Spring Break 2010: Service Learning from Teens Turning Green

April 3, 2010 While media reports often churn out attention-getting stereotypes of spring break scenes of rowdy youth antics under the auspices of ‘what sells,’ to feed the money machine, we all too often don’t see the coverage of ‘alternate spring breaks’ and a major shift that’s taking hold in the cultural zeitgeist of service learning and youth. As I head out on spring … [Read more...]

Pity Party? We Have An App For That!

August 6, 2009 Life’s most embarrassing moments, ill-fated bloopers, and misfortunes of OTHER people seem to rank high on kids’ comic-tragedy hit list, so it comes as no surprise that FML would sweep the teen scene in misery loves company user generated content. I could cite Psychology Today and get all analytical about basic human desire for empathy, understanding and … [Read more...]

Grown Up Digital: Don Tapscott’s Latest On ‘Generation Net’

June 15, 2009 “A revolution doesn’t happen in society when you adopt new tools, a revolution in society happens when you adopt new behaviors.” That digital premise opens up the debate for the 21st century tug-o-war of perception between what Wikinomics author Don Tapscott of Grown Up Digital calls the ‘smartest generation’ and what his nemesis, Mark Bauerlein of Emery … [Read more...]

Shaping Youth At Ypulse 2009: Send In Your Priorities

May 1, 2009 Much like the scene in the new Disneynature Earth documentary where the lions and the elephants are drinking from the same watering hole, Shaping Youth has been invited to share space among the über-marketers at the YPulse Mashup June 1 and 2 as well as the Tweens Online (Un)Conference taking place the day prior. Attending as ‘press’ sends a positive sign that … [Read more...]

Standby: Real Life Has Usurped My Digital World

Jan. 26, 2009: I’m feeling very “First lady-ish” right now, since Michelle Obama recently described herself as "first and foremost . . . Malia and Sasha's mom." Likewise, Shaping Youth begins at home, and I’d be full of hooey if I didn’t believe my digital persona should take a backseat to my real life responsibilities both personally and professionally. Once upon a time, … [Read more...]