What are our kids learning from television? The Federal Communications Commission says children currently spend more than three hours a day watching television. Although the FCC has enacted provisions that require broadcasters to improve and increase the educational content of children’s television, there is no consistent way to ensure that what children watch has any redeeming qualities.
flickr image by Jerine Lay
57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)
Children’s television, by and large, neglects education and jumps right to banal programming. Although “Spongebob” is entertaining, there isn’t a lot of educational value in watching Mr. Crabs or Patrick wade their way through thirty minutes of silliness. Of course, “Spongebob” is just one of dozens of examples of children’s television that is simply there for entertainment and not to teach children lessons.
There is even less family-friendly programming during traditional family viewing times in the evening after dinner. There are reality television shows in which people run around half dressed, sex is implied if not practically explicit, and there are comedies that might be funny for adults, but are inappropriate for kids.
Enter Amazon
Amazon is combating the current state of children’s television by attempting to create shows that will also be educational. The company is developing “Sara Solves It,” a show in which two friends, Sara and Sam solve math-based mysteries each episode. In some ways, this may be a 30 minute episode reminiscent of Electric Company and other similar television programs. “Creative Galaxy,” described as an interactive art adventure series, is another program Amazon is developing.
Parents who are interested in finding quality programming for their children will be able to vote with their pocketbooks to determine whether more programs and episodes will be made. The won’t be at the mercy of networks and their advertisers, forced to watch what is already on television. Parents can order these programs directly into their homes and watch them with their children any time they like.
Netflix is Following
Netflix is producing a TV adaptation of the upcoming Dreamworks children’s movie “Turbo.” The show, called “Turbo F.A.S.T.” is about a snail who dreams of being a racer and the glory that would come from it. Then, through an accident, he is able to achieve his dream.
Streaming services are significantly less expensive than cable packages, though more limited in many ways. But if you don’t watch very much TV and are comfortable with content options of Amazon or Netflix, you can get them for as little as $8 a month, compared to approximately $30 a month for a bare-bones cable package, notes Direct2TV.
If children are going to watch television for hours a day, it looks like they will have plenty of educational options moving forward.
Do you know of any good children shows on Amazon or Netflix? Please Share!
Everyone loves infographics. Everyone is curious about things that go viral. Combine the two and you get this interesting infographic of useless information!
Below is an infographic comparing the twitter “virality” between two internet phenomenas: Harlem Shake vs. Gangnam Style. Bear in mind, this is an apples to orange comparison. Harlem Shake consist of numerous videos compiled by multiple peoples and groups. Thus the more videos that were generated, the more it is talked about and seen. An example is when the Miami Heat players created their own version, millions of viewers who were Miami fans swarmed to take a look. Many schools and teams created their own versions, significantly increasing the twitter chatter. Gangnam style is technically only one video, though many parodies were created it probably would not have been titled with “gangnam” thus may not have been pulled into the data set seen here.
Either way, this isn’t science but just a fun way to look at the data and the power of social.
Were the results surprising to you?
What was your favorite spoof of either video? (keep it clean).
For social media marketers as well as social media ethusiast. Check out this beautiful infographic displaying all the graphic image dimensions for the Facebook Timeline, Twitter Profiles, Google+ Pages, YouTube Branded Pages, Linkedin Profiles and Pinterest Boards. What a great resource.
Have you spruced up your social media pages?
Drop a word on our facebook or twitter and let us know so we can take a look! Perhaps we’ll highlight some of the most creative ones we find in a future post.
How do attract a steady stream of new users on my site?
How do I go about creating the kind of content that will attract users?
How do I use podcasts and videos to attract users?
Whether you are a big business owner, a start-up or an owner of blog you are trying to get off the ground, consider Content Marketing. As a personal owner of the site Clean Cut Media and a lover small business marketing tactics, I wanted to share a bit about Content Marketing.
This article below will help explain what content marketing is and how it could be a great strategy to grow your user base. It will also give a little preview of a new content marketing summit that is conveniently all-online and very cheap to attend. Let’s dig in.
Good Content will attract the users you want:
Today, businesses of all sizes are using content marketing to slay the competition, attract large followings of loyal customers and explode their business’ growth.
But when tiny Magnolia Hi-Fi started using content, the Internet wasn’t even around. Did that stop them? Heck no!
Magnolia used content marketing to grow from a small audio store to an $87 million brand.
Back then, they had just transitioned from a neighborhood greeting card and photography store to an audio specialty store. Competition was fierce and they didn’t even have a marketing plan. So they hired a salesman (who knew a lot about educating prospects with great information) to develop a solid profitable marketing plan.
