An interesting video about information literacy - is it too late by the time kids become teens?

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The following items are representative of  the types of materials that I would suggest for a library collection to address the issue of teen depression. Space and time limitations prevent a more comprehensive list from being compiled. However, these were reviewed during my exploration of the topic over three months and are considered to offer the most worthwhile and practical value for patrons. The decision about how to make them available, including online, through a bookmark pathfinder or a display, would be the responsibility of the individual library.

WEB SITES

Mind Your Mind. (2008). Retrieved November 9, 2008, from:
http://www.mindyourmind.ca

The only Canadian web site known to exist that is devoted exclusively to the mental health of teenagers was developed in London, Ontario.

It was managed and sponsored in 2001 by The Youth Discovery Program, the youth outreach arm of the London Mental Health Crisis Service, to respond to the needs of youth between the ages of 16 – 24 for crisis management and support. In 2006 the site became a program of Family Service Thames Valley.

It remains current with the most recent post dated December 9, 2008. Its varied content includes information about a variety of mental health issues, resources for immediate intervention and long-term care, as well as some online games and activities that offer an alternative to the typically staid presentation of this subject.

Despite its local roots, the site does make the effort to link to a variety of resources both nationally and internationally in recognition of the possibility of viewers residing outside of London.

The web site does raise questions, though, about the effectiveness of such a project. To my great surprise, an individual that I used to know appears in a video talking about depression. Yet, he had previously asked me, in a very unsupportive tone of voice, why I was so “miserable all the time.” The message appears to have been lost on him.

This is one of the things I never had to worry about when I was a teen — not only accidentally texting my parent, but having the whole embarrassing experience posted all over the internet as the newest meme.

Looks like the ALA has a new award for Best First YA novel, though I can’t say that I have read any of these.

By the way, if you haven’t heard, KLIATT recently published their last issue, which is a drag because they were a great source for reviews of YA lit. Their final issue suggests this database as being very helpful for YA reviews, but you have to pay for it (though you can try it a trial basis for free).

After our class debate about the new Ontario driver’s license restrictions about the number of teenage passengers in cars, I thought everyone would like to know that the passenger restrictions have been removed from the bill. This (very) brief article is from the CBC.

This blog/message board gets the debate going nicely:

How Twilight is Destroying America and Harming Our Nation’s Youth

Fun stuff, indeed!

Chris

For my next blog I would like to explore youth volunteerism and the positive impact that youth volunteers can have for libraries: There are a number of reasons that libraries should enlist and recruit youth’s to volunteer in the library but one of the most important reasons is that it enables libraries to understand youth’s :

Just as successful businesses make decisions based on what their customers want, successful organizations need to do the same. Nike doesn’t design tennis shoes without talking to the athletes who wear them. Organizations too need to be aligned with their target markets. Only teens can tell you what is going on in their lives, what are the pressures they face. “If the problem is gang violence, you go to the teenagers-even to the detention centers-and bring those youths to the table. Anything else is seeds for failure” (McLarney & Leiger, 1997, p. 4)

This illustrates a key theme that we’ve been discussing in class; libraries need to involve youths-it is only then that libraries will be able to understand what they can do to meet the needs of youth so that they can maintain their relevance in the lives of this segment of the population.  

In addition to being able to develop a deeper understanding of the diverse needs of youths, libraries will also benefit from the energy, enthusiasm, and perspective that youth volunteers bring to the library. For example, The Canadian Volunteerism Initiative, in cooperation with the Heartwood Centre for Community Youth Development, implemented a youth volunteer project at the Halifax Public Library. In a handbook that resulted from this project entitled, Youth Volunteers at Your Library: Engaging Youth in Your Library, a number of testimonials are provided, which highlight some of the benefits that youth volunteers can have. For example:

“We are just realizing how much the library and community have so much to from youth involvement. It is not just that we have things to give, we also have so much to gain.” 

-HPL personnel (2006)

“We have a lot to learn from youth.” -HPL personnel (2006)

“The youth’s energy is so contagious.” -HPL personnel (2006)

This handbook is full of useful information about how to engage youth volunteers, the challenges that may be encountered, and the positive impact that youths can have for the library - I strongly recommend checking it out!

Not only do libraries benefit from youth volunteerism, but youths themselves do as well. Some of the more obvious benefits that youth derive from volunteering at the library include the following: It enables youth to increase their awareness and knowledge of library services and resources, it enables them to develop new skill and increase their employability, youth will be recognized by the library and the community, they will develop a stronger sense of belonging in the library and the community, it will help to enhance their self-confidence, become meaningfully engaged and develop new relationships (Heartwood, 2002, pp. 9)

So how do libraries recruit youth volunteers? This is one area that I think that libraries need to give more attention to. There are a number of resources available both in print and online that can equip librarians with the knowledge and skills that they need to successfully recruit youth volunteers. For example, some of the books that I have came across include Teen Volunteers Services in Libraries (Kellie Gillespie), Library Teen Advisory Groups (Diane Tuccillo), and Connecting Young Adults and Libraries (Patrick Jones). Some of the online resources which may be useful include: The top 10 ways to recruit and enage youth volunteers (World Volunteer Web), Recruiting and Sustaining Youth Volunteers (Canada Volunteerism Initiative) and Tips For Recruitment of Youth Volunteers (Points of Light Foundation).  These resources provide readers with a number of useful strategies for reaching youths, such as using mediums which appeal to youth (i.e. the web), dispersing brochures and posters in high traffic areas, recruiting youth for a particular event, recruiting youth indirectly through adults or through other youth volunteers, and becoming visible at places that youths frequent.     

I myself feel that one very important way to get youth’s to volunteer in the library is by building stronger connections with local schools. One reason for this is because, as stated in Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999 (OSS), every student who begins secondary school during or after the 1999–2000 school year must complete a minimum of 40 hours of community involvement activities as part of the requirements for an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD).  Although many students may be aware that the library is a viable option for completing the community service hours, I feel that libraries should be doing more to promote themselves to students as an option. Visiting schools and speaking to students about the benefits that volunteering at the library can have for them as well as the positive impact that they can have on the library as well as their community, may help to spark some motivation in the minds of youth

I recently worked in a library where a number of youths have/are completing their community service hours. I’m not going to lie, I was a little skeptical at first; I thought that their enthusiasm would more than likely be waning because they were being forced to do these community service hours in order to graduate and I also thought that I may get a little bit of attitude from some of them. However, it turns out that these youths are the most enthusiastic, energetic and positive volunteers that I have ever worked with. They really do enjoy being at the library and they really like it when I give them responsibilities and duties. In fact, I think that they respect me more because I am willing to entrust them with these responsibilities; it shows them that I trust them and that I know they are capable of performing these tasks. More importantly, these youth volunteers are great with the library patrons, making every effort to engage with them by asking them if they need help finding anything and by making small talk with them. The patrons really respond positively to this as well.

