What Teens are Doing on Instagram

Posted on April 30, 2013 by daverozman1024

By far the hottest smartphone app for teens in 2012 was Instagram. It was the one trend that no matter what group of teens I was speaking with, they all mentioned it as being very popular with teens. And with the number of teens owning smartphones up from 23% in 2011 to 37% in 2012, this app remains popular with teens well into 2013 and shows no signs of slowing down.

Here is a quick synopsis of Instagram in case you are unfamiliar with this app. It is an app for your smartphone that enables you to edit pictures using various filters and effects. This allows you to make your everyday pictures look like you are a seasoned photographer. And of course Instagram allows you to easily share your pictures with friends via Facebook and Twitter. The app also allows you to “follow” others so that you always receive the latest pictures of what your friends are having for lunch. Just to put the popularity of this app in perspective, there are roughly 40 million pictures uploaded to the Instagram app each day.

When I ask teens why they like Instagram, they share various reasons related to personal self-expression. It allows them to share their life through pictures in a creative and sometimes artistic way.

With Instagram being so popular with teens, I have been paying more attention to it. I have been asking teens questions related to the app and how they use it and I have been using it myself to become more familiar with the app and it’s functions.

I think Instagram is a great app for adults and teens. It can bring out a creative side in almost anyone, which I think is a character trait lacking in today’s teens. It also allows teens to share unique experiences and opportunities they have had with their peers.

Recently at a large Teen Leadership conference I was helping manage, we created a hashtag for the conference. I was blown away when we had over 4,000 pictures tagged with the conference hashtag in just three days. The majority of the pictures showed teens participating in community service events, college tours and exploring historical sites. I thought this was very powerful. They were sharing these experiences with their peers who were not able to attend the event. When discussing this with one of the teens, he reminded me that “a picture is worth a thousand words.”

But I have noticed several trends related to Instagram that are concerning.

Age recuirement. One trend I have seen is common on many social networking sites. Users who are under the required age creating an account. The terms of Instagram state you must be 13 years old to use the services, but I have some across many accounts associated with youth under that age.

Public vs. Private. Instagram preferences, like most social media networks, are set to public but provide the option for the user to make their content private. If your Instagram account is set to private that means a user must ask to follow you before they can view your pictures. I am discovering that many teens do not make the selection to keep their account private. Because it is public, any Instagram user can view their pictures.

Creepy. Instagram has a feature that allows you to explore others content. This will generate a display showing pictures of various users that can be refreshed to show more photos. In viewing this option I have seen pictures of teens pop up in this display. What disturbs me the most is some of the pictures show teens in revealing outfits. I was showing this to my wife the other day and telling her how I have seen some of these users, who are teens, have upwards of 25K to 75K followers. What this tells me is either this teen is a celebrity that I don’t know about. Or there are a lot of Instagram users who are stumbling onto their pictures and then following them so that they continue to see more pictures of that teen in revealing outfits. Either way, it is disturbing to me that a teen of 15 or 16 are posting these types of pictures for all to see.

“Likes.” In a recent blog by Sarah Brooks, she talks about how teens are wrapped up in the number of “Likes” or “Followers” they have on sites like Instagram. For some teens, they may use this as a way to gage their popularity or self-worth. If you have not already read her post I encourage you to check it out here.

I started asking teens if they saw their peers trying to gain more “likes” and what they felt it meant. Here is what I learned.

“I see this all the time. I think it has turned into a type of competition and so they have the bragging rights of how many followers they have or how many likes they get on a picture.”

“I believe that it’s all an “ego” thing, also if you have more followers people think your Important in some way.”

“I have seen (the hashtag) #likeforlike so people who search it can like the pictures and have one of theirs liked too.” I checked this out in the explore feature on Instagram and found 7,207,689 pictures tagged #LikeforLike, many of them were of teens. The picture to the left is an example of what I found when I searched the hashtag #LikeforLike.

When discussing the popular hashtag #40morelikes one teen shared, “it is a way to get likes and followers. There is an app called TagforLikes that many people use to get a lot of likes on their pictures.” I checked this out and indeed there were several apps that a user could download that would help you attain more “Likes” on your pictures. What it does is allow you to easily tag your picture with the most popular hashtags on Instagram, such as #food or #girl. Then when someone searches for one of those hashtags, your picture is displayed for them to view. The picture to the right is an example.

