Click First, Ask Questions Later: Understanding Teen Online Behaviour

Click First, Ask Questions Later: Understanding Teen Online Behaviour, Jack Goodman - presented: Learning futures conf, Adelaide SA 9-10, March 2001

Prodigy. Remember Prodigy? What happened?

What happens when a business doesn’t listen to its customers – Prodigy happens– it dies. I think the TV industry calls it “jumping the shark”. That pivotal moment when you’ve gone too far; the public doesn’t want you anymore.
Prodigy was one of the first email providers in the US and did quite well until it started charging customers for emails if they used more than thirty a month. Can you imagine paying for email?
Change venues now… as a librarian, can you imagine ignoring teenagers? Teenagers are a core part of our business. If we want to serve our customers we must meet them where they are – through technology.
“Most adults – librarians included – use technology as a tool to get their work done, communicate more effectively, and solve problems. Kids look at technology differently. For the vast majority of Australian teens, technology is a first port of call for entertainment.”
The article dissects various web 2.0 technologies; social networking sites, YouTube, Instant messaging sites, VoIP, and Blogging. We must experience these technologies and be proficient with them in order to communicate with the growing demographic that has never not used them. We need to incorporate enewsletters, blogs for keen readers, podcasts, SMS alerts, and stay current with developing technologies to remain relevant to our users.