Overall, youth volunteers are a wonderful asset to the library and I think that all libraries would benefit from developing a deeper recognition of the positive impact that youth volunteers can and do have.

 References

Heartwood Centre for Community Youth Development (2002). Youth Volunteers at Your Library. Retrieved December 5, 2008 from http://www.heartwood.ns.ca/tools/YouthVolunteers.pdf

McLarney, M. & Leiger, L. (1997). Younger Voices, Stronger Choices:Promise Project’s Guide to Forming Youth/Adult Partnerships.YMCA of Greater Kansas City.

Ministry of Education and Training. Ontario Secondary Schools, Grade 9-12. Retreived December 5, 2008 from

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/extra/eng/ppm/124a.html

Internet filtering in libraries-as well as the impact that it has on youth- is a very interesting, complex and controversial issue. Although all mediums of youth materials are privy to censorship in libraries, the proliferation of sexually explicit material on the internet, as well as the ease with which it can be accessed in a public (and school) library has caused many people to worry. As a result of these concerns, today’s libraries have been faced with many challenges; if libraries do choose to filter the internet, they are in direct violation of the CLA’s position statement on intellectual freedom or likewise, the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights; however, if they choose not to filter internets they may be putting youth at risk of unintentional exposure to inappropriate materials,” (Anne Becker, CEO of the LPL)

So what should libraries do? I am myself feel that internet filtering should not have a place in the library. I think that restricting young people’s access will deter them from using the library and will send a message that we do not value their particular intellectual freedom rights (the filtered computers are typically located in children’s and young peoples section of the library). I also feel that there are other avenues that the library could explore in order to combat this issue. For example, possibly we should leave it up to parents to police the surfing habits of their teens.

I am not alone in thinking that internet filtering is a bad thing. For example, in an article written by the London Gazette, Don Butcher, executive director of the Canadian Library Association, said the CLA has a longstanding opposition to Internet filters: “Filtering software just doesn’t work,” Butcher said. In addition to Butcher’s statement, Tom Carmichael, dean of FIMS, said faculty members welcomed free access to information and recommended other methods of protecting library patrons from inadvertently viewing offensive web content. “An Internet filter is too blunt an instrument,” Carmichael said. “We should be empowering staff to deal with inappropriate behavior in the library, not blocking out materials deemed offensive.” -I am in total agreement with this statement.

As mentioned previously however, despite the opposition that exists, there are those who are not entirely opposed to internet filtering in the library and as a result, internet filtering has been able permeate numerous libraries across the Canada, the United States and around the world. For example, the London Public Library just recently voted in favor of an extension of its filtering pilot project (Berman, 2007). In the United States on the other hand, one example of restricting young people’s internet access is through a federal law called the Children’s Internet Protection Act or CIPA.

Just to give you a bit of information about CIPA, it was enacted by Congress in December 2000 to address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on school and library computers because while the federal government has no means of directly controlling local school and library boards, many school and library boards utilize universal service fund discounts, derived from the universal service tax paid by telecommunication users…funds which have contributed significantly to the rise in availability of free public internet access (Miltner, 2005).  As a result, schools and libraries subject to CIPA may not receive the discounts offered by the E-rate program unless they certify that they have an Internet safety policy and technology protection measures in place (FCC, 2008).

With regards to internet filtering, it comes as no surprise that filters are often very inadequate, blocking considerably more content than is intended. For example, the Consortium for School Networking found that filters frequently block sites that teachers had selected for use in lessons, including many educational websites; these filters may also discourage students from using the internet, as they might perceive that the filters have removed much of the research value of the internet (Poulin, 2005).

Overall, internet filtering has had a tremendous impact upon libraries as well as youths. It essentially provokes tension between two competing interests: protecting minors from “cyberpornography” and safeguarding the intellectual freedom and First Amendment rights of youths (Miltner, 2005). Schools and libraries should be places where students find literature and information that is considered by some to be dangerous and subversive, because what challenges the status quo can help students grapple with the very difficult questions and issues regarding their development (Juozaitis, 2004).

Libraries need to provide young people with fair access to a diversity of information rather than deciding what is appropriate for them; however, as a result of growing concerns about the negative affects of the internet and laws and enactments such as CIPA, in many instances, youth’s will have restricted access to information and libraries will ultimately risk impeding on the freedom of speech and the access to information for their young patrons.

1) What do you think? Do you think that libraries should adopt internet filtering? Why or why not?
2) Can you think of any ways libraries could combat the issues that arise with regards to internet filtering?

References
Berman, S. (2007). The Gazette. Internet filters will stay despite controversy. Retrieved December 3, 2008 from http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=FrontPage&articleID=1120&month
=11&day=27&year=2007

Federal Communications Commission (2002) Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Retrieved December 4, 2008 from http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html

Juozaitis. V. (2004). Sex and censorship in school libraries. School Libraries in Canada, 24(4).

Miltner, K. (2005). Discriminatory filtering: CIPA’s effect on our nations youth and why the supreme court erred in upholding the constitutionality of the Children’s Internet Protection Act. Federal Communications Law Journal, 57, pp. 555-578.

First off, here is a working link for the GLBTQ comics event this weekend in Guelph; this is the poster for the event and all the relevant info is on it.

Now, to conclude our semester, I have some tips for all of you on how to survive as a YA librarian; the idea to blog on this topic came to me this afternoon when I was working the reference desk and a teen sat down in my near vicinity to use the internet. The problem? She had on so much perfume that I thought I might pass out. This is a common occurence when working with YAs, although it is usually the guys who are guilty of this egregious social blunder. My advice to deal with this issue - make sure you get a job in a library that has a ‘No Perfume’ policy and you will have nothing to worry about. Otherwise, you can sidle up to the offender and say under your breath “less is more” and hope that they get the hint. Libraries are allergy and dust traps as it is, and we don’t need over-perfumed YAs making it even worse.

