Teens Might Be Lost Without Their Net
Teens have embraced the Internet in the same way previous generations embraced television and other groundbreaking innovations.
That’s one finding of a survey by Forrester Research Inc. The study of online consumers ages 16 to 22 showed that they are equally divided between “Netizens,” who spend 10 or more hours per week online, and “Cliquers,” who spend less time online.
When comparing the two groups, Forrester found that Netizens’ behavior was profoundly influenced by the Web, while Cliquers have effectively integrated the Web into their daily activities. Both have a strong tendency to multitask eat, listen to music, or watch TV while online.
“What the study survey tells us is that the Internet is being rapidly integrated into the everyday lives of today’s teens,” said Shelley Morrisette, group director for Quantitative Research at Forrester. “For some, the Web is having a dramatic impact on day-to-day activities such as reading and socializing. But for most teens, the Web has become just another part of a complex whole.”
Here are a few new, interesting or amusing Web sites that may appeal to a broad range of age groups:
Aid on seeking aid: Thousands of freshly minted high school grads face the daunting task of gathering the right financial aid material for college and navigating the aid application process.
A Citibank subsidiary, The Student Loan Corp., has launched a Web site to help simplify the process.
Of course, Citibank hopes you’ll take it a step further and apply online for a private bank loan. But you can benefit from the information without going that far.
http://www.studentloan.com
Hair-raising tales: Anyone who’s ever had a bad-hair day and who hasn’t can turn to this lighthearted site.
Although targeted at those with relentlessly curly hair, the site offers words of wisdom for others as well, including “Tools for Taming Your Mane.”
So, let your hair down and log on.
http://www.naturallycurly.com
Name game: Success or failure in the business world may not depend entirely on the choice of a name, but it’s a factor that can’t be ignored.
Enter Rivkin & Associates Inc., which has a site devoted to naming strategies. The site features articles on topics ranging from criteria for an ideal name and eight myths about a good name to tips and tactics for generating names.
Sorry, parents-to-be, there’s no help here in naming new additions to the family.
http://www.namingnewsletter.com