One reviewer of the app TagsforLikes mentioned gaining over 20 new likes in a matter of seconds using the app. Note these are not more likes from your friends but from random users.

If you are like me, all of this probably feels a little overwhelming. Maybe you are even thinking about taking social media privileges away from your teen. I don’t have all the answers but here are a few ideas to help guide you.

Tips for youth workers and parents:

Be aware. Half of the battle is knowing that these trends are out there and teens are engaging in them. My hope is that my blog is useful in provideing you with some current and relevat information regardint teens and teen trends. But you can ask teens yourself too. I am always surprised how much teens are willing to share. If you are a youth worker make sure you are asking teens about new trends, how they use new apps or what certain hashtags mean. Sarah Brooks is a great example of engaging the youth she is working with in conversation and being aware of what is going on. Parents, my hope is your teen is connected to a youth group. If so, ask the youth worker(s) what are some of the trends you need to be aware of. And youth workers help out the parents. Host a workshop, write a monthly newsletter, create a system to text parents regularly about new trends you are seeing that you think they should be aware of.
Talk to your teen(s) about the importance of privacy settings on social network sites like Instagram. According to Pew Internet, only “39% of parents of teen users of social networks have helped their child set up privacy settings for a social networking site.” Youth workers here is another way you can help out. Host a social network session for your teens where you teach them about the privacy settings and why it is important that they use them properly.
Give them a “Like.” Not on a social media account but in real life. Every day. And often. Make sure they know they are liked, heck make sure they know they are loved and that someone cares about them. In the little things and big things. Compliment their outfit, their positive attitude, a character trait they displayed, just plan tell them they are awesome!

Are Teens Leaving Facebook?

Posted on March 13, 2013 by daverozman1024

Did you see the recent Time Magazine article,”Is Facebook Losing Its Cool? Some Teens Think So.” It is another in the ongoing conversation about which Social Networks are getting more attention from teens. There is no concrete scientific study (at least not that I know of) saying that teens are fleeing Facebook like a flock of birds flying south for the winter. But if they are it should not be a surprise to us.

Why you ask? First, think about when you were a teen. Did you like hanging out with your parents, siblings, uncles and grandparents or would you have rather been hanging out with your friends? That’s easy, you would have rather been with your friends. The same concept applies in the world of Social Media.

When teens first signed up for Facebook, they were doing so because their friends were on it and not their family members. Fast forward a few years and with Facebook’s growth, now their family members are on Facebook too. Some teens may choose to leave or limit their Facebook use based on this. Like the one teen stated in the Time Magazine article, “All your relatives are constantly commenting on your stuff. I appreciate the gesture and wanting to keep up with my life, but it’s kind of annoying.”

The second reason it should come as no surprise that teens may be leaving Facebook is because teens are early adopters. What I mean by this is when something new comes out, a new TV Show, a new piece of technology a new type of music. Teens are quicker than their adult counterparts to check it out. They don’t sit back and ask a bunch of question and perform a detailed analysis before they try something. Because they are early adopters, they are likely to try something new early and when everyone else begins to claim that thing is popular, teens are already moving onto the next great new thing.

This is why companies like Facebook are constantly making changes. They are trying to keep it fresh and new enough to keep teens and early adopters engaged and interested.

Third, Teens are at a stage in life where they are beginning to try to separate themselves, stand out and not blend in, figure out who they are as an individual. If the word on the street is everyone is on Facebook, then being on Facebook is not setting themselves apart from others. It is blending in when they want to stand out. This is not to say they won’t still have a Facebook account, but they will be looking for a way to stand out on Facebook or find another avenue to set themselves apart from the crowd.

Lastly there is more Social Networks available now. Five years ago there were only a handful of Social Networking options. Today it seems there is a new one in the App Store every month.

Teens have choices, and what they have decided to do is use different social networks for different types of activities. In talking with teens I hear them say they use Facebook for connecting with family and group work for school. They love Instagram because they can share pictures about what is happening in their life and things that interest them. They like tumblr because it is like an online Diary where they can share pictures and videos that inspire them or reflect how they are feeling on a given day.