Some more useful tips:

1. Don’t you love when you are trying to talk to someone and they don’t have the decency to take their earbuds out and stop listening to their music for two seconds. Well, get ready, because teens do this ALL THE TIME, especially in the library.  What do you do? Well, you can either talk to them extra loudly to make sure they hear what you are saying (they will be talking extra loudly to you anyways, because the music is so loud they can’t hear themselves talking) or you can do what I do and whisper or just move your lips with no sound coming out. This actually works, although it usually works by getting the teenager to say “What?” instead of “Pardon me, did you say something I need to know about taking these books out?”.  Whatever floats your boat, do it, and maybe they’ll think twice next time about cranking the tunes and tuning you out.
2. When you get in a shipment of brand new manga titles and you notice a couple of your female manga regulars in the library, DO NOT give them a sneak peek at the new ones, especially if your significant other / partner / spouse is the one responsible for cataloguing these books. There is nothing quite as excitable as a gaggle of teenage girls when they get a sniff of some new manga, especially if any of the following titles is in the bunch - Fruits Basket, Boys Over Flowers, The Prince of Tennis, or Monkey High. Usually, their excited giggling will attract others, and before you know it, the new books are all over the place and they are asking your beloved spouse to please put their name down for all of the titles and let them know every month when new manga comes in. If you want your spouse to still be speaking to you when you get home together, hide the manga until it is all ready to go and let the teenagers fight it out amongst themselves afterwards.
3. Unless your library has an unlimited budget to replace earphones for use on the internet terminals, it is advisable that you do not provide earphones for your internet terminals. Why? You might not know this, but teens are hard on things, and they tend to abuse things, especially when these things are for them to use but do not belong to them. Our library has gone through at least six pairs of earphones this year, and not the cheap ones either. We finally took them away from the internet terminals and now have some disappointed teens.
4. The library is a great place for teens to hang out, which also means it is a great place to make out. You will see all sorts of forbidden love in the YA section (years ago, one of our pages used the YA section for kissing sessions with the boy she was not permitted to date - her parents thought she was at the library to work, so it was a great place to not get caught).  It is best to avert your eyes, unless it is really disgusting, then you will probably have to break it up. Dirty looks usually do the trick, but you may have to kick them out, too. Ahhh, young love in the library.
5. Teens who ask for reference help for projects are prone to believe that you will do the research for them if they are vague enough about what they are looking for. Nip this habit in the bud! If possible, tell them to let you see the assignment from the teacher. Don’t let their hangdog expression of indifference fool you - they know exactly what they want, which is they want you to do the work for them. Remember, you are a public servant, not a public slave!

These five tips will get you started in YA services, but you must be prepared for any number of things that can happen in a YA library. Just be cool and go with the flow and you’ll be fine. Remeber, you were a teenager once, too.

That’s it! See you all on Tuesday.

This link has more info on the event hosted by Guelph’s queer not-for-profit library Out On The Shelf:

http://royalcityrag.wordpress.com/2008/12/03/if-comics-are-your-thing-an-out-on-the-shelf-fundraiser-too-december-7/

The guest artist, Mariko Tamaki, has done some great things, and one of the guest speakers, Douglas Davey, is a former colleague of mine who really knows his stuff when it comes to comics and YAs. And parking is free in downtown Guelph!

After all this time, it looks like I may be the last blogger for this course - what a ride it has been. In the two years that I have been working in children’s and youth services at a public library, I have managed to read a number of great books for guys. When I took the job, I was dreading actually having to read YA stuff so that I could be “in tune” with our core users; I was used to reading adult mysteries and lawyer novels and didn’t think that I would find anything of interest in the YA library. Well, I was wrong!

My first discovery was Scott Pilgrim, the Canadian manga created by Bryan Lee O’Malley. I had seen hundreds of these digest-sized manga books when I worked on the adult Circulation desk, but I figured it was just a fad, like Pokemon and Teletubbies. One of the first journals I looked at in my role as a youth librarian was a best comics of the year for 2006, and that is where I first heard of Scott Pilgrim. In the brief snippet I read, I noticed Scott wearing a Plumtree t-shirt, and I was stunned - a friend of mine from high school had actually moved to Halifax because he was obsessed with Plumtree (especially their lead singer). I took this as a sign and proceeded to purchase all of the Scott Pilgrim books for our collection. Needless to say, these are highly recommended by me, especially if you are into the whole indie rock scene in Canada, or just want to see a skinny slacker have to beat-up his girlfriend’s 7 evil exes to win her heart (it all makes sense when you read the books - the fifth in the series is coming out in February of ‘09).

Another thing that initially irked me about reading YA lit was that I was going to have to temper my expectations for books with lots of sex (we’re all adults here, so we can be honest, right). Boy, was I wrong about this! When I was in high school (wayyyy back in the 80’s, man), the YA books we had to read were tame to the point of “zzzzzzz”. Now, I find myself recommending modern YA books to friends my age because they are edgy and the sex in these books is often as racy as what you would find in an adult novel. One very intriguing novel in this vein is Boy Toy by Barry Lyga. In it, the main character, Josh, is forced to face his demons of five years past when an old girlfriend tries to re-enter his life and his old teacher/ex-lover is released from jail (I’ll let you guess why she was in jail, but remember, this is a YA novel, so the main character is in HIGH SCHOOL). I admit I picked it up because it sounded kind of interesting/kinky, but it was one of those books that you just can’t put down, and I found myself staying up late for a couple of nights so I could find out what happened. A truly compelling read, and I also recommend Lyga’s other novels, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl and Hero Type.

I know that there are many novels that deal with teenagers having disablilities and they go on some sort of quest to prove something, and they meet up with a crochety senior citizen who teaches them all sorts of life lessons and then the obvious happens and we all puke - well, I was sure that Mary Hershey’s The One Where The Kid Nearly Jumps To His Death and Lands in California was going to be one of those books, but I have to admit I very nearly shed a tear at the end (I didn’t really - it just sounds better if I say I did).  The main character, Stump, has a prosthetic limb (hence the name Stump) and is sent to stay with his estranged father in California for the summer. Of course, Stump would rather be anywhere but with his father, but he endures, learns how to swim competitively from a salty old high school swim coach, and has a near-fatal episode swimming in the ocean, but all is well in the end. It might be a little sappy and old-fashioned, but it had me hooked right away and should also hook many a guy-reader looking for something a little different.

