kthx!  teens & tech

1. kthx!  teens & tech

2. Presenters • Susan Smallsreed, Youth Librarian, Multnomah County Library susansm@multcolib.org • Ian Duncanson, Young Adult Librarian, Beaverton City Library iduncanson@ci.beaverton.or.us

3. What we’ll do today • The world in which teens live. • Tech demographics & trends. • L-Net Reference Services • Anonymity & Pushing Buttons • Quick Tips & Techniques for Online Reference • Library Tech Involvement: Apps and Widgets

4. Beloit College Mindset The world as known by the class of 2013, born in 1991. • …have never used a card catalog to find a book. • Presidents have never “inhaled” (present incumbent excluded.) • There has always been a Cartoon Network. • Apartheid in South Africa has always been outlawed. • …have never been amazed by the migration of…radio, TV, videos and compact discs to the computer. • Britney Spears has always been heard on classic rock stations. • There has always been blue Jell-O. http://www.nowpublic.com/culture/beloit-college-mindset-list-class-2013

5. Teen developmental tasks • Adjust to sexually maturing bodies & feelings • Find a place in the world/an identity • Meet the demands of increasingly responsible roles & responsibilities • Develop: • Abstract thinking skills • Coping skills (decision-making, problem-solving, conflict resolution) • Moral standards, values & belief systems Adapted from Raising Teens: A Synthesis of Research and a Foundation for Action, by A. Rae Simpson, Ph.D. (Center for Health Communication, Harvard School of Public Health)

6. If you want to know more about teen development… • NMSA Study (National Middle School Association) has put together a fantastic across-the-board summary on research into teen development. It can be found at: http://www.nmsa.org/Research/ResearchSummaries/DevelopmentalCharacteristics/tabid/1414/default.aspx

7. Teens and the Internet: The Future of Digital Diversity information taken from: Kristen Purcell, Ph.D. Associate Director, Pew Internet Project Fred Forward Conference March 23, 2010

8. Data & Statistics What do we know about teen internet access and use today?

10. Online Activities 73% of online teens use SNS (up 50%) 14% blog (down 50%) 8% use Twitter 8% visit online virtual worlds 38% share content online (steady) 21% remix content (steady) 62% get news about current events and politics 48% buy things online 31% get health, dieting, fitness info 17% get info about sensitive health topics

11. Digital Diversity Teen internet access highest among teens with… White parents College-educated parents Annual household incomes above $50,000 Same pattern exists for high-speed access High-speed connection means greater engagement in online activities

12. Cell PhoneOwnership

18. Available at www.pewinternet.org... • Social Media and Young Adultshttp://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx • Teens and Mobile Phones 2004-2009http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/14--Teens-and-Mobile-Phones-Data-Memo.aspx • Wireless Internet Usehttp://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/12-Wireless-Internet-Use.aspx • Teens and Texting (2010) http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Teens-and-Mobile-Phones.aspx?r=1

19. Two teens talk about their technology use http://vimeo.com/8052906 via spotlight.macfound.org (Spotlight on Digital Media and Learning)

20. L-Net & Text Reference: The New Wave of Library Service!

21. L-Net Chat Reference • L-Net (http://www.oregonlibraries.net) is an online, instant messenger-style chat reference service managed by Multnomah County Libraries and funded by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. • It’s available to anyone in Oregon 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and staffed by librarians from all over the state and country.

22. L-net Messenger Window

23. L-Net & Texting • Due to promotion by school librarians and teachers, many questions come from teens. L-Net recently added a text messaging feature so that patrons can ask questions from their phones, and receive immediate answers from L-Net librarians.

24. Lessons Learned From L-Net • Not surprisingly, teens find ways to test the anonymity the computer affords them! • The following are a few real chat “incidents” from L-Net.

