danah boyd Talks to PSFK

danah boyd is a well know and widely recognized expert on the subject of youth and social media like MySpace, YouTube, Facebook and Xanga. In particular, she is interested in how teens formulate a presentation of self and negotiate socialization in mediated contexts amidst invisible audiences. PSFK wanted to know how she saw young folks’ perception of social media changing and what companies were doing well in adapting to these changes.

What one critical shift in youth culture should we be aware of today. Why?

The publics that youth are encountering are quite unlike the publics we grew up with. They are being socialized into an entirely different structure and must find different coping strategies. This is why their notions of public and private seem so alien to us. We aren’t used to the kinds of publics that they’re used to. For a more fleshed out discussion of this, see “Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life.”

What/who are a few of the companies that are embracing the changes in youth trends and promoting innovation and creativity?

The most interesting company in my landscape right now is Blyk, a mobile phone carrier that just launched in the U.K. Youth 16-24 get a SIM card with hundreds of free SMS messages and minutes in return for receiving 4-6 interactive messages from advertisers. I think that it’s a fascinating proposition and the only thing that is moving teens towards a continuous platform. I strongly believe that the future is mobile but that the carriers are doing a fantastic job of getting in the way of innovation. In order for youth to fully engage with mobile technologies, they need to be guaranteed that they can engage with all of their friends. Right now, the carriers make this extremely difficult. I think that Blyk is creating a proposition that benefits youth and advertisers and I’m excited to watch it.

By and large, most companies are treating social network sites as a platform to spam potential clients rather than build relationships. (This is also the problem with politicians’ use of these sites.) There’s no doubt that Facebook and MySpace are quite interesting but they’re also not focused on youth these days and that’s quite unfortunate. Still, youth are there, but I’m waiting for the next thing. <grin>

You seem to be on a never-ending tour of the country. What are you doing right now?

Actually, it just ended. YIPPPEEEE!!! I spent over two years traversing the U.S., talking to teens, parents, youth ministers, and other folks while also giving lectures and working with companies, non-profits, and the government to help them understand social media. It’s been a blur but I’m so glad to be home, although I think that my cat has decided that I don’t belong here any longer.

My plan from now until May 2008 is to write write write. I intend to graduate in the spring so I need to finish my dissertation. In other words, it’s time to finish this project rather than start a new one. That said, I’m also applying for funding to work on some new projects, but those are still works in progress…

Thanks, danah!

danah.org
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