So, if you end up working in a YA library and you see a guy in there looking for something to read and he looks like he is about to pick-up an old standby like Hatchet or Lord of the Flies, slap his hand and tell him to put it down and give him one of the books mentioned above. You’ll be doing him a favour!

Some other recommendations that I’ve read (or I’ve heard are great for guys):

• An Abundance of Katherines by John Green (it kinda lags in the middle, but the ending was great)
• Notes From the Teenage Underground by Simmone Howell (lots of YA lit comes from Australia, as does this one - very insightful for guys who might want to learn about how girls really treat each other when they’re supposedly best friends)
• Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick (it has the same basic plot as the Mary Hershey book, but is a great read, too)
• Doing It by Melvin Burgess (the basis for that short-lived Kelly Osbourne TV show from a few years back, this one is about boys and sex - DUH - but it was more interesting and well-written than I expected. His book Smack is another provocative one that gets adults all upset, but it is an award-winner - it was recently out of print in Canada but that may have changed)

And one that I most whole-heartedly DO NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE:

• Slam by Nick Hornby (don’t fall for the glowing reviews on his site, this was one of the biggest disappointments I ever read. You’d think Hornby + YA = Gold but you’d be wrong. If you see someone taking this out of your library, you have every right to put that person in a chokehold until they put it down)

That’s all for now - be back tomorrow with more blogging…

Well, it’s that time of year again.  You can tell by the abundance of “in-your-face” advertisements selling the idea of the “perfect” Christmas; the way your home and tree should be decorated, and the gourmet meal and entertainment ideas.  The most blatant advertising though is for what you should buy for your loved ones.  This mass consumerism, though irritating to many, seems to be an accepted part of our mainstream culture.  An Ipsos-Reid survey found that the average gift-giving Canadian will spend over $760 on presents this season, plus an additional $720 on related expenses like party outfits, travel, decorations and entertainment.  As shocking as these numbers are, it doesn’t surprise me.  Year after year I find myself racking my brain to come up with gift ideas for people who don’t need anything.  Myself included.  It seems that gift giving can become a meaningless exchange, with people spending just for the sake of spending.  Bah!  Humbug!

 So, imagine my surprise when I came across the “Buy Nothing for Christmas” website http://buynothingchristmas.org/ , as the “Featured Site” on the homepage of the Winnipeg Public Library’s teen page http://wpl-teens.winnipeg.ca/views/default.cfm .  The “Buy Nothing Christmas” is a national initiative started by Canadian Mennonites but open to everyone “with a thirst for change and a desire for action”.  The founder of this grassroots campaign is Aiden Enns, who works for Adbusters.  Adbusters is a Canadian magazine that is not-for-profit and is supported by readers who are “concerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces”.  Check out Adbuster’s “Buy Nothing for Christmas” commercial at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-MQbR3XUZ4&feature=PlayList&p=80B21F3E22CED1AA&playnext=1&index=6 

The “Buy Nothing for Christmas” initiative encourages people to consider alternative gift options: handcrafted gifts, coupons for favours, recipes, a cherished photograph, a special meal, etc.  During week 11, we heard an excellent presentation about youth activists and how the library can become involved.  By featuring the “Buy Nothing for Christmas” website, the Winnipeg Public Library is encouraging teens to think critically about the role of the media in influencing their spending habits.  In the Christmas season of 2004, a group of teen students from Kitchener, Ontario decided to spread the word at their local mall, not talking to shoppers, but “simply handing them a small flyer and a mirror, so they can look at themselves buying stuff they don’t need”.   I’m not sure how I personally would react to this, but it would definitely get the point across! 

Now that I’ve gotten my dramatic title out of the way, let me back-peddle a little! I personally have nothing against Uggs…I keep hearing how “practical” they are. However, the sheer amount of young girls and women (and occasionally men) who wear these boots absolutely blows my mind, considering they cost approximately $200 a pair! That is one costly trend, and Uggs are just one example of many expensive fashion pieces that seem so popular with young adults these days.

How do teens afford to buy these costly fashion “must-haves”? Many of today’s young adults have an unprecedented amount of disposable income. Whether through generous allowances or money earned at part-time jobs, many teens are able to afford, and choose to spend their money on luxury items like clothing, electronics and music. Teens also have a strong influence over the spending that occurs within households. Marketer Gene DelVecchio, author of Creating Evercool: A Marketer’s Guide to a Kids Heart, estimates that kids and teens influence up to 70% of household purchases. The marketing agencies have caught on to this little fact and now teens are commonly the prime target of billions of dollars worth of advertising.

The teen years are quite often full of insecurities and self-doubt, and corporations capitalize on these feelings by making teens feel that they need their products to be “cool”. Teens are not passive consumers though. During our discussion on the “advertising, branding and marketing of and to teens” in week 6, we talked about how some companies hire “cool hunters” or “cultural spies” to infiltrate the world of teens and bring back the latest trends to the corporate boardroom. In No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies, author Naomi Klein points out that the quest for cool has become all-consuming but by nature is riddled with self-doubt – you can hear the legions of teen shoppers nervously quizzing each other about whether products are cool or lame. There seems to be a fine balance between what teens find “cool” and when something becomes “too mainstream”. I wonder if and when Uggs will ever topple…

All the negativity aside, fashion can be fun! It’s a great way for teens to be creative and to express themselves. I can remember feeling so “cool” with my Hypercolour t-shirt (that stopped changing colours once washed), and my jelly shoes that were all the rage! Libraries can be a great place for teens to have fun with fashion, foster creativity, gain skills, and save a little money. For instance, at the York Woods Branch of the Toronto Public Library, they recently had a special event for teens to showcase their homemade clothing: “We Made It and We’re Proud of IT” – Fashion and Talent Show. Also on The Toronto Public Library’s teen website, RAMP, http://ramp.torontopubliclibrary.ca/, there is an invitation for teens to submit their own fashion designs.

