Ypulse Essentials: Sofa Boy, TXT SP3K, Say Something
Posted by meredith on 02-25-2009
Gamers meet Sofa Boy (and learn a valuable lesson in moderation. Written by a gaming industry veteran, this new children’s book seeks to motivate kids to occasionally get off the couch. And if that doesn’t work… skin specialists in the UK have identified a new type of skin sore caused by game consoles. Ew. Plus Nintendo partners with Mathcounts and goes to schools to help middle schoolers with math) (MSNBC) (BBC News) (KidScreen)
- ‘Why Social Networks Are Good For Kids‘ (TechCrunch responds to the frenzy-inducing findings currently circulating the U.K. by reminding us of social sites’ beneficial strides in communication, education and collaboration. Word. Plus how Facebook has changed for marketers since parents crashed the party. And Partnership for a Drug Free America launches another effort to reach parents) (TechCrunch) (Ad Age, reg. required)
- DNT H8 ON TXT SPK (Translation: don’t hate on text speak. A recent study finds the frequent use of abbreviations and acronyms seen in text message exchanges does not have a negative impact on kids’ language and reading skills, and may actually improve their abilities) (ars technica)
- Do parents matter? (Some think not. TIME talks to the author of The Nurture Assumption about whether her theory that peers’ have the most influence over kids’ choices still holds up. Plus Say Something, a new multimedia campaign encouraging teens to “say something” to their recklessly driving peers. And MediaPost, reg. required, has an interview revealing more about Ford’s Fiesta “movement”) (TIME)
- 23 NYC Teens (you need to know about) (Ruby Pseudo)
- Axe to take over the airwaves (with “43 minutes’ worth of [branded] content — to play out across four different [Viacom] cable networks) (AdAge.com, reg. required)
- Russia puts the kibosh (on Disney’s TV purchase) (Variety)
- Goodwill offers job training to teens (including resume writing, interview skills and customer service. Plus, a Japanese problem-solving book intended for middle-schoolers makes a big hit with adult professionals) (Charlotte Business Journal) (MediaPost, reg. required)
- More on the demise of Ruckus (and what it means to digital music services on college campuses) (Reuters)
P.S. If you’re in NYC and want to attend the Engage Expo March 10-11 (which has loads of content about virtual worlds for youth), use the discount code YPULSEVIP for $200 off the price. I’ll (Meredith) be there covering the event for Ypulse so definitely say hello!
Categorized under: Ypulse Essentials
February 26th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Social networks are good for youths and adults alike. We can learn about communication skills but it is necessary to be careful about deviant elements too.