Ypulse Youth Website Profile: Smokescreen
Posted by meredith on 08-11-2009
The latest installment in our Ypulse Youth Website Profile series is Smokescreen, an online game from British public-service broadcasting network Channel 4, set to launch this September..
What it is… a 13-part online adventure created by alternate reality game designers Six to Start for Channel 4 to educate teens in the UK about issues of online privacy, identity and trust.
Who it’s for… 14-19 year olds in the UK
What works for us… an innovative “edutainment” resource that promotes media literacy not based on a rigid lists of do’s and don’ts. In the alternate reality of Smokescreen, players are expected to make critical choices when it comes to disclosing information online, but the right answer isn’t always clear cut and the consequences aren’t always dire. As Six to Start’s CEO Dan Hon explains “It’s about the implications of what sharing information means to daily life, beyond just stealing identities or credit cards.” Or posting scantily clad pics? Further improving its chance to connect with a young audience, this even-keeled approach to online privacy management is coupled with an intricately woven plot and well-developed characters — the story follows Max Winston, founder of the fictional social network White Smoke, after a vicious game “The Rumor Mill” starts making waves. If the game proves as entertaining and engaging as the description reads, it stands a chance to empower and educate teens in the ways they navigate the web.
Challenges… Still, as effective as this content sounds, it’s hard to imagine a context outside of the classroom where teens would be willing to play a game that’s meant to teach them about managing their online reputation. Not just because it’s educational in nature, but also because (unlike online health resources) they may not be convinced it’s a lesson they need to seek out. As sleek and well-designed as the site makes the game out to be (and the credentials of Six to Start promise to deliver), I wonder how many teens will click through or log on to find out.
Also, I’d echo what Anastasia said in her post yesterday about teens not being the only audience who needs to familiarize themselves with this privacy/digital citizenship curriculum. What about a parental guide to the game?
We’ll definitely revisit this game when it launches (and encourage you to do the same), and let us know what you think.
For more coverage of youth marketing, go to the Ypulse Youth Marketing Channelsponsored by Youth Marketing Connection.
Categorized under: Web, Youth Media
August 11th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Agree that media literacy (social or otherwise) is universally in need for ALL ages, esp. w/privacy but am glad to see someone trying to deploy informal learning/game based fun.
We’ve been toying with immersion concepts (e.g. ‘what if we sifted data nuggets INTO the game seamlessly’ where young kids particularly would have to engage in the process as part of the leveling up?)
Could be a win-win to enhance their skillsets without preach and teach and ‘earn’ some sort of virtual cred ‘in game’ to spread peer to peer collaboratively and embed vital info on the privacy front.
A thought I’d love to explore w/these guys further. Let’s talk.
August 13th, 2009 at 7:21 am
I definitely agree that there’s a challenge in reaching teens, when – as we all know – they don’t perceive online security, privacy, etc, as something they need to know more about. Our real aim with Smokescreen is to essentially bypass that question, and make a game that’s fun and compelling, completely independent of any educational purpose. Will that work with teens? I think so, but we’ll see!
As for parents and adults, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up becoming many of our players. Smokescreen provides a safe window – for adults – into how teens actually use the internet, and how important it is for them.
We’re also producing follow-on resources for each of the 13 missions that expand on the issues covered, again, in an interesting and entertaining (rather than dry and didactic) way.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Thanks, Adrian, I emailed you offline to interview about this, as I feel it’s imperative we merge the ‘ooh, cool’ fun factor with the almost subliminal informal learning digital context seamlessly.
As you well know, if there’s any whiff of a ‘serious’ game it’s a buzzkill for teens. ;-) Anxious to test it out!
p.s. Do disagree a bit on the privacy assumption a la Iger’s ‘kids don’t care’ (about keystroke/behavioral tracking etc.) as thing, though, as I did an informal ‘did you know’ poll on digital data-mining elements & the kids were gonzo w/the corp. stalker factor sans permissions.
Very clear to me “my data is my data” could be emblazoned on a tee and sell well…kids want the control put back in their hands, to be players not pawns in this mktg. gameboard of ‘Life.’
August 19th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Thanks, Adrian, I emailed you offline to interview about this, as I feel it’s imperative we merge the ‘ooh, cool’ fun factor with the almost subliminal informal learning digital context seamlessly.
As you well know, if there’s any whiff of a ‘serious’ game it’s a buzzkill for teens. ;-) Anxious to test it out!
p.s. Do disagree a bit on the privacy assumption a la Iger’s ‘kids don’t care’ (about keystroke/behavioral tracking etc.) though, as I did an informal ‘did you know’ poll on digital data-mining & the kids were gonzo w/the corp. stalker factor sans permissions.
Very clear to me “my data is my data” could be emblazoned on a tee and sell well…kids want the control put back in their hands, to be players not pawns in this mktg. gameboard of ‘Life.’
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