January 4th, 2008

Real Teen Social Networking: In Person With Cellphones In Hand

by Scott Karp

I’m sitting next to a table full of teenagers in Panera Bread, and they are engaging in a form of social networking that you rarely read about these days — hanging out and talking to each other IN PERSON.

What’s also notable is that every one of them has a cellphone in hand. They are constantly showing each other photos and text messages on their phones. The phones are so deeply integrated into their conversation and interaction, they are like extensions of their identities.

I’ve been trying to think back to when I was a teenager (pre-cellphone days) — I don’t know if their was an equivalent to the cellphones as an extension of the teen identity. It seems like an entirely new phenomenon, without precedent.

I’ve been half eavesdropping as I work and haven’t heard a single reference to Facebook or MySpace, nor have I caught a glimpse of Facebook or MySpace logos on their phones.

They are getting up to leave now — perhaps they will all run home and login to their web-based social networking accounts.

But if I were a marketer looking to reach teens, I would be all over the cellphone.

Compare the power of teens sharing relevant marketing messages on their phones with each other IN PERSON to the manufactured social marketing of Facebook Beacon.

Topics: Mobile | Social Networking

  • sembland

    I agree that cellphones have become a major source of networking. Not just text messages, but even movies and music on the cellphone are an integral part of networking these days. Everyone wants to be the first to know about the events which are important to them. That is mobile networking is a popular. Sites like www.mozes.com have dedicated mobile networks for music where one can text the artists name and join a mob and get instant updates about the artists they like. So I think cell phones are the next big networking arena.

  • This should not have come at a surprise at all.

    Never heard of the book "Smart mobs" by Howard Rheingold?

    Published in 2002...

  • I guess because I am the mother of teenagers, I am not surprised with your observations. They are on target and it's not just photos that keep teens interested. They want to stay connected to the social circle.

    Pew Internet survey reports (http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF... that teens use multiple channels and that those who use social networking sites have not decreased their face to face interactions.

    It just so happened I blogged about teenagers use of Facebook (http://blog.aafromaa.com/2008/... I am no marketing expert, but I think that depending on one outlet or one communication marketing tool is short-sighted.

    But as your post indicates, we often underestimate the power of text messaging (for teens and adults).

    Nice post,

    Anne

  • I am going to have to disagree about the Facebook/MySpace thing while wholeheartedly agreeing about the cell phones.

    I live near a college campus and any trip into a computer lab will show that about 50-60% of the people there are on either Facebook or MySpace. Does this mean that you could get any of them to click on ads, not a chance but they are there.

    What your example shows is that teens don't give a hoot about the mobile web and that they love photos. Both of these points are absolutely true.

    The big question as a marketer is whether any of these teens can actually be -sold- anything while they are playing around on their phones.

    Great article mate!

  • I really like to hear these real world examples...lets hear more.

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