"Teens are leaving FB", says CNN. 3 BIG Things to draw them to STEEM.
![facebook_down_2776099b.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/640x0/https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmbMP8GKrJij5GawYVNr649A8z2kX3Kfs7CW9M9rbiMi9o/facebook_down_2776099b.jpg)
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I say STEEM, because it's not specifically Steemit that I think will bring them here. Rather the blockchain itself and its copious amount of apps that allow monetization. You can read the whole article here, if you wish. So what 3 things would be a game changer in bringing more teens to STEEM? Well lets look at some stats, and yes, I see that the study wasn't massive, but I do think the numbers are not that far off.
Now, YouTube is the most popular platform among teens, about 85% say they use it. Not surprisingly, teens are also active on Instagram (72%) and Snapchat (69%).
When it comes to the platform they access most frequently throughout the day, Snapchat is king.
So YT is the most popular (we have Dtube). Instagram is second (we have Steepshot) and snapchat 3rd, even though snapchat is more frequently visited than the other two. STEEM doesn't even have a snapchat app yet, that I am aware of anyway. This seems like a niche in the STEEM-o-sphere that is just waiting to be launched. Someone should make it happen! Mobile use is, imo, the reason snapchat is frequented so often. It's simple video communication that is a whole lot easier than to do on your computer. You can be mobile, do it fast, and receive at the same time. Teens love that they can send and receive these snaps all throughout the day. Ding ding ding every 5 minutes, dopamine time! It's like Pavlov's dogs salivating every time the bell is rung...which is funny because most notification icons are, wait for it....a bell!.
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Let me backup for a second here, the reason I am inclined to write this in the first place, is that I think on boarding young people to STEEM is the way to win this thing. By win, I mean, make STEEM the best utilized crypto out there. I think we would all be ok with it if that happened. When it comes to advancements in technology and mass adoption, it usually starts with the younger generations. Many reasons for this...older people dont adapt to change well, they like sticking with what works, they don't like having to learn new things necessarily. Younger people are chomping at the bit for the newest and coolest thing, and they stay extremely active when they find it. Snapchat is a great example of this.
I find myself occasionally asking one of my teen nephews or nieces what's new and they'll go on about something all the kids are talking about which I have absolutely not the foggiest idea of what they are babbling about. But a few weeks will go by and all of a sudden it's like the biggest thing in the world. Young people are the testers. What's good and what works. They find it, adopt it, and us older people then adopt it seeing that it works for the kids.
The second thing is this:
But Daniel Ives, chief strategy officer and head of technology research at GBH Insights, argues Facebook-owned Instagram is more important to the parent company than Facebook itself when it comes to younger users.
"Instagram has captured that demographic better than anyone could have expected," Ives said. The numbers highlight "why Instagram is one of the best tech acquisitions done in the past 15 years."
Hello STEEPSHOT!!! I just looked at my iPhone and there are apps available on both ios and google play. I am not a teen, so I don't even have Instagram, thus I dont have steepshot. But, teens love taking pictures and getting that quick hit of dopamine from all the likes their friends give them. Now add in $ to this equation. Kids can make actual $ by taking pictures??? Yes, it's true, but I don't think word is out yet.
And lastly:
The survey discovered lower-income teens "are more likely to gravitate toward Facebook than those from higher-income households." The Pew study also found smartphone growth among teens has jumped significantly since 2015 - 95% of teens say they own one, compared to 75% in 2015.
That might explain why 45% of teens said they're online "almost constantly," a stat that has nearly doubled since the 2015 survey.
'Lower income teens - w/ cell phones', seems to me there is opportunity abound here for these 'low-income' teens to capitalize on their non-monetizing content they share on FB. They have mobile access and are extremely active. If the mobile applications on the STEEM BC like, Dtube, Steepshot, and even Steemit, can get entwined in teen culture, there will be no stopping the STEEM blockchain.
I could add a 4th thing, and that would be Dtube. And Dtube will most definitely help in the overall, but even with YT holding the highest % of teen users, it doesn't have that quick hitting, dopamine impact that Instagram and snapchat have. Teens crave for instant gratification, and apps like Instagram and snapchat give it to them. So in no way am I discounting Dtube what so ever. I think that the way into the minds of teens is reinventing what they already know and love, by giving them more freedom and monetization. The gateway to the rest of the STEEM universe for them, will be through Steepshot and hopefully a snapchat-like app that they so desperately need.
I remember in HS, that a story from the weekend at a house party would make its rounds in school before 3rd hour Monday morning. How long will it take for word to get out that STEEM is going to displace every social media outlet high schoolers are currently using?
Spot on! I don't think Steemit/Steem is doing a good enough job marketing to these demographics. It has mostly been organic growth from those already interested in the blockchain space. How do we go about selling to the teens??
Well in their defense, they haven't done really any marketing at all, to anybody. But I obviously see your point, 'why are there not more teenagers here?' How do we get them here, exactly? Many ways I imagine, I have a few up my sleeve that I am going to try and roll out here in the near future. I am keeping it under wraps because I want my findings to be as organic and unfettered as possible.
But I'll for sure let you know what I find out from it!
Interesting post! I find that education on how technology works and then how to use it (critical thinking as to why and the effects when you do use it to yourself and others), is #1. If kids learn first how technology affects them, they can go in carefully and consciously as to what they decide to use. Maybe even choose Steemit or other decentralized platform to encourage future growth. But if they understand that using a s specific app or network encourages it's growth (and it's not a long term healthy addition to our world), then maybe that's where the real change will begin.
Thanks so much and absolutely!
Think of the internet. We played around with it, got comfortable, and found what we liked. Spawned from AOL was AIM for easy messaging. The point is the market caters towards what the younger generation wants, because they are usually on the front lines of up and coming technology.
I wonder if the education system that I would only assume lacks in blockchain & crypto education, is holding back the teenagers from truly understanding the potential? There is an advantage on their side to hide this truth, where compared to the internet itself, there was no real threat and therefore allowed to be taught.
Thanks again for your great reply!
Hi @intothewild. I just voted on your post 16%.