Online Social Networking a Big Part of Teen Life
More than half of all U.S. kids ages 12 to 17 use online social networking sites. The names are probably familiar – MySpace, Xanga, Friendster, Facebook and others – but you may not know just how important these social networking websites are for today’s teens.
Older teens, especially girls, are more likely to use these sites to reinforce their current friendships – while boys reportedly go to these networks to make new friends and to flirt. 55% of teens who go online create personal profiles – and nearly half of those using these sites visit them at least once a day.
The good news? It appears that many teens are now aware of the hazards that can come from posting personal information online. 21% now elect to keep their profile out of public view. For those who do keep public profiles, 59% say that their profiles are visible only to their friends.
Helmet Boxing – a Secret, Dangerous Game
It’s a game that goes beyond horseplay, and is being blamed for serious head and hand injuries. Teens call it “locker boxing,” “helmet boxing” or “helmet and gloves.” It usually involves players on high school hockey and lacrosse teams.
A pair of contestants, wearing protective helmets and gloves, square off and try to land punches to their opponent’s head. The match goes on until one player submits, has their helmet knocked off - or is knocked out. Videos of such bouts have been available for some time on the Internet.
It’s hard to say how common such matches are, since the bouts usually take place secretly, away from coaches or other responsible adults. But a pediatric neurologist warns that young players mistakenly believe their helmets and gloves will protect them from serious injury. In actuality, these teens experience head trauma, fractured hands and facial cuts – all from “helmet and gloves” matches.
Apparently, this trend has been going on for years – right under the noses of parents and coaches. It's a secret activity – and kids don’t want to tell adults about it.
Boston Bomb Scare Highlights Youth-Oriented Marketing “Gap”
Your teen may be a target – of marketing, that is.
Officials in Boston thought it was a terrorist plot – glowing metal boxes on the city’s overpasses, bridges and roadways. But what turned out to be publicity for a late-night cartoon program has drawn attention to a recent example of “viral” or “guerrilla” marketing aimed at teenagers and 20-somethings.
The ads are meant to attract the attention of teens (and college students) who have long tuned-out traditional commercials by using unconventional media, including the Internet. They also use unusual techniques, such as placing advertisements in unexpected places, including bathrooms. Some “out-of-the-box’ marketers have even hired actors to talk-up their products in various public places.
As the name implies, “viral” marketing hopes to create a buzz with its targeted audience, often by word-of-mouth. And intentionally or not, the Boston incident has done just that – generating a series of blogs, online video commentaries and satires from teenagers and college students.
The incident underscores the generational gap between the publicity campaign’s young target audience and the older populace. The interesting thing is that these teens and young adults who live in a world of blogs and other alternative media don’t think much of it … the rest of us see it as a huge disruption.
Fence Plowing: The Latest Craze
In the wake of such venerable teenage stunts as cow tipping, streaking, knocking down mail boxes or “ghost-riding” (see January’s Teen Trends), comes the latest teen craze: “fence plowing.”
The idea behind this newest stunt: run full-tilt at a nearby fence – and plow through it. Fence plowing is the subject of at least one popular online video. It has also been blamed for several incidents of vandalism, which have led to several arrests.
More Teens Cruising (On the High Seas)
Teenagers are one of the country’s biggest and most desirable consumer markets. So it should come as no surprise that more cruise lines are catering to them as customers.
The soaring popularity of cruise ship vacations means many teenagers are coming along with their families for the ride – so many, in fact, that the cruise industry is going out of its way to accommodate them.
One cruise line offers discounted Internet rates for teenagers onboard its ships. It also has nightclubs and coffeehouses specifically for teen passengers. Another has video arcades, karaoke contests and spa treatments specifically for teens. And some cruise companies have on-ship rock concerts with “cover bands” of favorite teen groups.
Some cruises can reportedly have several hundred teenagers on board – leading to a rise in rowdy adolescent behavior. One cruise line has started “teen patrols” on its ships – whose role, it says, is not to police kids but to keep them from getting “carried away” while on board.
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