Companies are paying attention and trying to combined the best features of the different social networks into one. Case in point is Facebook’s accusation of Instagram and the development of a new Social Networks like Snapchat and Pheed. (Read more about Pheed here)

What does this mean for parents and youth workers?

Pay attention. Once you think you know about all the social networks your teens are on, they are probably checking out 2 more. Stay in the know by following sites like Mashable on Facebook or twitter. Or just navigate to the site and read the articles. When something new in the area of social media comes on the scene they are one of the first to report on it. If you read about a new Social Network or App, ask your teen if they have heard of it. If they have, ask them about it. Ask them to show you how it works or why they think it is cooler than other Social Network.
Pay Attention Continued. Periodically check out what is on the Top Charts of the app store. This will give you a basic idea of what is currently popular. And check your computers browser history to see if the new Social Network site pops up as a recent site visited. This will tell you if your teenager has visited the site.
If you work with teens understand what your teens use each Social Network for. This will help you decide what platform to use if trying to engage with teens via social media. Better yet, include them in the process of creating a social media outreach strategy for your group/organization. Teens love to feel like they are teaching someone older than them something.
If you are a parent, don’t like EVERY comment your teen makes on Facebook. And definitely do not scold them in the comments section. You can observe from a distance on social networks so they don’t feel you are watching their every move.

What Social Networks are your teens using?

Straight From Teens: What’s Popular

Posted on March 6, 2013 by daverozman1024

From time to time I dedicate a post to share what I am hearing from Teens. What they say is popular, possible new teen trends developing or just fun stuff related to teens. Here is the latest installment, enjoy.

A new Social Network has come on the scene. It is called Pheed and seems to take many of the our favorite aspects of other Social Networks (Facebook, twitter, Instagram, YouTube etc) and combines them into one. I saw several articles stating that this new Social Networking app is VERY popular with teens. Check out this one from Fast Company titled Tweeting Teens Help Propel Pheed to #1 Social App. But when I started talking to teens, I only found one who actually had heard of the app. I don’t think this has gained much popularity yet but it looks like it could have some potential.

Several Apps have popped on the scene lately that allow you to “connect” with Social Media friends that like you more than a friend. One is called “Bang with Friends,” which according to its tag line let’s you “Anonymously find friends who are down for the night.” The other is called Tinder and it let’s you identify Facebook/Twitter friends you “Like” and if they say they “Like” you as well, it will connect you. Their Tag line is “A Fun Way To Break the Ice.” Here is a good article from Johnathan McKee about Bang with Friends. I will be honest, I have not heard teens talking about these apps. But as they are recently gaining in popularity they probably already know about them. Which means we as Youth workers and parents need to be aware of them as well.

If you have not heard or seen by now, the Harlem Shake is VERY popular. If you have no clue what I am talking about check out my recent blog post Teens are Getting their Shake on.

Popular music with teens today includes the following artists: Maroon 5, Miguel, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Bruno Mars, Lupe Fiasco and Rihanna. Some stand outs are Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris featuring Florence Welch and Thrift Shop by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (the Music Video has over 143 Million views on YouTube). I was going to post some links to their videos on YouTube, but after viewing a couple I decided against it based on the content in some of the videos. What I recommend is heading over to iTunes, search for the artist and then listen to the previews of their more recent and popular songs.

What Fun Apps are Teens Playing with on their Smartphones?

Subway Surfers
Tamago -You have an egg and if you tap the screen 1 Million times the egg breaks. Fun huh!?
Four Pics, One Word

Do you want to know what Movies are popular with Teens? If so don’t watch the Oscars. I asked teens about the movies up for Oscars, turns out most had never heard of nor seen any of them. For better luck check out the Movies nominated for MTV Movie Awards. This tends to be a better way to gauge what teens are watching.

What is popular with your teens? Leave a comment and let me know.

A Teens View of Social Media

Posted on February 1, 2013 by daverozman1024

One of the best way to understand teens, learn their perspectives on various topics and what the current teen trends are is to ask them questions and to listen to them. This is a point I share frequently because it is the key to understanding teens and to building relationships with them. Occasionally I will share thoughts and quotes from teens in my post or even let a teen share their views and thoughts on certain topics to help us gain insight.

