STILL HAVING THE SAME ARGUMENTS?

PARENTS – ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO GET THROUGH TO YOUR TEENAGERS?

TEENS – DO YOUR PARENTS DRIVE YOU NUTS?

Does your home life sometimes feel like a soap opera?! We are looking for families with teenagers to take part in an exciting new series for Channel 4.  Using the innovative technique of drama therapy, we can help you get a new perspective on your family issues.  This will be a fun but effective way see what’s really going on, and put it right.

If you are interested please get in touch!

Call Laura on 020 7691 5613

Or email: actingup@talkbackthames.tv

As the new government scrap the school building scheme, will it really affect our young people?

Now I have to say I am in two minds on this one. On one hand my husband, who works in the construction industry, tells me so much money is wasted on new schools and on the other, I know how important environment is and the impact it has on our young people.

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell talks a lot about what is called “Broken Window Syndrome” and how you can use this to turn communities around from high crime to low crime areas. Broken window syndrome basically works on the premise that youth who commit crime and get into trouble are highly susceptible to their environments and when small things are fixed straight away in a high crime area (such as windows) and the area is clean and looked after, this in turn affects those at risk of offending and the estates turn around. The objective of the Broken Window project was to have no broken windows, litters, graffiti, etc. on these estates and it worked a treat, bringing crime in these areas down.

Wikipedia states “Broken windows theory is a criminological theory of the norm-setting and signaling effects of urban disorder and vandalism on additional crime and anti-social behaviour. The theory states that monitoring and maintaining urban environments in a well-ordered condition may prevent further vandalism as well as an escalation into more serious crime.

The reason why the state of the urban environment may affect crime may be described as due to three factors:

· social norms and conformity

· the presence of lack of monitoring, and

· social signalling and signal crime ”

A major factor in determining individual behaviour is social norms, internalised rules about the appropriate way to act in a certain situation. Humans constantly monitor other people and their environment in order to determine what the correct norms are for the given situation. They also monitor others to make sure that the others act in an acceptable way.

In other words, people do as others do and the group makes sure that the rules are followed. But when there are no people around, as is often the case in an anonymous urban environment, the monitoring of or by others does not work. In such an environment, criminals are much more likely to get away with robberies, thefts and vandalism. When there are no or few people around, individuals are forced to look for other clues—called signals—as to what the social norms allow them to do and how great is the risk of getting caught. An ordered and clean environment sends the signal that this is a place which is monitored; people here conform to the common norms of non-criminal behaviour. A disordered environment which is littered, vandalized and not maintained sends the opposite signal: this is a place where people do as they please and where they get away with that, without being detected. As people tend to act the way they think others act, they are more likely to act “disorderly” in the disordered environment.

This shows us that environment is hugely impactful and has an influence on how people behave and this recent report on Christ College Guildford shows us that changing the environment can instill a sense of pride and change behaviour.

So, new schools are needed, right? Well, we just don’t have the money and while some of these schools that need rebuilding are beyond repair, the broken window theory does not state we have to pull things down and re-build, only that we have to care about what we have. So while there is no doubt we need these schools rebuilding, for the time being should we not focus on just making them look cared for?

I have written a lot about GEN Z, so it is great to see that is going mainstream. I found this post on Media Post, so I thought I would give my thoughts here.

Three Predictions About Generation Z -Frank O’Brien

1. Sorry Kindle, Gen Zs are iPad enthusiasts.

The iPad has been the breakthrough device of the year. One could argue that the iPhone 4 or other mobile technologies should take that crown. But the iPad has created an entirely different way of receiving and absorbing information in 2010. Has anyone seen that cool new Popular Mechanics application?
Increasingly, parents are turning to bite-sized devices to entertain and educate their children. The iPad will outpace the iPhone for the chosen “keep the kids entertained device” for Gen Z parents as there is more room for security, limited need for a data plan, and the device will allow parents to hold onto their cell phones versus giving them to the kids to stay occupied. Not to mention the price point of an iPad makes it the perfect, dare I say, in-between device that’s not quite a computer.

I have to agree, Gen Z love the iPad, and while I don’t think it will take over the Kindle (they were never big in the UK) I think it could take over the need for a mobile. Gen Z love the intuitivity of the iPad and for them they just think that the iPad gets them. So I would say move over mobile, the iPad has it!

2. They won’t take criticism well. 

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from Generation Y, it’s that they’re not to be messed with. One slip of the tongue with a teenager and they’re likely to stomp on your foot, leave the room, and start an empire quicker than you can say Facebook. The generation of entitlement is only going to continue to grow, so be prepared to speak to your youngsters the right way.
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? Don’t ignore it because, from a marketing perspective, it’s very important. A group of Gen Zs will be able to sabotage a brand, kill a campaign, and destroy the bottom line of a company with just a few keystrokes on a status update or Twitter. Qualified responses don’t matter, perception is reality, and this group is going to have a big opportunity to shift brand perception in an unprecedented way.

I would like to rephrase this one and say that Gen Z will demand authenticity and won’t be afraid to speak out. Yes, they are likely to be something like Gen Y, but in a different way, while Gen Y can be quite fickle and their campaigns pretty shallow (sometimes) Gen Z will be much more organised and strategic. They are less about shouting and more about bang. What I mean is, they will speak out with less noise and more action. So yes, they may be young, but treat them with respect because they have a voice and they are not scared to use it. Above all they have the staying power that perhaps Gen Y didn’t have.

3. They will continue to find loopholes. 

this is probably the most important prediction as it will affect everything in a marketer’s toolbox – creative, media and loyalty programs included. As information continues to be more accessible and advertisers look to find a way to reinvent media spaces, such as the 30 second spots, banner placements, etc., Generation Z will continue to find ways to access their information more quickly.
Loyalty programs will become “what have you done for me lately” programs, as the marketplace becomes more competitive, social and referral based. The days of using one brand of toothpaste for years is nearing its end! Creative will need to be more compelling to not just cut through the clutter but to engage this audience in something interactive. Overall, a very interesting game of cat and mouse is about to ensue, and marketers will need to be even more on their toes in choosing the right strategy, creative, and media to engage this audience.
The moral of the story? Engage teens, but prepare for the “über teen.” Generation Z is on the rise, and it may just be the most agile, fickle and trickiest to engage generation yet!

Most of what I see shows that this generation coming up will be less fickle and the decisions they make are more likely to be based on conversations they have with their families. They are much more likely to be traditionalist in their outlook and may be the most loyal generation we have seen since the 70’s. Early indications are that they are very brand loyal and much more likely to choose based on feeling rather than price. They want the brand to make them feel social. One thing I will say though is that this generation cannot and will not be marketed to. They want to go beyond engagement, they want conversations and they will expect more from their brands then ever before.

MP thinks parenting GCSE could tackle ‘toe rag parents’

Apparently the answer to all our problems now lies in a GCSE in parenting !

Frank Field (the government poverty tsar) believes Parenting skills should be taught in schools to address a “vicious downward spiral” of broken families in the UK.

The Labour MP for Birkenhead, fears many children are being dragged down by what he calls “toe rag parents”. His solution, outlined in his first report to the Prime Minister, is to place parenting at the heart of the national school curriculum.

Writing in the Daily Mail on Tuesday, the MP said Britain was facing a social crisis because of the huge number of families who “live in a state of permanent squalor, chaos and hostility”.

Read more MP thinks parenting GCSE could tackle ‘toe rag parents’

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Vanessa Van Petten shares her wisdom for youth success.