I think this is a great way to bring teens into the library and introduce media literacy, teach basic sewing skills, or just gab about fashion. It seems as though fashion is a popular topic to discuss. While perusing the web, I came across countless blogs for young women that discuss the latest in, “what’s hot” and “what’s not” in the fashion world. The Winnipeg Public Library links teens to “Miss Couturable”, a nominee for the best teen blog in 2008, http://www.misscouturable.com/. I even discovered that Facebook is in on the action and I found that groups have formed around whether or not you are for or against the Uggs trend! The “I don’t care how comfortable Uggs are, you look like a dumbass” group has over 4200 members, while the “F**k You! I LOVE my Uggs!” group boasts over 7000 members!

Whether we like it or not, it seems that teen-targeted branding is here to stay – but instead of complaining about the latest fads, it’s nice to see that some people (and some libraries) are trying to embrace the creative faculties of teenagers by giving them a positive outlet for their fashionable urges!

REFERENCES

Klein, Naomi (2000). No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. Toronto: Vintage Canada.

La Ferla, Ruth (2008, July 15). It’s a Gossip Girl thing; the tv show’s fashions are a must-get for teens. The Hamilton Spectator, pg. G09

Media Awareness Network (2008). Special issues for teens and tweens. Retrieved November 28, 2008, from http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/parents/marketing/issues_teens_marketing.cfm

FURTHER READING

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/fashionnews/3534631/Are-these-the-Ugg-liest-boots-in-the-world.html

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/4494.asp

http://www.theage.com.au/news/Fashion/Tweenage-idols/2005/05/20/1116533535958.html

http://youthdevelopment.suite101.com/article.cfm/marketing_to_kids_and_teens

The first three paragraphs of this article about M.T. Anderson (who was previously unknown to me) really, really strike a chord with me. I touched on it a little with my very first entry about Twilight and how I think we should be giving youth a lot more credit for intelligence than adults tend to. I was not nearly as pointed as this:

“If we’re going to ask our kids at age 18 to go off to war and die for their country, I don’t see any problem with asking them at age 16 to think about what that might mean.”

The article goes on to discuss Anderson’s works, his philosophy on writing for young adults, and how he came to be a writer — typical things for an author profile. But what really caught me is that he’s an author writing for young adults, explicitly, who writes books that seem as though they might be a heck of a lot more challenging and complex than a lot of the supposed adult fiction I read.

I think part of what gets me is that we can see just how responsible and intelligent kids can be — for example, last week’s presentation about youth who are interested in social justice and activism — and yet many people still want to protect them and shield them and tell them they’re somehow “not ready” to be given responsibility. Including the responsibility of reading whatever they would like to read — be that Twilight or Octavian Nothing. Maybe I’m an idealist (okay, yes I am) but I tend to think that the more responsibility a teen is given, the more responsible they will turn out to be. I know this isn’t universally true. Heck, it’s not even true for some adults. But still.

Curious to know if anyone has read anything by Anderson, and what they thought?

As my day for covering this blog comes to a close, I have just a few final comments to make. Throughout this term we have talked a fair bit about how youth are represented in news reports, major studies, documentaries, and more. Often, the images have been less than flattering. Well, this weekend I went home to visit my parents who live in small-town Ontario and I took the opportunity to look through the two local newspapers to see how youth are portrayed here. I found the picture painted a little rosier than in the newspapers based in the big cities.

There were stories about students standing up against bullying, teens running an extensive Christmas toy drive for children in the region and others collecting change for the same purpose. There were accounts of youth athletes overcoming tremendous barriers and still others volunteering to put up town Christmas decorations.

I spent the afternoon trying to decide why the picture painted in these papers was so rosy. Perhaps, youth in small-town Ontario get into less trouble than in the big cities. However, it would be hard to argue that as the crime rate in small towns has been increasingly fairly quickly. Maybe, it is simply the fact that reporters want to share uplifting stories in this time of economic turbulence. Or, maybe the small town environment allows reporters to engage the community at a local level and to share these small time stories. In the end, I am not sure these observations are really significant at all. Nonetheless, I found it interesting to read so many articles relating the great things youth are doing in our community.

A few weeks ago Kim wrote some great entries about intergenerational programs and I am excited to further explore this topic. Intergenerational programming is a concept that simply makes sense to me. As a society, we seem determined to segregate each generation assuming that their needs and interests are completely different and, perhaps, even incompatible. In class we have emphasized the fact that youth are so unique that they require special collections, programming, space, and even librarians. While I agree with this, I also believe that it is crucial for us to find ways to link generations. The public library, as one of the few remaining truly public meeting places, is in a great position to facilitate this.

Kim also pointed to some great examples of intergenerational programming in which teens and seniors have worked together to plan a teen space, explore history topics, and even teach and learn computer skills. Throughout the term I have come across many other examples including intergenerational gaming events using the Wii Fit.

However, one of the most interesting programs I came across was described in Excellence in Library Service to Young Adults, edited by Mary K. Chelton. The Davenport Public Library in Davenport, Iowa completed two highly praised poetry and prose workshops entitled A Blast from the Past and Have Verse Will Travel. These two programs saw teens and older adults exchanging ideas and memories and then creating poetry together. Throughout the workshops they had the guidane of two local authors and, eventually, the poems were presented at several local public events.

I love the idea of this program for two reasons. First, I agree with Kim in that facilitating the interaction of youth and seniors is important as it will hopefully encourage an increased understanding of each other. However, I also appreciate this program as it involves individuals from both generations in the creation of information. These programs were run in 1998 and 1999. Today, I would love to see a program like this expanded to involve, for example, crreating podcasts together.

As I considered the possible outcomes of these types of programs I wondered what research was available. Articles from the library literature generally cited positive feedback from participants, but I questioned whether more in-depth analysis had been done. I was surprised by the breadth of literature out there! There are many articles confirming the benefits of intergenerational programing. Bullock and Osborne (1991) found intergenerational programs, “assisted both elderly and adolescents in gaining awareness and appreciation of the other generation, dispelling stereotypes, forming relationships, and learning about culture, heritage, traditions, and histories.” In addition, there are articles available, such as Raynes and Rawlings (2004), supporting the idea that intergenerational programs of all kinds are likely to be useful contributions to the development of social capital.