This week I read a blog post written by a teen talking about her perspectives and thoughts on Social Media. I thought this was a great opportunity to see Social Media from the perspective of a teen. So I asked if I could share their blog post with each of you.

Let me first tell you a little about my guest blogger. Allie is a 19 year- old freshmen at the University of Connecticut majoring in English. Her favorite App is either Twitter or Instagram and her favorite TV show is Suits on the USA network. You can check out Allie’s blog where she writes about life and the transition from being a kid to an adult.

For Your Eyes Only, written by Allie.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever. I love social media. Sosososo much, in fact I spend 70% of my conscious time scrolling through various news feeds—in class, mid conversation, half asleep, I’m basically always online (except when you try to text me, you’ll probably get a response in 3 hours – 2 days). And after spending so much time this way, I’ve realized that a lot of people are misusing social media (or is everyone else doing it right and I’m LIKE TOTALLY using it wrong?!?!). But before I get into what I mean by that I’ll preface with an explanation.

In my opinion: sympathy sucks. I hate being babied, coddled, comforted, the works. Yes, even when I’m upset. Leave me alone. I don’t want or need the “I’m sorry’s” or “Are you okay” or “I’m here for you” especially the pitying looks that come along with it. In my opinion pity helps no one.

True authentic friendship and all that jazz is unspoken. I’ll come to you. Likewise, if you’re upset don’t assume I don’t care, I do, I’m giving you the space I know I’d want and sparing the awkward pity exchanges. Again, obviously if we’re friends call me, text me, I’m here. But only if you ask, I’m not going to intrude on your grief, it’s not about me and I don’t want to make it about me.

So what, does this have to do with social media? Ahhh great question, and so you shall see… Cue the transition!

On Facebook I have 700+ friends (after the post graduation purge), 120+ twitter followers (I only follow like 70 people, so I’m pretty popular OKAY), 80+ Instagram followers (okay so my pictures just suck), and like 4 people who snapchat me regularly. Basically the epitome of popularity, RIGHT? Anyways, my followings and friendships are considered small. But seriously, are there really more than 700 people who I can call my friend? Or that I take interest in the happenings of their lives? Heeeeellllllll naw. Let’s face it, if these pages actually reflected my close friendships there’d be about 10 people on each (maybe fewer).

But is that what social media is really about? Facebook is a place to make connections with old and new friends. It’s for sharing pictures, videos, little tiny snippets of our lives to the people we’ve encountered along the way. Twitter is even less of that, can you really form or upkeep bonds in 140 characters or less? Again, I repeat: heeeeellllllll naw. I follow comedians, celebrities, parody accounts, NYC_Blonde (<3333), and sure my friends too. Twitter is about laughs, tiny nuggets of information, and the sharing of non-problems like tripping in public or complaining about the weather. And the same goes for Instagram and snapchat. These are public forums, and most times open to anyone and everyone.

So the problem is, that people are using these places to air dirty laundry and to express serious problems. I am definitely not saying that you’re problems aren’t real or that what you’re going through isn’t tough. Not at all. But I am trying to be realistic. Realistically, how many of your 100+ followers actually care? How many of them will actually want to help you. Oh yeah, I’m sure you’ll get plenty of “keep your head up” replies or “stay strong” comments. But how many of them are invested enough in your life to share your pain? How many actually have your phone number and can call you to make sure you’re okay?

And believe you me that I do not want even a fraction of my followers to try to comfort me. I sleep easier knowing I have Madison on speed dial and that Taylor will run across campus to see me. And that my other close friends, no matter how far away will sit with me in silence on the phone until I want to talk. Moral of this too long story: you have real friends, use them. Because when Facebook and Twitter go the same way as MySpace, most of your ‘friends’ will disappear.

Be in the Know about Snapchat

Posted on January 24, 2013 by daverozman1024

In early December I first heard of a new smartphone application that was popular with Teens called Snapchat. One goal I have with my blog is to inform youthworkers and parents of what is popular and trending with teens especially when it could be harmful, inappropriate or misused by their teens. With the hustle and Bustle of the Holiday season I did not get a post up about it sooner and I apologize for that.

