Ypulse Essentials: 'Avatar' Passes $1 Billion Mark, The Future of Reading, Facebook Vs. The Suicide Machine

‘Avatar’ passes $1 billion mark (after three weekends, becoming the fourth-biggest movie of all time. Also Ad Age, reg. required, on the surprisingly traditional mass marketing strategy behind the mega-blockbuster success. And Disney finalizes the Marvel deal on New Year’s after Marvel shareholders approve the $4.24 billion acquisition. Plus Mattel partners with WWE to produce a line of wrestling toys.) (USA Today) (ABC News) (New York Times, reg. required)

- G-Star Raw recruits rookie reporters (for New York Fashion Week through social media. Also New York Times, reg. required, on the impact of the new data influx on retailers, with a look at teen chain Wet Seal. And fashion forecasts for 2010 predict another big year for recession-friendly teen chain Forever 21 and high profile designer collaborations) (PSFK) (Los Angeles Times, reg. required)

- ‘The Future of Reading’ (YA author John Green looks into his crystal ball to speculate on the role of librarians in the evolution of literacy. A must read piece. Plus a blast from the Gen X/Y past: Scholastic releases a prequel to The Baby-Sitter’s Club and revamps reissued titles to appeal to today’s tweens. And Jezebel has some fun with what those updates might entail) (SLJ) (New York Times, reg. required)

- Come on, get happy (a new study takes a positive spin on the effects of lyrics on young listeners, finding that music containing a upbeat message has a beneficial impact. Also a new generation of teenage rockers embrace technology and the support of Mom and Dad to succeed. And research on the connection between sleep deprivation and depression in teens confirmsthe importance of bedtime) (Guardian) (Wired) (ScienceDaily)

- Hard lessons from Teach for America (a recent survey finds lower rates of civic involvement among graduates who find themselves burnt out and disillusioned after spending two years teaching in low-income school districts) (New York Times, reg. required)

- Hot Pockets and Dr. Pepper (both scored this year with campaigns that connected with Hispanic youth. Plus what’s ahead this year for social media in teen marketing. Also tech and electronic companies look to target young ‘techfluentials,’ aka early adopters, in 2010. Is this new?) (Ad Age, reg. required) (MediaPost, reg. required)

- HSM star graduates to producing role (Ashley Tisdale’s Blondie Girl Productions signs a producing deal with the reality and alternative programming branch of RelativityReal. Also “Blossom” actress Mayim Bialik returns to teen TV with a recurring guest role “The Secret Life of The American Teenager”) (Entertainment Tonight) (New York Post)

- Scary stat (a recent study finds, like online threats, more than a third of sex crimes against juveniles are committed by other juveniles. In the article, the study’s co-author David Finkelhor says, “early sex education is key to teaching boundaries and preventing such experimentation”) (USA Today)

- Facebook bans the Suicide Machine (a program that lets social media defectors systematically “unfriend” all contacts across different networks. Plus another snafu on the MySpace/Imeem front as users discover their playlists removed and replaced with ads) (Los Angeles Times) (Wired)