The plan was to give prospective buyers something to focus on other than price – content.
They created a series of stereo buyer’s guides, which offered educational content that answered prospects’ questions about buying audio equipment. These were distributed as newspaper inserts (remember there was no Internet at the time!).
But the guides were quarterly and Magnolia needed to nurture their audience by keeping the story alive throughout the year. So they invested in weekly distribution channels and different content formats. As resources grew, they scaled content velocity to achieve broader distribution and broadcast frequency.
Within 18 months, the small, out-of-the-way store was joined by a huge store in Seattle’s high-traffic University District, followed by two more stores and finally expanding to Washington, Oregon and California.
In 2000, the father-son business sold to Best Buy for $87 million! Today, there are over 350 Magnolia Home Theater Locations in Best Buy stores throughout the U.S.
Here’s a question for you. You have all the advantages of the Internet, right? What’s stopping you from growing your business?
Content marketing is simply creating and sharing information that solves buyers’ problems or makes their lives easier. The result is that you build a platform that draws in ideal customers, increases your exposure and achieves sales growth for your business.
Content Marketing Statistics
Want to know how successful B2B marketers are using content marketing?
91% of B2B marketers are now using content marketing
79% use content marketing for brand awareness, 74% for customer acquisition and 71% for lead generation
On average, B2B marketers are spending 33% of their marketing budgets on content marketing, which is up from 26% last year
54% plan to increase their content marketing spending in 2013
Large companies use an average of 18 content marketing tactics while small companies use an average of 11 tactics
These numbers demonstrate the huge investment marketers are making in content marketing.
Don’t you think you should invest a little to learn more about content marketing this coming year?
Are you interested in learning how to create awesome blogs, podcasts, video, webinars and other forms of content to keep customers focused on your brand?
Social Media Examiner’s Content Success Summit 2013
One of the biggest challenges marketers face is not knowing if their tactics are effective (according to Content Marketing Institute).
In response to this challenge, Social Media Examiner is bringing together 22 of the world’s leading content marketing experts to present at the first-annual online Content Success Summit 2013.
It’s an online conference spread over an entire month to meet your busy schedule.
This conference is designed to help you build your own platform, marketyour products and grow your business.
“Content is what makes social work, and it is at the core of all that we do here at Social Media Examiner,” says Michael Stelzner, CEO and founder of Social Media Examiner. “We have one of the largest business blogs in the world and a successful podcast. This summit is about teaching people how to do exactly what Social Media Examiner has always been doing.”
Why a Content Marketing Summit Conference?
Content Success Summit is the first virtual conference created to help marketers figure out exactly how to build their platform. By attending this conference you will:
See how successful content producers operate and how you can achieve similar results
Learn how to grow a loyal following via blogging, video, podcasting, email marketing and webinars
Discover how to sell your products and services using content
Gain a leg up on your competitors, helping you stand out
Pick up new content marketing strategies that will bring you more exposure
Designed to accommodate your schedule, the conference will be conveniently spread over a four-week period starting February 5, 2013.
You will receive recordings and transcripts of all live sessions. And because it is fully online, you can attend right from your home or office, thus eliminating long-distance travel expenses and hotel bills.
Content Marketing Presenters
I know, I know. Most of you are thinking, who in the world are these people! HA! They are awesome marketing professionals. Just trust me.
Our first Content Success Summit features the most experienced leaders in the industry. Many of them have written a book about content marketing or are founders of successful businesses fueled by content. Among them are:
Joe Pulizzi – founder of Content Marketing Institute and co-author of Get Content Get Customers
Ann Handley – chief content officer of MarketingProfs and co-author of Content Rules
Michael Hyatt – chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers and author of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World
Michael Stelzner – founder of Social Media Examiner and author of Launch
Amy Porterfield – co-author ofFacebook Marketing All-in-One for Dummies
David Siteman Garland – founder of Rise to the Top and author of Smarter, Faster, Cheaper
Gini Dietrich – co-author of Marketing in the Round
Heidi Cohen – president of Riverside Marketing Strategies
Pat Flynn – founder of Smart Passive Income
Marcus Sheridan – founder of the popular blog, The Sales Lion
Mark Schaefer – author of Return on Influence
And many others!
Is This Content Conference Right for You?
Perhaps you’ve been focusing a lot on social media, but not much on content marketing. You’re wondering if you could learn something new that might be a game-changer for your business. Ask yourself the following:
Do I have a content marketing plan for 2013?
Are there some content tactics that I’m not aware of that could be useful for my business?
Could I use some advice to build my platform, market my products and grow my business using content?
