Teens and Technology Eric Kelly National Director, Juvenile Justice Youth for Christ USA

Cell Phones What is the average age a teen gets their first cell phone? 12

Cell Phones Today: >75% of teens have a cell phone

Cell Phones Today: ~20% of teens have their own PDAs or Blackberries

Cell Phones What is the #1 form of communication among teens? Texting

Cell Phones The average teenager sends how many text messages per year 10,000

Cell Phones What is sexting the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photos electronically, primarily between cell phones.

Cell Phones Teens need to know that anything sent on a cell phone really never goes away! They need to know that things they do with their cell can be illegal Help them establish ground rule for the cell phone

Video Games What % of teens play video games? 97%

Video Games 50% of teens played games “yesterday.” 86% of teens play on a console like the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii. 73% play games on a desktop or a laptop computer. 60% use a portable gaming device like a Sony PlayStation Portable, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy. 48% use a cell phone or handheld organizer to play games.

Video Games

Teens who play violent games do worse in school than teens who don't At-risk teenage boys spend 60 per cent more time playing games, and they prefer more violent games than other teens Youths who prefer violent video games are more likely to get into arguments with their teachers and even physical fights—whether they are boys or girls

Video Games 62% of parents of gamers say video games have no effect on their child one way or the other. 19% of parents of gamers say video games have a positive influence on their child. 13% of parents of gamers say video games have a negative influence on their child. 5% of parents of gamers say gaming has some negative influence/some positive influence, but it depends on the game.

Computers and the Internet What % of teens have a computer? 60%

Computers and the Internet What % of teens use the internet? 93%

Computers and the Internet Question Name the three busiest websites? Answer MSN, Google, Yahoo

Computers and the Internet 75% of “online” adolescents—or about 2/3 of all adolescents— reported using IM

Computers and the Internet Question What does “LOL” stand for? Answer Laughing Out Loud

Computers and the Internet Question What does “AFK?” stand for? Answer Away From Keyboard

Computers and the Internet Question What does “ROFL” stand for? Answer Rolling on the floor laughing

Computers and the Internet Question What does “BRB?” stand for? Answer Be Right Back

Computers and the Internet Question What does “POS” stand for? Answer Parent over shoulder

Computers and the Internet Question What does “TTYL” stand for? Answer Talk to you later

Computers and the Internet Question What does “a/s/l” stand for? Answer Age/sex/location

Computers and the Internet Question What does “P911” stand for? Answer My parent is in the room

Computers and the Internet Question What does “WTGP?” stand for? Answer Want to go private?

Computers and the Internet Question What does “N00b” stand for? Answer Newbie

Computers and the Internet Question AH Answer At Home

Computers and the Internet Question HRU Answer How are you?

Social Networking Question What is social networking? Answer Social networking is the grouping of individuals into specific groups, like small rural communities or a neighborhood subdivision, if you will.

Social Networking Question Name 5 Social Networking Sites Answer Reddit, digg, myspace, facebook, HI5, monster, twitter, flixster, linkedin, tagged, classmates, myyearbook., reunion, bebo, friendster, xanga, yahoo.com, youtube,etc

Social Networking Question What is the #1 Most Popular Social Networking Site Answer Facebook.com 150,000,000 members 1.2 bilion monthly visits

Social Networking

65 percent of US teens aged 17 and younger use social networks number of new applications added per day to facebook Youtube--In January 2009, 147 million U.S. internet users watched an average of 101 videos per person. Last year, advertisers spent $920 million advertising on social networks. They plan to spend a lot more this year - 69 percent more, according to eMarketer - around $1.6 billion. It’s not expected to slow either. In the next four years the figure is expected to reach $2.7 billion.

Social Networking 66% of teens who have created a profile say that their profile is not visible by all internet users. They limit access to their profiles. 48% of teens visit social networking websites daily or more often; 26% visit once a day, 22% visit several times a day. Older girls ages are more likely to have used social networking sites and online profiles; 70% of older girls have used an online social network compared with 54% of older boys, and 70% of older girls have created an online profile, while only 57% boys have done so.

Social Networking Teens say social networking sites help them manage their friendships 91% of all social networking teens say they use the sites to stay in touch with friends they see frequently, while 82% use the sites to stay in touch with friends they rarely see in person. 72% of all social networking teens use the sites to make plans with friends; 49% use the sites to make new friends. Older boys who use social networking sites (ages 15-17) are more likely than girls of the same age to say that they use social networking sites to make new friends (60% vs. 46%). Just 17% of all social networking teens use the sites to flirt. Older boys who use social networking sites are more than twice as likely as older girls to say they use the sites to flirt; 29% report this compared with just 13% of older girls.

Social Networking

FACEBOOK

Social Networking

Tips For Parents Talk to your kids – ask questions (and then confirm to make sure they are telling you the truth!) Ask to see their profile page (for the first time)…tomorrow! (It gives them a chance to remove everything that isn’t appropriate or safe…and it becomes a way to teach them what not to post instead of being a gotcha moment! Think of it as the loud announcement before walking downstairs to a teen party you’re hosting.) Don't panic…there are ways of keeping your kids safe online. It’s easier than you think! Remember what you did that your parents would have killed you had they known, when you were fifteen.

Social Networking This too will pass! Most kids really do use social networks just to communicate with their friends. Take a breath, gather your thoughts and get help when you need it. It’s not an invasion of their privacy if strangers can see it. There is a difference between reading their paper diary that is tucked away in their sock drawer…and reading their MySpace. One is between them and the paper it’s written on; the other between them and 700 million people online! Don’t believe everything you read online – especially if your teen posts it on her MySpace or Facebook! And, finally….repeat after me – “I’m still the parent!” If they don’t listen or follow your rules, unplug the computer…the walk to the library will do them good. Make sure they keep their page private, and NEVER add someone as a friend that they do not know PERSONALLY !

Extra Credit What is Twitter??? Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

Teens and Technology Eric Kelly National Director, Juvenile Justice Youth for Christ USA