I just found out about a report published by Forrester Research in April on the topic of social technographics (a phrase that was new to me.)

In a blog post from Forrester, that was published at the time of the report's release, the authors note that the phrase is used to categorize "social computing behaviors into a ladder with six levels of participation; we use the term 'Social Technographics' to describe analyzing a population according to its participation in these levels."

Teens were included in the data collection for this report and there are some interesting findings that compare the use of social media by adults to that of teens. For example, 51% of 12 to 17 year olds consider themselves joiners (use social networking sites) whereas only 15% of 41 to 50 year olds describe themselves in the same way. It's interesting to note that participation in social media seems to drop at age 40. At that point survey participants start to demonstrate that they are more spectators (read, watch, or listen) of social media, or totally inactive when it comes to social media.

What does this mean for the work we do with teens? First, this report provides an interesting perspective on how teens are using social media. For example, teens are creators more than they are critics. Does that mean that in our work with teens we need to provide them with opportunities to create new content rather than review previously developed content? Do we need to provide more opportunities to create books, art, movies, games, etc. rather than review those same forms and formats?

Teens also are big spectators, which means they like to read blogs, listen to podcasts, and watch videos (perhaps all created by their peers.) That of course correlates to the above finding and questions. If we give teens the opportunity to create doesn't that mean that they and their friends will want to check out those creations? If we provide venues for that checking out - podcasts, wikis, blogs, web sites, video streaming, etc. - then we become the hub for creators and spectators.

Also, what does this data tell us about the parents of the teens that we serve? Doesn't it look like we are on a cusp of change in that area as well? The parents of younger teens are more likely to be active users of social media than the parents of older teens. Does that suggest that the parents of younger teens will be more savvy about technology in general? Doesn't that change how we relate to, connect with, and what we expect from parents of teens?

There's a lot to process and analyze in this report. While the report document is not available for free, a PowerPoint presentation, that was a part of a webinar which highlighted the report's findings, is available for free on the web. Check it out.

Talk with your teens about the findings. What would they say about the findings and where they fall on the ladder?