From the Observer on Sunday, Thomas de Zengotita a leading New York Academic writes a piece on teenage girls and their use of media .
This is what Thomas has to say about teens and media:
Media are inherently flattering. We are hard-wired to respond to attention at some level, just as puppies are compelled to wriggle with delight under the ministrations of a stranger. Media, by their nature, address us, attend to us. They make us self-conscious. They constitute an environment of windows and mirrors that allow us to reflect constantly upon ourselves in comparison with others. The more mediated our surroundings, the more self-conscious we become.In the last decade or so we've reached a whole new level. 'Media' now means much more than newspapers, TV, and radio - it also means all the venues that computers bring to us, email, web sites and blogs. It means all the little devices that intensify our connections, the digital cameras and pagers and BlackBerries, the answering machines and mobile phones. Mediated representations of inescapable ubiquity and fabulous quality now provide us with instant access to everything there is - and everything imaginable as well. They offer limitless possibilities for self-definition in an ever-expanding horizon of ever-changing commodities, mannerisms, tastes, opinions, styles. The comfortable classes in overdeveloped nations have been invited to live in worlds of their own design - little MeWorlds, to each his own.
Then Zengotita says something very interesting:
These are communication technologies, after all, and communicating between MeWorlds is a big part of the magic of the screens. Instant messaging. Smiley faces. Just 4 U. And U and U too - because there are networks of Us and each one is at the centre of a morphing circle of presentations and representations.
"A morphing circle of presentations and representations" - what a beautiful expression.
So, its not the technology thats important. What the technology revels about ourselves is that we are highly social animals, flowing, morphing between our social groups. The technology enables this flow to be more constant and more frequent.
Mark Earls, planning director at Ogilvy believes it is important to understand this, because the place where brands can succeed in the future is facilitaing greater c2c interaction, rather than focsing on b2c.
Zengotita also discusses how teens consume, information, brands and content.
Worth a read.
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