It’s August and the first day of school is just around the corner for all the students out there. In the spirit of “back to school”, let’s talk about today’s student and their love affair with technology.

The recent explosion of technology, mobile devices, and social media, has completely transformed today’s educational experience for students. Today’s student can take notes on their Macbook, read digital textbooks on their iPad or tablet, listen to teachers Podcast’s on their iPod, access a zillion different education, productivity, or reference apps, and connect with fellow students on social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ within minutes. While tech and mobile devices may cause their distractions, there is no doubt that they have also become a tremendous aid to students and their education. Check out the Infographic!

Founders of babybites (a social and educational community for moms and moms-to-be) Laura Deutsch and Heather Ouida organized the 2^nd annual Mommybites Summit at Columbia University in New York City on Thursday, May 19, 2011. The Mommybites summit was an opportunity for young moms to enjoy a night away from their hectic lives, have fun, and learn about some great products and services.  Read More...

Here is a study we conducted with Nickelodeon and Insight Research Group that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Young adults, Parents, and Social Media”.

Like kids, young adults and parents are leveraging multiple platforms as an extension of their relationships with friends and family to feel closer and to make new friends.  A full 66% of parents and 78% of young adults who text message said they feel closer to their friends afterwards. This is also true of 71% of parents and 74% of young adults who IM, and 79% of parents and 74% of young adults who use social networking sites. While research tells us that most kids have yet to incorporate Twitter into their social media sphere, we do see a Twitter story unfolding with the older generations. Parents (71%) and young adults (54%) who use Twitter say it's become a new method to make friends. This is also true for those who use social networks. Read more...

Here is a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Kids & Summer”. Read more...

Here is a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Boys & Girls: A look at kids and gender roles”.

Boys versus girls. It's an age-old topic of conversation carried from generation to generation. Given its timelessness we were curious to see how today's generation of kids and teens feel about "being a boy" and "being a girl." Additionally, this month, we'll explore how both sexes respond to gender stereotypes. From this study, we know that gender stereotypes are alive and well. But are kids and teens applying these stereotypes to themselves? The answer may surprise you. Read more...

Here is the second part of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Boys & Girls: A look at kids and gender roles (pt 2)”.

Parents used a variety of words to best describe their offspring. Attributes that rose to the top were "friendly," "smart," "respectful," "kind," "fun," "thoughtful," "funny," and "healthy." While these can all be considered gender-neutral attributes, in the context of gender stereotypes words like "thoughtful," "respectful" and "kind" generally skew female. It's worth noting that both parents of girls and boys ranked these attributes fairly equally. So while we know kids and teens are breaking gender stereotypes when talking about themselves, this study confirms parents are following suit when it comes to describing their children. Read more...

Here is the fist part of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Kids talk brands and advertising; part one”.

Our research revealed that brand awareness resonates with kids as young as eight and nine years old. And while articulating what a brand name means to them is difficult for most kids and teens, it doesn't mean that they don't know what a brand is. Most tied their definition of a brand to a store/company or a "symbol." Interestingly, many kids described a brand as the "type of clothes you wear," or "where your clothes are from." Whether or not they actually purchase brand-name clothes, they're referencing them. This is further proof of the impact brand names have on this category. Read more...

Here is the second part of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Kids talk brands and advertising, part two”.

From the subtlety of product placement to the in-your-face approach of pop-up ads, this generation of kids and teens are no strangers to advertising. Having grown up being marketed to, they're accustomed to all types of advertising, which has created nothing less than a group of very savvy consumers. In fact, they expect to be marketed to, and that's okay. And though some may claim they don't like advertising, this research shows kids (especially teens) are responding to ads in both positive and negative ways. So really it's not that they don't like marketing - they simply don't like bad marketing. Read more...

Here is the second part of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon & Insight Research Group that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Kids, Teens, and Social Media”.

It's commonly accepted that the presence of social media has exploded online in the last few years and has quickly become a fixture in the daily lives of kids - especially teens. But should we believe the hype? For this two-part edition of Kaleidoscope, we partnered with Insight Research Group, which designed this study, to understand the complexity of social media, look at the underlying motivators, and investigate the role social media plays in kids' and teens' lives. Read more...

Here is the second part of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “Kids & Teens Doing Their Part (pt 2)”.

Kids and teens were very specific when talking about community/neighborhood issues, and it was evident that these, in some way, matter even more than global issues when it comes to helping. According to the sample, the biggest issues affecting their communities/neighborhoods are the economy, the environment, violence, drugs and bullying. These issues affect their homes and their daily lives, so kids and teens feel an even greater sense of urgency to do something about them and welcome opportunities to get involved. It was clear that when a kid or teen was personally affected by an issue, they became experts in dealing with it. Their peers gravitated towards these "expert" individuals and valued their points of view, which proves that when an issue becomes more real, kids and teens become more emotionally open and committed.  Read more...

Here is a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was kids and teens  “Doing their part”.

"Responsibility." "Teach." "Helpless." "Come together." "Have a voice." These are all words and phrases used by kids and teens to describe just how emotionally connected they are to the problems that surround them. Taking a look at the issues affecting them from both a personal level and on a global scale, we heard loud and clear that kids do care. In the first installment of a two-part report, we explore what "helping" means to kids and teens and reflect on the responsibility they feel to take care of the community and world they live in today.  Read more...

Here is a part two of a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “What Not to Wear, Part Two”.

In last month's Kaleidoscope, we reported on the importance of fashion and style in a kid and teen's world. Armed with an understanding of what this means to them, part two of our fashion & style report takes a look at the role brands play and differing kid perspectives on creating a personal style. Read more...

Here is a study we conducted with Nickelodeon that was featured in Nickeldeon’s Kaleidoscope in Kidscreen™ magazine. The topic of this study was “What not to Wear: Kids and teens talk Fashion & Style”.

For January 2009, Kaleidoscope is focused on fashion and style. We know kids' sense of personal style is very important to who they are. In fact, it is one of the most obvious, overt ways for them to connect to peers and define their individuality. Oftentimes, how a kid behaves doesn't correspond with what he or she tells us; and that couldn't be more true than in this category. In the first of a two-part report, we explore what fashion and style mean to kids and teens and look at the behaviors and attitudes that go into defining personal style.  Read more....