There are also many organizations dedicated to exploring intergenerational programming. A more local example of this is United Generations Ontario, whose mission is to build a shared knowledge base for intergenerational programming. Libraries and librarians, however, are not listed as stakeholders.

Many libraries have made some efforts in organizing intergenerational programming, but I think a lot more could be done. Specialized young adult services are needed to serve the youth of our communities, but encouraging youth to participate in intergenerational events could be a step in the right direction to restoring a sense of community, a knowledge for the past, and a shared vision for the future.

A Few Recommendations for Further Reading:

Bullock, J. & Osborne, S. (1991). Seniors’, volunteers’, and families’ perspectives on an intergenerational program in a rural community. Educational Gerontology, 25 (3): 237-251. Available through UWO.

Chelton, M.K. (Ed.). (2000). Excellence in library services to young adults: The nation’s top programs. Chicago: American Library Association. Available at Weldon

Penn State Intergenerational Programs & Aging. http://intergenerational.cas.psu.edu/ This website provides many useful fact sheets, program ideas, articles, recent research, relevant links and more.

Raynes, N.V., & Rawlings, B. (2004). Recreating social capital: Intergenerational programmes and bridging networks. Journal of Intergenerational Relations, 2 (1): 7-28. Available through UWO.

United Generations of Ontario. http://www.intergenugo.org/

Yeterday, Bekah discussed youth opposition to new Ontario driving laws. In her post she noted that Mr. McGuinty was thinking of ways to “get on Facebook and engage these teens in conversation.” This comment reminded me of some interesting e-consultation initatives that various legislatures have used to engage with youth.

E-consultation is the process of using the Internet and other ICTs to ask the public to comment on one or more issues and often encourages discussion among participants. E-consultation allows political leaders to learn the opinions of a range of people in a fairly cheap, fast, and flexible method. The process also allows citizens to quickly and privately engage in the political process so that, hopefully, decisions will be made that reflect the interests of their community. E-consultation has been seen as a tool for refashioning and strengthening the weak and neglected relationship between representatives and the represented.

The UK Parliament is currently the global leader in e-consultation initiatives and has completed several projects that have specifically engaged youth in the political process. For example, Parliament is developing its ability to run online consultations on behalf of parliamentary select committees. Currently, the Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee is running a forum to find out what young people think about engineering and how schools, colleges and universities have prepared youth, or shaped their attitude towards, a career in engineering.

http://forums.parliament.uk/young-engineers/

This effort is interesting because the forum is actually monitored by the MP who has initiated the discussion and he is able to comment directly on the forum.

Another interesting project in the UK is the HeadsUp Forum, which is run by the Hansard Society on behalf of Parliament. This popular web site was launched in June 2003 to promote political awareness and participation among young people (under 18). The site’s main feature is a moderated forum where young people debate political issues and current affairs. The forum is supported by background information, quizzes, and polls. Parliamentarians are invited to use the site as a means to consult with young people in a secure and structured manner. In fact, submissions from young people have been quoted in House of Commons debates and are used to inform government policy.

http://www.headsup.org.uk/

Currently, headsup features a debate on the question “Are young people allergic to politics?”and asks questions such as “What does it mean to be a citizen in 21st century Britian?”

Another interesting initiative in the UK is a pilot project entitled Citizen Calling that was run in 2006 by the Hansard Society with the Home Affairs Select Committee, in which young people were invited to respond to an inquiry entitled “Young People and the Criminal Justice System” using SMS text messaging. The organizers wanted to assess the viability of mobile technologies for communication to select committees and to engage young people politically. Analysis showed that awareness was raised among youth regarding the parliamentary process, but there was general disappointment with both the quantity and the depth of responses.

The Parliament of Canada has engaged in one pilot e-consultation project, but no initiatives have specifically targeted youth. I also could find no evidence of any efforts made by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. However, the Select Standing Committee on Health from the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia held a consultation on child obesity and physical inactivity. After consulting expert witnesses, they created an interactive website at myhealthspace.ca, which included a quiz, video, blog, drawing contest, and confidential survey.

If Mr. McGunity is interested in consulting with youth, maybe he should look to some of these successful examples of representatives consulting with their youth constituents.  They may not be perfect, but they at least show an attempt to listen to youth, to understand their perspective on issues that matter to them, and to give youth a chance to participate in the political process. What do you think? Could e-consultation help facilitate the conversation Mr. McGuinty has suggested?

This week in class, we briefly discussed the newly proposed amendments to the province’s Highway Traffic Safety Act; amendments introduced as a result of premier Dalton McGuinty being lobbied by a father whose twenty year old son killed himself and two friends in an accident last summer. Despite the fact that Mr. McGuinty has referred to this proposal as a “modest restriction on their freedoms”, teenagers are outraged and fighting back. One particular young man, Jordan Sterling (from Cardinal Newman Catholic Secondary School) created a Facebook group, of which I’m sure you’ve all heard. As of today, this group has 123, 462 members and continues to grow every day. 200 members had joined the group within 3 hours of its creation. For those of you who have a Facebook account and wish to check it out, the group is called “Young Drivers Against New Ontario Laws”.

Mr. McGuinty is of course, aware of this Facebook group and said yesterday that he’s really “keen on hearing” from the young adult members of said group. Furthermore, he is thinking of ways to get onto Facebook and engage these teens in conversation. He wants to find out the ways in which youth believe Ontario can remedy the “problems on the road”.  He will certainly need to be prepared to speak to thousands of upset young drivers who don’t believe they should be penalized for something that happened to one teen who made some poor choices. Yes, apparently the youth killed in the accident briefly mentioned above, had been enjoying an afternoon of drinking; a poor choice made by this group of teenagers, but should certainly not be over-extended onto other groups.

It will be interesting to see if Mr. McGuinty does connect to youth online, particularly within this widely discussed Facebook group. In order to do so, he will have to get rid of the Facebook ban currently imposed on all Government computers (a ban put into effect to eliminate a common distraction for many).

There are lots of good articles in the media today on this topic (a couple of which are listed below) that can be found easily with simple keyword searches. I would love to hear what else you have seen or heard regarding this issue or your thoughts in general on the actual amendments themselves.

