Skateboarder Magazine

This week I explored Skateboarder magazine. I was surprised by how entertained I was by this mag's content (since I'm not a skater). I found myself caught up in reading all the interviews and can easily see why YAs enjoy this mag.

There was an "Either/Or" page where the interviewee picked between two choices. Chad TimTim (the interviewee this month) said "It's gotta be snoop!" for "Snoop Dogg or Warren G". Another interview offered love advice--"Don't be scared with girls, just go for it. What's the worst that could happen?" There were many other columns that were easy to read and entertaining. For instance, the article titled "Face Off" pitted two skaters against each other to answer questions and the one with the most correct answers wins.

I think teens (particualrly boys) suscribe or check this mag out because it has very down-to-earth qualities. For example, when Josh Kalis described what he does in Grand Rapids, he wrote, "I really don't know what this bar is like on a daily basis, but Friday nights on the second floor are dope." Plus, the mag is loaded with awesome photography depicting various skateboard stunts. Another appealing aspect of this mag may be it's "bad-boyness" because there are quite a few swear words littered throughout the mag.

T.I.

Today I listened to T.I.'s Paper Trail CD. I have to say that I am not really into rap, but I found myself humming along to the chorus of many of T.I.'s songs. While I am not a huge fan of T.I., I do also respect the community service projects he has been involved in (he has several videos relating to the seriousness of gun violence on his offical website and you can pruchase a t-shirt designed by T.I. with the proceeds going to Urban Farming and the K.I.N.G. foundation).

I think teens like T.I. for several reasons. First, he is hip and now. He has appeared on many award shows, has his own show and he has done collaborations with many artists (Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dog, and Akon). T.I. has also started a clothing line and many of his songs are played often on the radio and tv. Also, I discovered that teens (or any fan for that matter) can have a very hands-on role on T.I.'s website. You can become a member, post videos, leave comments, post photos, join a group, etc. When fans feel like they are involved, I think they become loyal followers.

The NEW 90210

Adventure 2 into the teen world...watching the new 90210!!!

After watching this week's episode, I can see why today's teens watch this show and ones like it. Who doesn't love boyfriend/girlfriend/friend drama and betrayal? Soaps are just the "adult" version. Obviously these are time-honored themes because I can remember devouring the same topics during shows like Dawson's Creek and Seventh Heaven. This new crop of teen shows just seems to be a little more scantily clad. Seriously!? I could not dress like Annie in my high school!!!

I really see the value in staying in touch with TV shows that are popular with teens. These shows keep you in the loop with common phrases and fashion at least. Plus, forget bills and mortgages!, shows like 90210 remind you about the issues that teens feel are paramount in life. : )

Week one: teenspot.com

Today I discovered that in addition to facebook and MySpace, there is another social network called teenspot.com that it used by teens.

The format resembles MySpace. One feature I found really interesting is the ability to leave a "voice comment" on an individual's page, somewhat like a voice mail. Other features that seemed to be used were the chat and message boards.

The chat room with the most people in it (563) was on titled, "Singles". I didn't realize how interested teens were in finding boyfirends/girlfriends....if that is the goal of that chatroom.