| The web is no longer a place where children just | | | | The phenomenon extends far beyond iCarly. As |
| click around and entertain themselves. With the | | | | viewers of Youtube know, Fred Finklestein, a |
| rise in broadband availability, and the discounting of | | | | random teen from the midwest, can generate an |
| digital tools, children are moving from spectator to | | | | audience in the millions. Fred's high-pitched, speedy |
| participant. This is good news for parents as the | | | | voice screams from each episode of "Fred" on |
| web is becoming a safer place for children to | | | | Youtube to 30 million-plus viewers. Descending |
| express their views about the world around them | | | | from Fred's dominance in the youth generated |
| in the form of kid generated animation, blogging, | | | | channel line-up are thousands of singers, dancers, |
| webshows, etc. | | | | animators and webshow hosts under the age of |
| According to a recent study carried out by | | | | 18. Youths are broadcasting their own networks. |
| Grunwald Associates, the number of content | | | | Kids "get" that they are not only content |
| contributing children is growing exponentially and | | | | producers. They are also distributors, marketers |
| isn't even close to hitting its peak. Five years ago | | | | and brand managers. Parents who get this will find |
| (!) in a surveyed group of children between the | | | | an amazing outlet for their child's native creative |
| ages of six and seventeen, 10 percent of those, | | | | impulses. Building an audience for an online channel |
| approximately two million youthful users, had | | | | provides the opportunity for involvement in their |
| staked out their own personal space on the web. | | | | children's lives and creative development. |
| Of those two million users, children from 9 to 12 | | | | Teachers are getting in on the act as well. is |
| make up nine percent with 33% of those | | | | evidence that educators hail this online websho |
| surveyed having plans to open their own website. | | | | production as a step forward in child education. By |
| This number was expected to triple by 2005. | | | | creating an outlet, these Internet entertainment |
| Remember, this was before Facebook, MySpace, | | | | providers are freeing children from their joysticks, |
| Twitter, WordPress, and Youtube. We are in the | | | | turning them from video game junkies into active |
| "silent movie" era of online production by young | | | | socially aware Internet citizens. |
| people. | | | | To give this a try, open an account on a site like |
| Traditional media outlets like Nickelodeon have | | | | Post a short video of your child's talent, and see |
| heard the call of their viewers. In March of 2007, | | | | what happens. Send an email to all your friends |
| Nickelodeon announced the live-action show based | | | | and neighbors with a link back to the video. You |
| on content generated by their viewers, iCarly. | | | | are now a distributor. If you want to widen the |
| Hosted by Carly (played by Miranda Cosgrove) | | | | audience for your child's new channel, use |
| the concept is that Carly is the Webmaster of | | | | keywords, tags and meta tags to flag your video |
| her own home-based streaming webcast. During | | | | in the search database. |
| the show, Carly gives her viewers assignments | | | | Soon you'll have people finding the video online. |
| concerning media creation. The viewers then can | | | | People who enjoy the type of content your child |
| film their own kid generated video content and | | | | produces. With basic privacy steps, you can be |
| post it to the iCarly website. The content then | | | | assured that you can do this repeatedly until your |
| has the potential for rebroadcast on iCarly or can | | | | youngster has an audience waiting for the next |
| be used as content for the web-based portions | | | | performance. |
| of the show. | | | | We are truly coming into a new age of |
| For the Nickelodeon, activation of their | | | | entertainment and content production via the |
| demographic allows the children to explore the | | | | web. Will you encourage your child to continue to |
| creative possibilities available to them, speak out | | | | be a couch potato, or will you get them up and |
| about issues important to them or just plain have | | | | running their own movie studio? Today, this is a |
| fun. They create a bond with their viewers by | | | | real choice, perhaps for the first time in history, |
| being interactive and encouraging kids to be | | | | for our young people. Will you help? I certainly |
| producers themselves. | | | | hope so. |