Campbell, M. (2008). McGuinty seeks teens’ Facebook feedback. Retrieved Nov. 27^th, 2008 from,http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081125.wmcguintyweb1125/BNStory/politics/

Murray, J. (2008). Facebook group fights Ontario licence chances. Retrieved Nov. 26^th, 2008 from, http://netnewsledger.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1747&Itemid=26

I know others have already blogged about Twilight, but since it’s such an important teen phenomenon right now, I believe it warrants the extra attention.

As a huge reader of teen fiction myself, I actually managed to read the first three books before most people had even heard of the series. This was ideal as it meant that I wasn’t amongst the hundreds of patrons on hold for the books at the public library (as Ellen was discussing last week).  Unfortunately for me, the series had begun to receive an abundance of attention prior to the release of the final book (“Breaking Dawn”) and I had to wait with the rest of them.

Last week I was lucky enough to attend a premiere of the movie one night prior to its release to the greater public. The theatre certainly did contain a great deal of teenage girls, mostly giggling and swooning over Edward throughout the entire flick, but there was certainly a variety of people there. Families, teenage boys, couples on a date, grandparents…. everyone was there to see what all the hype was about, both young and old, male and female.

I enjoyed the movie and think they got most of the characters and landscapes right, but there were certainly some actors cast for particular parts that completely destroyed the images I had of them in my mind (self-created images of course). Some of the issues I had: Alice looked too old; Carlisle was not at all how I pictured him; and Jasper just looked weird (dare I say slightly “constipated”?) through the entire movie. Most importantly, they made strong casting choices when it came to the main stars of the film: Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella (Kristen Stewart). Their introductions to one another were delightfully funny and awkward; and their attitudes and dark sarcastic communications were dead on. For those of you who have already been out to see the movie, I would love to hear what you thought of it.

For those of you who have not yet seen the flick, or for those of you planning to go again, then I can tell you to keep your eye out for Stephenie Meyer when you do go to see it. That’s right – she makes a quick, background appearance! Now, I myself only found out that she was in the film after I had seen it, so I will also have to go back and watch for it a second time myself, but I do know the scene in which she appears. She is in the background, as a waitress, during one of the scenes where Bella and her father (Charlie) are enjoying a meal together at Forks’ diner. Anyone see her?

Amazingly, when the movie was being made, the books were largely unknown and no one had any idea that it would turn into the huge phenomenon that it has, especially not the actors, who have quickly had to adjust to the life of extreme fame. In fact, it was reported this week that Robert and Kristen were only paid 2 million to star in Twilight – a movie that made 70 million-plus during its opening weekend! The two of them will be getting huge salary boosts (reportedly 10 million more) for the sequels as well as a nice percentage of the box-office take. To be so young and at that height of fame and fortune is incredible – perhaps I’m in the wrong profession! <smile>.

So all of you Twilight fans out there, we know what you think about the books and the phenomenon, but let’s hear what you thought about the movie? I would love to hear your thoughts! J

Zwecker, B. (2008). Squeezing more blood. Retrieved online Nov. 24^th, 2008 from,

                http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/zwecker/1295425,CST-FTR-zp24.article.  

Emo Teen Style

Depression, suicide, teenage angst and black eyeliner are often associated with the term “emo”, which stems from emotional hardcore.  However, it is important to know that suicide or depression should not be immediately associated with “emo kid”. Often, there is a negative stereotype against teens that adopt emo culture.  For example, the comedy MAD TV mocked emo kids by creating a parody commercial for a Tickle-Me-Emo. Unfortunately, the fake commercial enforced stereotypes about emo teens.

In addition, I’ve provided a link below to Emo Radio, an online radio that plays songs that emo teens like.

EMO RADIO

Last summer, I read an article in The Times about how emo teens were being attacked in parts of South America such as Brazil and Argentina. They are considered “gay” by the community because emo kids are more upfront with their feelings and problems.  Phillips (2008) interviews an emo teen in Argentina who says “”If you can face your problems, you’re a man. If you can’t, you’re a marecón [gay]” (¶ 21).  In addition, an article in The Guardian writes that Russia considered emo kids to be a cult. Michaels (2008) writes that “a piece of legislation aimed at curbing ‘dangerous teen trends’ would push for heavy regulation of emo websites and the banning of emo and goth fashion from schools and government buildings” (¶ 2).

I found the bit of news to be very disturbing, partly because my brother was considered an emo kid (minus the eye liner). After speaking with my brother, he explained that in high school, many of his emo friends enjoyed the music and it provided them with an outlet when they were feeling sad or angry. Many of them understood that the music and lyrics act as a form of expression rather than encouraging death or depression. I wondered if the emo subculture was used as a scapegoat for teens who had committed suicide in these countries. It is interesting how teens are most marginalized when the media, government and parents focus on a subculture trend rather than individual teens. Have parents tried talking to their teenage sons or daughters? Perhaps if parents were more attentive towards their child(ren) rather than the subculture, they would be able to understand them better. Unfortunately, there are many parents who choose to blame the scapegoat rather themselves for any neglect.

Perhaps the public or school libraries can provide an outlet for these teens by creating discussion groups or book clubs that allow teens to talk about themes that matter to them. More importantly, it would allow teens with the same interests to gather in a safe space provided by the library. For example, Columbus Metropolitan Library has created a safe virtual space on the teen space section. In the corner of the teen site, it provides a link to “Express it”, which allows emo teens or any teens to post poetry and art work.  Generally, it is a virtual space that allows teens to post forms of self expression rather than be ignored. 

Teen Space - Columbus Metropolitan Library

Express it!

In some sense, librarians are anthropologists.  We study our teen patron’s behaviors and observe different subcultures within the teen population.  Thus, it is vital for libraries to pay close attention to teen subcultures rather than assume that every teenager is alike.  By observing subtle or obvious distinctions, libraries are able to provide excellent services and programs that meet teenagers’ needs.

References:

Phillips, D. (2008, May 30). Emo kids are under attack.  Are they scapegoats or sinners? The Times.  Retrieved November 25, 2008 from http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/article4027574.ece.

Michaels, S. (2008, July 21). Russia wages war on emo kids. The Guardian. Retrieved November 25, 2008 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/jul/22/russian.emo.

The presentation last week about homeless and street involved youth reminded me of an incredible book that I borrowed from the library a while ago, which I am not sure if the group members found or not but that I would like to share with the class here (now that I remember the title).