25. 195605: “help with a disese” 16:35:35 patron: I have aids 16:37:42 patron: I HAVE AIDS AND I NEED HELP.................. oh and do you know my friend amos moses

26. 195491: “how to have oral sex?” • 12:06:15 patron: hi how do you have sex12:06:56 patron: canyou just tell me..and then: • 12:11:31 patron: i feel depresed should i kill my self?

27. 195295: Chuck Norris • 14:19:13 Chuck Norris: Do you know any good books on comparing and contrasting Rome and Greece • 14:19:34 Librarian: Hello, Chuck. I like your spin kick. Are you looking for books specifically or will good Web sites work, as well?

28. 195299: Babies from Wal-Mart • my mom said babys come from walmart is it true? • 14:36:22 Librarian: Greetings. Welcome to L-Net! I think your mom may be telling you wrong. • 14:36:34 Librarian: here is a site that will give you the gist of it…

29. Tips & Techniques For Online Reference • Several short friendly messages are better than one long involved formal message • Remember the chat window is small • They may have five other chat windows open • If you have a long thought to express... • ...use the ellipsis to let them know there’s more to come

30. More general tips • Ask for feedback often • does this help? • is it working? • is this the kind of info you need? • This helps ensure you’re on the right track and reassures them that you haven’t forgotten what they need or that they exist!

31. Tips on Setting Boundaries • Fine line between curiosity and testing boundaries • “who am i talking to?” vs. • “do you want to date me?” • It’s okay to say a little about who you are, but redirect back to the reference question • You’re not a machine, but you’re not one of their peers, either

32. Tips: If They’re in a Rush • Be realistic about the wait time • “Hang on, I’m helping somebody else right now” • Send a site quickly and say • Take a look at this • Let me know if it helps • Someone else needs help right now • I’ll get back to you asap

33. Tips: If They’re Rude and You’re Frustrated • Don’t take it personally • Stay calm, polite, professional • If they see you as a real person (not an automated service) they’ll be less likely to be rude • Remember they made a choice to use the service • Accept that some pranks and button-pushing will happen, and don’t let that color your experiences with other teens – or with those teens if they come back!

34. Services Available • Here are some more fun texting-related services!

35. Textem (http://www.textem.net) is a site that allows people to send text messages from the computer to a cell phone, provided you know the carrier in addition to the number, for free! • It’s a particularly good resource if you find your cell phone dead, and you want to get quickly in touch with a group of teens or a family member.

36. Other Text Question Services • ChaCha (242242) – Free! –http://www.chacha.com/ • KGBKGB (542542) – $.99 per question. –http://www.542542.com

37. More Library Tech Involvement • Now we’re going to look quickly at a few more apps and widgets available to library patrons.

38. Flip Cameras • Flip cameras have become wildly popular with teens, especially in the age of Youtube. The site is filled with tens of thousands of teen-made video blogs, mini-movies, reviews, and more.

39. Mango Languages • Mango Languages (http://mangolanguages.com) is a library resource that allows patrons to learn languages conversationally through real-life situations, in addition to grammar. • Patrons create a “profile,” download a widget, and structure their lessons from there!

40. Overdrive Mobile Download • Overdrive Media Console (http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/) has a free widget that allows you to easily download and play audiobooks, music and video on a variety of mobile devices! • Supported devices include Android, Blackberry, the iPhone, and Windows Mobile.

41. Skype (Video Chat) • Skype (http://www.skype.com) is a service that allows you to make video calls if you have a Webcam and an Internet connection! The software is free at their Web site. • Skype-to-Skype calls are free, but you can also call mobile phones for 2.3 cents per minute. • The Skype service also offers free video-less instant messaging!

42. Other apps? • Don’t forget Facebook & Twitter! Any teens communicate with their friends instantly using Facebook & Twitter apps for their phones. • Share your knowledge! Have you discovered any other widgets and apps that help?

43. More teen tech tips! • Do you have any other teen tech tips and devices we didn’t mention? Add them to the OYAN blog (http://oyanpeeps.wordpress.com/), or send them to iduncanson@ci.beaverton.or.us!