If you answered ‘Yes’ to any of these questions, then sign up and learn from the leading content marketing authorities in the industry.
Content Marketing Seminars & Workshops Samples:
How to Create Social Videos that drive Traffic & Leads
5 Tips for Creating Epic Content that Breaks through the Noise
Turning your Passions into Profits: How to Create Quality Courses that Sell
How to Grow a Loyal Audience of Listeners
How to Create Compelling Content with Expert Interviews
How to Start and Grow a Successful Podcast Show
13 Insider Tips to Get Your Blog on Track to Succeed
Want to Save Money?
If you reserve your spot right now, you will save 50% ($300). Click here for details. Also there is a 100% Money Back Guarantee so there is no risk. Awesome. Very important.
Click on the Image Above to Get the Details. 100% Money Back Guarantee so no risk.
Over to You. Are you interested in learning how to create a content platform that will successfully grow your business? Please share your thoughts and comments in the box below.
UPDATE: HA! forgot to mention. Use this CONTENT MARKETING SUMMIT LINK and get $300 off. $297 for the entire summit! All that raving and no link!
Blurring the lines between Work & Home – Mobile Style
BYOD: Bring your own device. More and more, professionals are using mobile devices and blurring the lines between work and home. With the booming popularity of iPhones, iPads, and the use of laptops in corporate settings, one study showed that the average American worker works nearly seven hours a week outside the office. 80% of professionals do some sort of work past the end of the workday. This involves anything from answering phone calls and answering emails. 60% of those who work after workhours said it helps them to stay organized and nearly half said they feel like they have no choice.
One way in this impacts our private lives is that it makes it more difficult for us to “switch off”. 31% of Americans say they have a hard time switching gears from work to home. 50% respond toemails in bed, 69% said they have to check email before going to bed, and 40% send work-related emails as late as ten at night. Then 68% of us start each morning by checking our emails. 50% check before getting out of bed.
Having Trouble Sleeping? Blame the iPad!… Maybe
A recent study by researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center, studied the impact of backlit devices such as the iPhone and iPad at on our production of Melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that helps induce drowsiness and lower body temperature, both important to help us to fall sleep. The research shows that two ours of tablet use before bed can suppress melatonin production up to 22%. In English, that means tablet use is making it harder for us to fall asleep as it affects our ability to naturally get drowsy. It is also associated with increased risk for diabetes and obesity and some mental health disorders. The study was only done on 13 people so take it with a grain of salt, but it does bring up the question:
Do you use your iphone, ipad or other mobile devices before going to bed?
Do you feel it helps you sleep or only delays you going to bed?
Do you feel the urge to check email or facebook before you go to bed? When you wake up?
It’s back to school time. Many schools will be starting this week or the next. It’s the time to think about new classes, new teachers, perhaps new friends, but also a time to think about the many issues in present youth culture.
One of the biggest is cyberbullying. According to a new study, 1 in 4 kids claim to be targets of cyberbullying, nearly 2 of 3 teens have witnessed cruel behavior online, but only 10% of parents are aware that their own teens are one of the recipients. Most of these attacks happen on Facebook where a whopping 92.6% of teens say cruel behavior takes place. It also happens through other mediums such as Twitter 23.8%, MySpace (17.7%), and Instant Messenger 15.2%.
Is Standing up to Bullies Online Safe?
But what is interesting is how teens stand up to bullies more often online. 40% tells them to stop, nearly 21% ended up telling an adult, while 65.8% responded to the attacker. In the small security of not being physically present, teens respond more frequently.
However, beware, 35% of students also end up responding in person and 4.5% of the teens end up in physical fights. 15% avoided school altogether due to an online incident. Worse, 6.3% of people join in the attack.
It is important that parents are aware of what is going on in the online space because it can have dramatic impact on teens especially during the difficult and emotional years of youth. If your child is is often emotionally down or wants to avoid school, you should be aware that cyberbulling is not a simple issues to be ignored. If that doesn’t move you, know that teens who are cyberbullied are 3.5x MORE likely to attempt suicide! Now that is a scary reality.
Check out the infographic below, and let us know your thoughts. Any of the statistics surprise you?
I found this iPhone Promo video, hilarious, but in the same time a bit sad as it pokes fun at our media-centric culture. Although some of the lines were meant to be hyperbole, the truth in the commentary rings so true.
Don’t want to spoil it so watch it then read the rest of the post!
“People only use iphones to take photos of their food, they are sad and alone so they use pictures of their food to create the illusion of a fulfilling life…”
Ouch.
Yet isn’t that what a lot of people do on facebook? Not neccessarily with food, but with all sorts of pictures & updates?