It is called, Flying a Sign - which is a street expression for publicly displaying a sign to ask for food or money during times of desperation. The creation of the book was funded by the federal government fo Canada, who donated money to a non-profit youth agency in London Ontario (Youth Opportunities Unlimited)  for a publication project involving youth who’ve been at risk and living on the street.  Ten “at risk youth” in London were hired to put the book together about what it is like for young people at risk.  The aim of the project and publication was to bridge the gap of misunderstanding in the community around homeless and street involved youth as well as to provide the participants with employable skills - such as writing, editing, layout, publication design, and photography.

The passages written in Flying a Sign are clear, open and raw illustrations of the experiences of homeless and street involved youth, and I believe effectively bridge understanding.

The book is available at Central, in the Teen Annex as well as the London Room (on the thrid floor).

Also, here is a link to Youth Opportunities Unlimited: http://www.you.on.ca/

At Santa Monica Public Library, the Living Library event provided people with opportunities to explore and gain knowledge through human to human interaction. The idea and event was created by anti-violence activist Ronni Abergel who had done the event in 2000 in Denmark. The LA Times provides a feature and description of the event here.

The article writes that in the Living Library “people are the books and could be checked out for half an hour’s conversation. Borrowers were instructed that the Reader must return the Book in the same mental and physical condition as borrowed. It is forbidden to cause damage to the book, tear out or bend pages, get food or drink spilled over the book or hurt her or his dignity in any other way” (Bolle, 2008, ¶ 1).

The article follows a couple of children who decide, from the myriad of living books that they wanted to borrow out two teenagers. In addition, they had prepared question about sex, zits and racism. I wondered if children chose the teenagers because they seemed to be the most complex or if they identified the most with the teenagers. After all, the kids would be teenagers in 4 years.

I think that the event would be a great opportunity for children and adults to understand teenagers better. In addition, it would be a great opportunity for teenagers to speak with adults with different experiences. It would provide them with valuable knowledge of a profession, or lifestyle. Overall, I believe that teenagers can equally gain and contribute to such a library event.

However, I have to wonder if the living library would appeal to teenagers, especially since teens prefer virtual environments. Perhaps the living library could go online? A library could provide a virtual space for IM (instant message) chats with “online people resources.” This would reach the teenage population through the virtual and telecommunications realm. However, I do question whether if teenagers are missing out on the social interaction in the real world. How will they know what to say besides “LMAO” or “;p”?

Bolle, S. (2008, November 16). The ‘living library’ that opens minds. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 24, 2008 from http://www.latimes.com/features/books/la-caw-word-play16-2008nov16,0,1731686.story.

Given that we were talking about multiple literacies a few classes ago, I thought I’d post a link to an article in the New York Times magazine that discusses the concept of “screen literacy” and goes so far as to argue that this shift in technology - from printed word to screens - is going to fundamentally change society in a way not seen since the printing press. A couple of interesting extracts, as the entire thing is quite long:

“When technology shifts, it bends the culture. Once, long ago, culture revolved around the spoken word. The oral skills of memorization, recitation and rhetoric instilled in societies a reverence for the past, the ambiguous, the ornate and the subjective. Then, about 500 years ago, orality was overthrown by technology… Now invention is again overthrowing the dominant media. A new distribution-and-display technology is nudging the book aside and catapulting images, and especially moving images, to the center of the culture.”

“If text literacy meant being able to parse and manipulate texts, then the new screen fluency means being able to parse and manipulate moving images with the same ease. But so far, these “reader” tools of visuality have not made their way to the masses.”

The author, Kevin Kelly, argues that as a society we aren’t to the point of “visuality” (as opposed to literacy) being as important as text literacy yet, but we’re getting there as tools for image manipulation become more available. I certainly don’t feel screen literate, and I suspect that there are a lot more youth out there who are screen literate than people of my generation.

If, as Kelly argues, the shift is going to be completely culturally transformative in the way printed text was transformative, the whole concept of teaching literacy takes on new meanings for libraries.

Today, hip hop culture has a major impact on youth. In the 90s, teenagers were listening to “controversial” rap, including me. Perhaps I was intrigued by hip hop culture. In addition, the image of hip hop seemed, well, kind of cool at the time. Did I identify with the lyrics? No. Did I mirror myself against the girls in the video? No. So why did I not embrace this culture as my lifestyle? Ultimately, can teens critically evaluate books, magazines, videos and movies? Or do they need guidance from parents and adults?

Some argue that hip hop culture is a negative influence on teenagers by glorifying drugs, violence and degrading women. To put it into context, last year, I came across an interesting cartoon music video on BET (Black Entertainment Television). The video stirred some controversy regarding the content and language in the video. Although BET’s target audience is 18-34, many teenagers tune in to watch music videos and interviews with rap artists and other topics related to hip hop culture. It was argued by a CNN interviewer that although BET’s target audience is 18-34, the cartoon music video was aired during the day rather late night, which allowed tweens and teens to see the video. The creators of the video argue that it was meant to be satirical and that teens should be able to understand the concept of satire.  Can teens really understand satirical concepts?  Can teens critically evaluate what they are viewing on TV or reading in books?  Do you think the video was inappropriate or reflecting on hip hop culture negatively?

I’ve posted a dirty and clean version of the controversial READ A BOOK video because the dirty version of the video has VERY explicit lyrics. If you are easily offended, please, please, please view the clean version. I have also attached the debate from CNN with the creators and the interviewer (no explicit lyrics).

Dirty Version of “Read A Book” from BET

Clean Version of “Read A Book” from BET

CNN - “Read A Book” debate

Personally, I believe that it is important not to generalize.  I believe that some teens are able to critically evaluate and understand concepts such as satire.  However, I do believe there are some teenagers who do not critically evaluate materials and they are not able to fully understand concepts satirical materials.  I think that a teen’s ability to evaluate materials, whether it is a book or video is, in part, due to their parents or education.  My ability to critically evaluate and question the content of a material was based on my parents, who would watch televsion with me.  They would prompt me to question what I was watching and tried to provide different perspectives on the content.  In addition, my teachers and education also provided me with the ability to question and critically evaluate reading materials.  Although, I will say, I do know people who were naturally critical and observant of their surroundings.  However, I would like to know any of your experiences.