Adam McLane's presentation "Teenagers + The Small Screen" is intended to give adults a window into the ever-changing world of mobile usage, behavior, and trends as it relates to online usage generally, and specifically mobile devices. (Phones, tablets, etc) [NOTE: October 2014 version]

1. teenagers +
the small screen
adam mclane
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

2. Competing Narratives
Utopian Dystopian
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

3. Should you friend the preacher?
Male (age 18): “Yeah, I go to church and all, so I don't want
to post certain things because I don't want the preacher
looking at my Facebook. Because I go to church with her. So
then if she sees me, yeah, baby, and yeah. I feel like it does
affect the way you use social [media]. You have that
respect for something or for a group that you're into or
anything, like… yourself, because maybe that's who you are,
but at the same time, you love that group and you never
want to disrespect them. So at that point, I feel like it does
affect you. Sometimes affecting you doesn't always mean
negatively. It can sometime[s] be positively, you know?”
adam mclane
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

4. Teen’s Internet Use is
becoming increasingly mobile • 95% of teens use the internet.
• About three in four (74%) teens ages 12-17 are “mobile internet users”
who say they access the internet on cell phones, tablets, and other
mobile devices at least occasionally.
• 37% of all U.S. teens own smartphones, up from just 23% in 2011.
• One in four teens are “cell-mostly” internet users. Among teen
smartphone owners, half are cell-mostly.
• 58% of all teens have downloaded apps to their cell phone or tablet
computer.
source: Pew Internet
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

5. Part 1
Facts & Trends

6. 3 Behavioral Trends
1. Teenagers go where their parents aren’t
2. Teenagers hide in plain sight
3. Perceived anonymity is enough

7. What they share is changing…
source: Pew Internet

8. ‣ 61% of teens aged 13-18 use Tumblr"
‣ 55% use Facebook"
‣ 21% use Instagram"
‣17% use Twitter"
‣ 13% use Snapchat
Fast
facts
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

9. Fracturing
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

10. Different Social Media Are Used
for Different Purposes
"
Female (age 16): “I am basically dividing things
up. Instagram is mostly for pictures. Twitter
is mostly for just saying what you are thinking.
Facebook is both of them combined so you
have to give a little bit of each. But yes, so
Instagram, I posted more pictures on
Instagram than on Facebook. Twitter is more
natural.”
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

11. ‣ 1.19 billion monthly users"
‣ 727 million active users daily"
‣ 874 million users access via a
mobile app"
‣ 40% of all U.S. activity via a mobile
app"
‣80% of daily active users outside of
U.S. or Canada
facebook
facts
November 2013
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

12. What are they doing on Facebook?
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

13. ‣ 3,339 average text/mo by teenagers"
‣ 709 average text/mo by 35-44 year olds"
‣ 78% of teenagers have a mobile phone"
‣ 47% have a smartphone"
‣ 74% of teenagers with a phone access the
internet with it regularly
texting
facts
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

14. Who sends texts?
Average Number of Texts Sent & Received Per Day by Gender
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

15. Whatsapp
facts
‣ 400 million active users (grew by 100
million in Q4 2013)"
‣ 32 billion messages sent/received per day"
‣ 500 million images sent per day
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

16. Snapchat
facts
‣ 400 million snaps sent per day."
‣ User base is 70% female"
‣ 30% of all snaps are sent to groups"
‣ 80% of users are in the U.S."
‣ 50% of 18-30 year olds have received
nude images."
‣ Originally released as Picaboo Messenger,
marketed as a safe way to sext.
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

17. Instagram
facts
‣ 130+ million users"
‣ 16 billion images shared"
‣ 8500 likes per second"
‣ 40 million new images uploaded every day"
‣ Overall, Instagram use is down
dramatically from its high in 2012.
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

18. ‣ 50 million active users (adding 200,000
new users per day) "
‣ Playing from behind, but trying to take on
Whatsapp."
‣ Eye on more than just messaging
though…
Kik
facts
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

19. Kik facts
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

20. Part 2
Helping Teenagers
Understand Social
Media

21. Teens are turning to friends
and adults for help…
70% of teen internet users have asked for or sought out advice on
managing their privacy online.
•42% have asked a friend or peer for advice on managing their
privacy online
•41% have asked a parent
•37% have asked a sibling or cousin
•13% have gone to a website for advice
•9% have asked a teacher
•3% have gone to some other person or resource
source: Pew Internet

22. COPPA
Protects kids under13
"
coppa.org is your
friend

23. The Principles of Social
Media Are Still True…
1. This isn’t new…
2. There’s no such thing as internet privacy or anonymity
3. Personalities flip flop online
4. Where leads to what.
5. You are the product
6. You need to talk about this stuff…

24. Help them see it’s all
interrelated
1. Yes, they are talking to their friends.
2. Yes, their parents might see it.
3. Yes, their family might see it.
4. Yes, their school might see it.
5. Yes, future colleges might see it.
6. Yes, future employers might see it.
7. Yes… it’s all interrelated and messy just like real life.

25. Part 3
Developmental
Considerations

26. Teenagers are processing
the complexities…
Female (age 16): “Well, because Facebook,
everyone sees what I'm doing. But Snapchat
is just to one person, unless they're a jerk
and they screenshot it and post it on
Facebook. But mostly it's just the person
that you're sending it to, so it's like a
conversation.”

27. What else is going on
in their lives…
• Her brain is starting to process abstract thinking.
• She is trying to figure out "Who am I?”
• She wants to know if she is perceived as normal? Is my body normal? What do other people think of
me?
• She wants to try on different “clothes.” (Where do I fit in? What kind of person am I? What’s it like to
be the mean girl?)
• Hormones are making her respond to things in new ways and feel things she’s never felt before.
• She is becoming more aware of herself as a sexual being. (Miley Cyrus Wrecking Ball)
• She is more aware of her cognitive abilities. “I can think as fast as an adult. I can process and learn
faster than my parents. I can even do things as well or better than adults.” (Teenager Olympians,
Lorde, etc)
• She has tons of capabilities in adult-like ways but lacks the experience & wisdom to put things
together. (Bad poetry, emotional rants)

28. Social media’s
positive impact
‣ Socialization & communication with peers, adults,
family, etc."
‣ Enhanced learning opportunities"
‣ Access to health information they won’t get anywhere
else.
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

29. Social media’s
negative impact
‣ Risk of cyberbullying and online harassment"
‣ “Facebook depression”"
‣ Lack of sleep
www.theyouthcartel.com - @youthcartel

30. What do I do?
Learn Together
Be Open About Your Usage
Friend them but give them space
Help Families Form boundaries for
everyone

31. Q&A