The Occupy Wall Street movement has stretched past the three-week mark (and Millennials are getting behind the street party/political party with streams of college students stopping by Zuccotti Park in New York City and starting “occupations” in their own cities. Even children, under the watchful eyes of their parents who are using the event as a civics lesson, are stopping by to get their say. Recent Ypulse research found that 46% of Millennials are aware of the Occupy Wall Street movement, and another 26% are aware of the related We Are The 99% movement. Stay tuned as we take a closer look at the protests in the next few days…) (Iconoculture) (Forbes)
Is transmedia the way for magazines to maintain relevancy? (Conde Nast seems to think so, hiring a new President of Entertainment. It poached Dawn Ostroff from none other than The CW, which tips its hand that it will likely be using this approach to attract a young audience to its brands via a streaming media channel) (Ad Age, reg required)
The latest element of MTV’s A Thin Line campaign (is a Digital Rights Project, asking young people to identify their rights when interacting online or on mobile devices. Following the airing of it’s anti-cyberbulling movie, “DISconnected,” MTV unveiled the initial list, voted on by viewers, which includes living without pressure or abuse, ending unhealthy relationships, disconnecting whenever they want, and more. And now MTV is asking students to submit more suggestions to create a crowdsourced digital bill of rights. We love this method of empowering young people!)
Food companies are trimming the fat and calories (in the food they market to children, but they’re finding a line at which kids say no thanks because of lack of taste. Speaking of food marketing to children, the FTC is revising its industry guidelines to ensure they’re not over-inclusive and confirms that the guidelines will not cover food marketing to teens, except in the case of in-school marketing. For more on the food marketing debate, see our update from the CARU conference) (WSJ, reg required) (B&C)
Most kids have their hands on sophisticated touch-screen technology (and use smartphones and tablets to play games, often with their parents, according to this new research study. Considering guys’ affinity for technology, it makes sense that dads in particular make use of these devices with their children and pay more for mobile and tablet apps. Speaking of apps for kids, Arthur Reads is the first collection of Arthur books specifically created for the iPad and iPhone, narrated by Arthur creator Marc Brown and including a record-your-own audio feature. Brown is embracing digital formats, saying that the future of books is “a complementary relationship between digital and print”) (Playscience)
Expect to see a lot of princesses and superheros roaming the streets (this Halloween. As with the past seven years, girls most want to dress like a princess, with many specifically choosing a Disney Princess costume. Spiderman, Batman, and Superman are again among the favorite costumes for boys. Clearly it’s not until they get older that kids grasp the concept of “fright night”) (NRF)
FOX, Ryan Murphy, and the National Association for Music Education (have teamed up for the “Glee” Give A Note fundraiser. The program will give $1 million to music education programs around the country. Which programs? Log on and cast your vote to decide! The Grammy Foundation is also accepting applications for its Grammy Signature Schools programs and Grammy Camps, supported by Best Buy and Converse. The Signature Schools program recognizes schools for exceptional commitment to music education, and Grammy Camps give students first-hand experience in the recording industry)