“…these pictures look so good that no one would never imagine you lie awake at night wondering why you can’t feel happiness”
Double ouch.
“… it’s photos are sure to garner all the likes, hearts, pluses, pins, stars, reposts, reblogs, reretumbles, retweets, that you’ve used to replace the human connections in your life…”
Wow. Painfully true.
Watch and share your thoughts? True? False? Poignant?
Can We Live Without Smartphones? Statistics Says You Will Panic
QUESTION: How much time you spend a day staring at your smartphone? How many of you have an iPhone but really don’t need it? Honestly.
Is it the first thing you grab for when you wake up in the morning?
The last thing you look at before you go to bed?
54% of people say they do all of the above.
A study sponsored by Lookout, says that we often put more time in our phones than in real personal relationships. in fact the way we think, behave and the emotions we feel is more and more developing into a new “mobile mindset”.
“The findings establish that our attachment to smartphones is driving a new mobile mindset. Our behaviors, emotions and social interactions are impacted by smartphones to the extent that they now play an important role in our value systems.” – Alicia DiVittorio, Lookout
Smartphone Dependency Statistics
We are obsessed with staying connected on our phones.
60% of respondents say they don’t go an hour without checking their phones.
63% of women and 73% of men between ages 18 to 34 don’t go an hour without checking their phones.
Rules of etiquette are also changing or being challenged.
Nearly a third of respondents say they check their phones while sharing a meal
Nearly a quarter of respondents say they engage in risky behavior such as checking their phone while driving.
10% check their phones during religious services
The Study also suggest we are also emotionally attached to our devices
Nearly three-quarters of respondents felt “panicked” when they misplace their phones.
14% said they felt “desperate”
7% said they felt “sick”
Only 6% said they felt “relieved”
How Are You with Smartphones?
So let’s discuss.
How much time you spend a day staring at your smartphone?
Is it the first thing you grab for when you wake up in the morning?
The last thing you look at before you go to bed?
Do you see us getting more and more dependent on Smartphones?
Facebook is considering allowing children under the age of 13 to have accounts on Facebook.
The question would had to have come sooner or later as means for continual Facebook growth. Previously anyone under the age of 13 were not allowed to have accounts, though a Consumer Report study estimated that out of 20 million minors on Facebook, 7.5 million of these children were younger than 13. Among these users, 5 million were 10 years or younger and were not being supervised by their parents. Age restrictions have always been difficult on the internet.
This is not a simple matter of whether to let kids have access or not. Keep in mind, part of the reasoning in keeping young children on Facebook is the incredible dangers that it poses.
There are the obvious factors most people would know, such as the presence of sexual predators, and creepy people talking to kids. Also one million kids were harassed, threatened, or cyberbullied on the past in the last year (Consumer Reports). There has been numerous studies on how the internet and social media cause anti-social behaviors in hyper-connected children. We here atClean Cut Media even posted an infographic about how the internet is ruining your brain! But even more than these obvious issues, there are many other dangers not as well known. For example:
Dangers of Children on Facebook You May Not Know
Photo Accessibility: Photos posted on Facebook or the internet in general can easily spread very quickly. As they say once it’s on the internet, it’s there forever, even if you delete them. Even if you were careful, it can easily be grabbed by someone and posted elsewhere. There are many instances were lives were ruined because of some poor Facebook photo going viral. This is not only for photos you upload, but photos your friends may upload or you upload of your friends. Many lives are ruined because of one photo uploaded by someone who didn’t think through the consequences.
Abuse of Knowledge: Another example many do not consider is how sites like Facebook are used for theft and burglary. Did you just say you and your family are going on a awesome 3 month vacation to Europe? You just announced your home will be vacant for 3 months. It’s scary to think about, but consider how else more dangerous people can utilize such information.
Inappropriate Content: How about dangerous and inappropriate links shared by friends, strangers, malware or clicked on by accident as they surfed the web?
Is your daughter posting pictures of themselves all over the net? Who can access those? Download those?
Any Other way of Handling Pre-Teens on Facebook?
Some may argue that the children are already on it anyway and more should be done to help allow parents to monitor. Is that Facebook’s responsibility to provide the tools to do so or does it mostly lie on the parent? How about the idea that Facebook create a separate sub-site for those under 13 with strict monitoring tools and filters as well as an easy way to transition the account to the main facebook platform? Food for thought. Share your ideas!
Should Children be Allowed to Use Facebook?
So Question:
Do you support Facebook opening up to pre-teen accounts?
What is the best way for parents to help monitor or prevent children from making terrible mistakes?
At what age do you think, children have the capacity to think intelligently about these things?
