Beijing Olympics: Will Youth Tune In, Opt Out, or Turn On?

Talk about ‘Good Will Hunting’… If I were a PR person handling the athlete/activist bounce out of Joey Cheek, I’d be mumbling to myself with my head in my hands about now. Just as the world was struggling to ‘turn the other cheek’ and embrace the Olympic Oath in the name of global good will, the Chinese embassy tosses outspoken … [Read more...]

Why Can’t an A-Lister Be An A-Cup? Keira Knightley, Shaping Youth

It’s World Breastfeeding week and ironically, I just prepped my first post over on Eco Child’s Play as a two-parter on breast obsession in media that creates inherent insecurities ‘leaking’ into kids' psyches. In my case, it’s a first-person account (posting here soon) of small-chested self-doubt in an otherwise solid body image when it came to … [Read more...]

A “Bucket List” for Kids? 101 Things To Do Before You’re 12!

Summer slump? “Mom I’m bored,” kickin’ in yet? At my house, water-skiing families are always leaving stray towels and items on our dock, but this particular leave behind turned out to be a fun find. It’s called, “101 Things You Gotta Do Before You’re 12” by Joanne O’Sullivan, sort of a ‘Bucket List’ for … [Read more...]

Stanford Goes “Open Source” With Education Research

Woohoo! Stanford University's education school faculty unanimously voted to open up their hallowed halls to minions like me who are always sniffing around trying to glean the latest and greatest research content on a variety of subjects impacting youth! Research is pricey, no matter how you carve up the pie, whether it comes from the new YPulse Research division, … [Read more...]

Using Mobile to Mobilize: Tapping Into Youth Info Needs

Aug. 7 update: New podcasts for ISIS and MobileVoter links at the end. If you still think Cha-cha is a dance step and Isis is a bird, it’s time to mobilize your mindset and get a glimpse of mobile youth trends and teen texting so you're fully abreast of The Next Great Thing. Kids literally have helpful information at their fingertips just a keycode away, whether … [Read more...]