This presentation, updated in August of 2013 was first created by Jill Stange and then edited by Suzanne Walker and attempts to identify current trends concerning teens and how they use technology. Links to research reports are included.

1. Suzanne Walker
Children’s Services Consultant
Indiana State Library

4.  Teens brains are wired differently than
others have been because of technology.
 Brains are more flexible than adults
 They are able to adapt to new technologies
faster than adults
 They use technologies in creative ways that
are different from the ways adults use
technology.

5.  Stats that support the need (March 2013)
 95% use the internet
 78% have a cell and 47% of those are smart
 23% have a tablet computer (comparable to
adults)
 93% have a computer or access to one at
home

6.  ―It took the radio 38 years to reach 50
million people, but it took 20 for the phone
and 13 for the television. In contrast, it took
Facebook 3.6 years and Twitter didn’t even
need that much time — in fact, it
took Google Plus 88 days.‖
 Teenage Brains in the Digital World by Laura
Boness…Science Illustrated / Sept 13, 2012

7.  Impact of Digital Tools on Student Writing
 How Teens Share on Social Media
 http://www.pewresearch.org/topics/
 Teens Tech Habit
 How Millennial are you?
 Pew Internet and American Life Project
 Frontline: Digital Nation
 Frontline: Growing Up Online
 Teens in Tech

8.  Decreased blogging
 Slight increase in Facebook (93% of social
media users have an account)
 Decrease in email and increase in
texting/instant messaging (63% text daily vs.
6% email)
 Increase in YouTube
 Slight increase in Twitter
 Teens are early adopters of ALL forms of
media/communication

9. Cost /But so much is free!
Cyberbullying / Combat with
Education
Isolating behavior / Being Social
and Connected
Does not support mission / It is
your mission

10. QR Codes
Apps
Google tools
Instagram
Screenr
Aviary
Snapchat
Wordle
Vine
Tumblr
Youtube
Tagged
Twitter
What else?

11.  Determine the type of experience you want
with an eye toward the future
 Teen created content
 Library created content for teen recruitment
 Education
 Fun

12.  Book trailers
 Posters for upcoming programs
 Games/scavenger hunts
 Video contests
 CSLP – Teen Contest
 Mash-up (or all of the above!)
 http://stemchallenge.org/

13.  Facebook – questions, polls, announcements,
conversations
 QR code scavenger hunts
 Shelf Talkers with Social Media Content
 Twitter games – first to retweet or first to tweet
back

14.  Video creation and editing
 E-book instruction
 Presentation software instruction
 SmartBoard
 Podcasting

15.  Follow stuff on Twitter
 Make a Vine
 Look at Tumblr
 Pinterest boards from the Library
 Exploration in general

16.  What technology do you own?
 What technology would you like to access?
 What do you do with the technology you own?
 What would you like to learn more about?

17.  Don’t be afraid to try something new
 Learn from failures and be OPEN to
suggestions from anyone
 Create open-house events to learn
 Follow YALSA blog for lots of new technology
ideas

18.  Almost impossible to predict direction or
strength of a trend
 Get to know your community
 Get to know the products
 Use your mission statement
 Arm yourself

19. Suzanne Walker
Children’s Services Consultant
Indiana State Library
suwalker@library.in.gov
317.234-5649