media, and Digital Learning Styles
Teach Teens the Dangers of Texting & Driving!
Projects & Case Studies
- Project: New to Tween Marketing? Here are the Must-Knows of Gen Z
- Project: Facebook for Educators
- Project: No Phone Zone Lesson Plan
- Case Study: Walt Disney World Gen Z + Social Media
- Project: AMAZE.org: Sex Ed YouTube Videos for Teens, Parents and Teachers
- Case Study: Disney Yellow Shoes
- Project :: Yahoo! For Teachers
- Case Study: The CW Network
- Case Study: Walt Disney World Gen Z Initiative
- Patent: Disney Kids & Social Media
Recent Posts
- Connecting with the 'Missing Middle': For Gen Z, Diversity Matters
- Introducing Tiny Habits for Kids
- Dear Transgender Kids: I Have Your Back
- Dear Evan Hansen, Teen Broadway fandoms, and Mental Health on Tumblr and Instagram
- Humanizing User Experience Design Strategies with New Technologies: AR, VR, MR, and AI to Support Student Engagement and Retention in Higher Education
- The Gen Z Frequency Translated into Chinese Language Edition
- Case Study: How I Grew A GIPHY Channel from Scratch to 14 Million GIF Views
- Nickelodeon #KidsTogether Guide: Talking With Kids About Coronavirus
- This is why kids TV is so weird – and so mesmerising
- 'The internet is all around us': How children come to understand the Internet
Popular Posts
- Meet the Tweens of Gen Z
- Study Reveals Shift As Social Networks Become “Social Entertainment”
- Social TV and the Rise of the 'Connected Viewer'
- Trend Watch: Welcome to Social Entertainment
- Trend Watch: How Millennial 'Cord Nevers' Are Disrupting TV
- Social Identity, Knowledge Management & Member Roles in Online Communities
- Afternoon News with Richard Brown Show Notes: Facebook & Social Media in Schools
- Digital Parenting Resources: Teens, Social Networking & Cyberbullying
- InfoGraphic: 10 Largest Youth Populations
- Nickelodeon Research: Families Now Connected By Tech, Tastes and Entertainment
- Media Usage & Consumer Spending: 2004 to 2012
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