Snapchat is getting more attention every day being highlighted in numerous articles and blogs and even mentioned on the latest episode of Parenthood. This app is basically a picture sharing application but what makes it unique is you can set your pictures to self destruct. Meaning, if I send someone a picture I can set a timer so that once the person who I am sending the picture to opens it, they only have 10 seconds to view it before it is erased from their phone. Sounds fun right? One of the concerns that many people have with this application is that it is directly geared towards sexting.

Even if it is not intended to be used for sexting that is one reputation it has received. Just skim through the reviews in the iTunes App store and you will see comments like, “15 year old male username: ********** looking for 13-18 F dirty or clean.” In fact there are numerous posts in the reviews section like this. People telling their age, sex, basics of what they look like and then asking for other random people to follow them and Snapchat with them. Some say specifically “no nudes” meaning no nude pictures.

Now I am not saying every teen or person using Snapchat is engaging in sexting. Over Christmas I was speaking with a relative and they mentioned how their daughter uses it as a fun way to communicate with their cousins. I also spoke to a group of teens about Snapchat and one teen said “personally, it’s another form of texting. The kind of pics I send is of food, or what I’m doing, what I’m watching, and a bunch of funny faces.” I actually think this is how most teens are using the app, as another fun alternative to texting.

What I am saying is be aware of what apps are on your teens phones and what apps are popular with teens. Be in the Know. Have conversations with them about appropriate behavior and use of the smartphone.

Here are links to several other articles and post related to Snapchat if you would like more information or some tips for discussing this app with your teenager:

NBC Today Show Story from Dec. 4th, 2012 about Snapchat-

A Parents Take on Snapchat via Mashable

Snapchat- Kids Can Send Explicit Pictures that Self Destruct via Parenting Today’s Kids (Good parenting tips in this article)

71% of Teens Hide their Online Behavior from their Parents

Posted on July 11, 2012 by daverozman1024

As long as there have been teenagers, there have been teens hiding stuff from their parents. They try to hide their behavior, their report card, something illegal they should not have etc. In today’s technology age teens are also hiding what they are doing online. McAfee, the world’s largest dedicated security technology company, recently released findings from the company’s 2012 Teen Internet Behavior study showing what teens are hiding and how they are doing it.

The study found that over half of teens (61%) feel confident that they know how to hide what they do online from parents and 71% (Up from 45% in 2010) of teens have actually done something to hide their online behavior.” How are teens hiding their online behavior? Here are the top ten ways teens hide their online behavior as identified by the study.

Clearing the browser history (53%)
Close/minimize browser when parent walked in (46%)
Hide or delete IMs or videos (34%)
Lie or omit details about online activities (23%)
Use a computer your parents don’t check (23%)
Use an internet-enabled mobile device (21%)
Use privacy settings to make certain content viewable only by friends (20%)
Use private browsing modes (20%)
Create a private email address unknown to parents (15%)
Create duplicate/fake social network profiles (9%)

Youth Worker and Parent Tips: If you work with teens or have teens in your home, here are a few practical tips to help you navigate your teens internet behavior. (Note: some of these tips were taken directly from McAffee’s report)

Have “frequent one-to-one conversations with teens to get through to them about the choices they’re making online and the risks and consequences of their choices.”
“Be diligent about setting parental controls, which includes keeping a watchful eye to know if/when teens discover ways around them, as many already have.”
“Be upfront with teens about monitors and controls implemented on their internet devices, as half of teens say they would think twice about their online activities if they knew parents were watching.”
Check the history on your computer. You can see past pages that have been visited, if you do not recognize a site, check it out and become in the know. If you notice that there is not a lot of history, this alerts you that someone is deleting the history after their use and maybe trying to hide something.
Place all computers in an open space where the screen is visible from a distance and keep a watchful eye when teens are using the computer. Parents, allowing a computer in your teens bedroom is not a good idea. Same with allowing them to take their cell phone into their room at night. This allows unsupervised use and creates temptation for teens.
Stay in the know. Follow news/media/blog posts on internet behavior and what you need to be aware of. A couple good sites/resources are Mashable.com or the MSNBC Science and Technology section (sign up for the e-newslettter). On twitter? Then here are some great follows that will keep you in the know @Mashable @SueScheff and @CommonSenseNews just to name a few. Fact is there are many great resources available today, it may take a little bit of work but it is better than throwing your hands up and giving up.

