Heroes: Hellocreative

Our MissionHelloCREATIVITY’s mission is to help children grow self-confidence and personal courage through artistic expression and connection to mentors worldwide.
HelloCREATIVITY provides a supervised,
online connection between children and mentors who nurture and empower
the young artists. By encouraging children to claim their creative
voice, we strengthen their opportunity for a more understanding,
hopeful, successful, and peaceful future.
Children ages [...]

Corp Thoughts on the Future of Tween Social Networking

First of all, as always, Anastasia– you rock. This was a GREAT article find.
Until recently, social networking was predominantly teenage and young adult turf, the place to swap music and gossip and flirt and gather. But as the technology becomes easier to use, major media companies such as Disney Corp. and Viacom-owned Nickelodeon are [...]

Fun: The Indian Harry Potter

There’s an Indian connection to Harry Potter and Dhaval Dave from Ahmedabad has been getting attention from people all around…
NDTV.com: NDTV 24×7 Live Webcast from India
Check out the video in that link!  I thought it was a cute bit of fun. And he does look a lot like Daniel Radcliffe!

technorati tags:Harrypotter, DanielRadcliffe

FYI: Club Penguin & Surfs UP

Penguins, Penguins everywhere.  This has GOT to be the year– nay… the DECADE of the entertainment penguin.  First “The March of the Penguins,” then “Happy Feet,” and now “Surfs Up“– not to mention the kids social networking bohemoth Club Penguin (bohemoth seemed more appropriate than juggernaut– seemed colder? Blame the Mammoth).
Well this morning I stumbled [...]

FYI: Age Verification & Parental Approvals for kid Social Networking Sites

The North Carolina Senate has passed a new law designed to protect minors from the “perils” of social networking sites like MySpace. Concern about sexual predators on such sites has been mounting, with much of the pressure coming from state Attorneys General, including North Carolina’s Roy Cooper. Now, state legislatures are starting to take [...]

Calling All Kids: Harry Potter Contest

Calling All Kids!
Are you a big Harry Potter fan? Amazon.com is looking for a few good muggles who are passionate, energetic, and under the age of 18 to submit a video clip of themselves sharing their love for J.K. Rowling’s epic series and talking about their favorite Harry Potter character. (Please keep your comments to [...]

Money and Social Networking for kids

Just to recap here, according to Olsen, Neilsen/Netratings measured the following web traffic in April 2007:
- Disney.com sites = 11 million (visitors)
- Club Penguin = 4 million
- Webkinz = 3.6 million
- Neopets = 3.2 million
- Barbie/Everythinggirl = 1.9 million
While these numbers don’t specify what percentage of these visitors actually belongs to the 2-11 year old [...]

Curious: Parents Trust Moderators…?

Okay, I take staffing VERY seriously. I’ve been accused of being a zealot recently in terms of my paranoia with private information, kid contact, and the “Grey Area” of tween community communication. At first I was very pleased with the zealot label… why wouldn’t I want to be concerned with responsibility of those [...]

Branded Online Community: Target Demographic?

Do you ever have two-sided arguments with yourself? I do. Often. Does that make me nuts? I sure hope so. (The nutty ones are always more interesting).
Anyway, so my problem within the last few months is this: Target Demographic of a book/cartoon series VS wide ranging fans in an online forum [...]

Ypulse & Totally Wired: Interviews!

Shaping Youth Interviews Anastasia Goodstein of Totally Wired
Recently, I brought my tween daughter to meet Anastasia Goodstein, (at left) publisher of youth blog YPulse and author of the Totally Wired book and blog.
Since we’re both Bay-area based, I thought I’d seize the local
opportunity to hear what she had to say at one of her book [...]