Last year we learned that South Korea was the King of Internet Speeds. Korea owned 6 of the top 10 fastest cities in Asia and the country AVERAGED 14.6 Mbps. Meanwhile only 4.4% of users in the United States were above 10 Mbps.
So what has changed since then? Have other countries caught up? Did someone steal the throne of the internet?
Nope.
South Korea’s Internet Speed Rises
South Korea’s average internet speed is now 17.5Mbps. In other news, the rest of the world averages 2.3 Mbps.
South Korea was also 1 of only 2 countries (other being Japan) that increased in Internet Speed from Q3 to Q4 2011.
Also note that these are averages. South Korea peak in Q4 was 47.9 Mbps. Yes 47.9 Mbps. That’s like… at least a couple songs.
See the latest figures from Akamai below:
Internet Speed Statistics
Some Highlights: South Korea: South Korea’s Average internet speed is 17.5 Hong Kong & Japan: Hong Kong’s speed decreased from 10.5 Mbps to 9.1Mbps, putting them tied for #2 with Japan which increased from 8.9 to 9.1 Mbps. United States: Average speed is 5.8 Mbps, down from 6.1 Mbps in Q3. Ranked #13. Few Risers: Only South Korea & Japan increased in speed in Q4 Down Overall: Average internet speed fell 15% overall from 2.7 Mbps to 2.3 Mbps. 93 countries saw a decrease. 41 countries saw an increase. New & Old: Belgium enters the top 10, Denmar falls off Asia’s Lead: 69 of the 100 cities are based in Asia Pacific. 61 are in Japan, 6 in South Korea, 1 in Australia plus Hong Kong. 24 are from North America, 7 from Europe.
South Korea Plan to Increase Internet Connection
Though South Korea has the fastest Internet connection in the world, it has more plans to further increase connections throughout the country. Choi Gwang-gi is overseeing South Korea’s plan to connect every home in the country at over one gigabit per second by the end of 2012. They plan to increase speeds 10x leaving them 200x faster than the average home in the United States.
“The gigabit Internet is essential for the future, absolutely essential, and all the technologists will tell you this,” said Don Norman, co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group, a leading technology consultancy in Fremont, Calif. “We’re all going to be doing cloud computing, for example, and that won’t work if you’re not always connected. Games. Videoconferencing. Video on demand. All this will require huge bandwidth, huge speed.”
Increased Internet Speeds Causing Internet Addictions?
A big concern with increased internet speeds is the increase ininternet addiction. Internet addiction is a huge social issue in South Korea. The country even has established “Deprograming Camps” to help the young break free from the Internet.
There have already been many tragic stories of Internet additions causing great harm. One man died in a Net Cafe after playing games several days in a row. Even worse, a South Korea couple neglected their own 3 month old daughter who died of starvation as they were immersed in a role-playing game nurturing a virtual daughter.
It’s a sad reality that as technology advances and brings greater connection and good to the world, it is also creating more harm through detachment, social awkwardness and internet addiction.
What is your gut reaction to the rise in internet speeds?
Do you think enough is being done to prevent the harms of the internet?
Do you have any checks or accountability for your or your family’s internet use?
This has to be the ugliest, most mind draining infographic ever made. However, the statistics are interesting a relevant so put on your thinking caps, take off your creative sensibilities and check out the statistics below! Highlights written out for the faint of heart.
Statistics: How the Internet is Ruining Your Brain
Internet Usage Statistics
35 Billion: Collective hours we spend on the internet per month
3x: We consume 3x more information than the 60s’ (not that I would know)
61%: Admit to being addicted to the Internet (that means either you or I are addicted. It’s you… i think)
Multitasking the Internet
Frequency: We Change Windows/Check Email/Programs more than once every 2 minutes
Avg Tabs Open: See chart below. It’s a lot. How many do you have open right now!
Google is Great, but makes you Dumb
7.2 Billion: # of times we collectively visit Google per day
3 Billion: # of queries we collectively make per day
Social Networking – Growing # of “Friends”
8 Hours: # of hours a month we spend on Facebook
245: Avg # of Friends
73.2%: Percentage of those friends we really know
4%: Percentage that we would actually hang out with
Internet Causing Happiness or Depression?
Heavy internet users are 2.5x more likely to be depressed (chicken & egg?)
Share Your Thoughts
Use your brain a bit.
Seriously Google makes it so easy to look up information as it is needed. How did we live without Google back in the day? Hmm… can’t remember. I better Google it…
How many tabs do YOU have open?
Do you agree the Internet is causing some bad mojo?
Does your head hurt from trying to read this infographic?