The McAffee study has a lot more interesting findings than just what I covered in this post. Such as what are teens actually accessing and hiding, a look at what’s at stake, the disconnect between what teens are doing and what parents are aware of and much more. I encourage you to check out the full study located here.

Teens and How they View Social Media

Posted on June 27, 2012 by daverozman1024

A majority of the time when I am speaking to adults about social media and teens they have very negative views. Usually based on news stories they have seen in the media. Yes teen use social media, we all know that. But it is not as negative or all encompassing as many adults may perceive. A new report from Common Sense Media titled ”Social Media, Social Life: How Teens View Their Digital Lives” sheds light on how teens view social media, and there are some very positive findings. And to make it even better they created a nice Infographic for those who don’t want to sift through all the findings. (Common Sense Media is an organization providing families trustworthy information to thrive in a world of media and technology)

Here is the great Infographic, below I will provide a few helpful youth worker tips bases on findings of this study.

Youth Worker and Parent Tips:

The report clearly shows that in person is their favorite way to communicate (followed by texting). Don’t get caught up in trying to publicize or reach teens for your program via social media. Meet them face to face. Take them out for a meal, hang out where teens are, engage them. Use social media and texting as a way to communicate and supplement word of mouth communication not take over for it.
Just over half of teens feel social media can help their relationships with family and friends. I find this to be true when I speak with teens. They feel they can keep in touch and see what is going on in each others daily lives even if they live far away. Especially if it is not a friend or family member they are able to connect with regularly. As a parent, connect with other family members on social media sites and encourage your family to connect with your kids. This can allow your teens to feel more connected to their extended family making family get-togethers less awkward.
There is a large group of teens (and adults if we are honest with ourselves) who feel addicted to social media and wish they could disconnect. Create opportunities for teens to disconnect. Don’t be forceful and make this something you do everyday for long periods of time. But maybe if you are going on a field trip, having a lock-in or going on a family outing you ask everyone (adults too) to try to refrain from using technology. Doing this periodically can help teach teens how to step away from technology and be more engaged in the moment.

Teens Just Want to Be Heard

Posted on March 5, 2012 by daverozman1024

Do you remember being a teen and just wanting to be heard? Maybe you had a great idea or a new way of looking at life and you just wanted someone to listen to you? This notion has been enhanced by social media where teens can share thoughts, opinions and other randomness (like their most recent meal or favorite music video on YouTube) to hundreds of “friends” at any given moment. Now not only do teens still want to be heard but they feel others want to hear from them.

A recent survey from tru shows 61% of teens feel that “their peers look to them for advice and their opinions.” Many may look at this as a way social media has turned teens into a selfish or narcissistic generation. And that my be true on some levels. But I feel that instead of always looking for the negative with teens using Social Media that we should look how we can use this to our advantage as youth workers.

One of the most important pieces of information I tell youth workers who have programs serving teens is to give the teens a “voice” in the program. What I mean by that is ask the teens questions about the current program, what they like about it, what they would change, how you can better serve them etc. I have been in several settings where I have been visiting a youth program that is struggling and the staff have asked me for advice on how they can improve. I usually ask to talk with a small group of teens and within 30-60 minutes the teens have helped me identify basic things the youth program could improve. Often the issues that are hindering the program from growing are minor (such as the setting is not teen friendly) but sometimes the issues are larger (such as the staff do not respect the teens). The problem is the staff never asked the teens for their opinion or thoughts.

I think we can take advantage of the fact that teens feel their opinion is important to others. The problem is often times as adults, when we ask a teen for their ideas we shoot them down with a quick “No” or “we cannot do that.” Instead I want to encourage you to try not to say no, but instead have a conversation with the teen and identify what you can say yes to. For example if a teen complains that the space is not suitable for teens and you should build a new space. Instead of saying a flat no, you could say, ” we may not be able to build a new space right now, but what can we do to the current space to make it more appealing to teen?” You would be surprised by the creative and simple ideas teens can come up with given the opportunity.

How can you put this into practice as a youth worker? Here are a few tips:

Have a standing council of teens that the staff goes to for advice on how to recruit teens, ideas for new programs, how to improve programs or ask them to help plan and facilitate programs/activities.
Regularly survey teens and facilitate focus groups (two to four times a year).
Do not plan a new program without asking a few teens for their feedback on how to make the program fun and appealing to them.
Involve the teens setting up the teen space. Allow them to help choose the furniture, paint colors, make bulletin boards etc.

Teens Stumble Upon tumblr

Posted on February 20, 2012 by daverozman1024

Recently when speaking with a group of teens from across the US, I asked them “what were some recent trends they had seen recently with teens?” In the course of the conversation we began talking about websites and one teen mentioned that when they got home from school they went right on tumblr. I thought this was random, that one teen had gotten into blogging and found tumblr as a space to do this. I thought this since I knew tumblr mainly as a blog site used by adults. In fact, I tried to start a tumblr page at one time showcasing the different restaurants I visited while traveling and provide brief reviews.

But soon about half the teens I was speaking with acknowledged they had a tumblr page or they at least knew other teens who had recently created a tumblr page. I looked into it and found out that in fact the percentage of teens using tumblr in the last year has gone up(recently it was listed at 2% recently by Pew Internet). That may not be much, but when a site goes from little to no teen use to some teen use in a short period of time and has teens talking, I see that as a website to keep an eye on and learn more about.

So what is tumblr? According to it’s website, “Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be.” So it can be blogging but it can also be sharing your life experiences. In fact when I asked teens about why and how they used tumblr, that is exactly the response I received.

One teen said , “It (tumblr) is a recollection of my past shows/music/photos/events/everything else in the form of a photo. You customize it to your own needs and put whatever you want on it. Tumblr is whatever you make it to be.” Another teens summed it up saying, ”If teens are like me, we use it to relate to other people through pictures.” The consensus of the teens I spoke with agreed that it captures their life in the form of pictures and quotes.

I am not saying that this is the next big thing or that every teen is using tumblr or will be using tumblr in the near future. But I am hearing some buzz around it lately from teens and those who work with teens. Which to me means as a youth worker, it is a site to be familiar with and understand. In fact, I encourage you to ask teens that you know or work with if they use tumblr and ask them if you can view their page.

Engaging Teens Through Texting

Posted on February 7, 2012 by daverozman1024

A small portion of my job, and by far one of the favorite aspects of my job, is connecting/engaging teens through social media. Since it is just a small portion of my role, I cannot justify spending hours researching how to best connect with teens or hundreds of dollars to take classes offered by “social Media experts.” I just have to do it. What has helped me tremendously is to follow and watch other companies, businesses or celebrities to see how they are actively engaging their teen audience. It is amazing the little things you can pick up just by following someone on twitter.

One group that I have been following for a while that does an exceptional job of engaging teens in DoSomething.org. They are an organization committed to empowering teens to engage in causes that they care about. And one of their best teen engagement tools is texting teens. Recently Mashable posted a video interview with DoSomething’s CEO & Chief Old Person (her actual title) Nancy Lublin (@nancylublin) where she shared some insight into their texting platform. I encourage anyone who works in a field where you are engaging teens to view the interview (Nancy Lublin Interview on Mashable).

Here are some of my take-a-ways:

Nancy mentioned that texting teens is “Inherently 1 on 1 technology.” Teens want to feel like you are talking directly to them, not posting something out there for hundreds or thousands of teens to see. Texting does this like no other form of media currently.
Authenticity is key! In a culture where people can create a false image of themselves through social media, teens crave authenticity. They want something that is real and very often they can see right through a company being fake or just trying to market to them. Teens want something that is real.

If engaging teens through social media is a large portion of your job, or you just recognize it as a must in today’s culture, take time to observe what other groups are doing in this area. And most importantly, talk to teens and get their feedback. In my opinion a teens input can never be replaced by adults on the topic of how to engage and empower them.

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