Global Kids' Digital Media Initiative

On MySpace, Facebook and Parental Restrictions
Barry GKid: Do any of you have parents who say you can't be on myspace or facebook?
Jim Bian: Mine. Apparently *The environment will teach me wrong and unprofessional manners*
Jim Bian: it's not like you don't learn it everywhere else.
Jim Bian: Middle School teaches you everything.
Jim Bian: It's the real world.
Kimmy Rau: my parents wont let me have my pic on myspace >.>
Barry GKid: Kimmy, what do you think about that?
Kimmy Rau: its not big of deal. I understand why they don’t want me to, and we’ve even discussed alternatives.
Barry GKid: Kimmy, what sort of alternatives?
Darkstone Lax: alternative profiles
Kimmy Rau: like. putting a bag over my head or using paint or some other program to "edit" my face

On Socializing in Teen Second Life
Emondrell Raymaker: On the TSL you can be having fun blowing up cars or flying large pigs around, and just meet people that way.
Jim Bian: parents would FLIP at that quote.
Barry GKid: So what sort of things do you think you learn about social relations in Second Life, that helps you offline, that you don't learn in school?
Jim Bian: You learn that not everyone is an @$$hole, and that you're not alone.
Al Cryotank: well, SL allows me to discuss things i would not normally feel comfortable talking about in RL so it does give me things to know for discussions with my RL friends.
Kimmy Rau: I can make more friends and better friends and feel more confident with my self /me pokes kris xD
Hunter Trommler: ya i find it’s easier to make more friends on SL XD because it doesn’t have its little "clicks/groups" like schools do...

On Second Life and Homophobia
Kristofer Lubitsch: I have to say SL has been the best experience for me
Kristofer Lubitsch: I used to be like gays aren’t cool
Kristofer Lubitsch: well since coming here I have learned more about them and found out that they are people also
Demina Druth: Yeah, I don't know many people around where I live that are lesbian. And being on here has helped me talk to other lesbian teens
Malifico Bade: and if someone is racist/homophobic or discriminatory they're run out of Sl

On “Kiddy” Virtual Worlds
Kimmy Rau: neopets... club penguin some kids at my school still play that R-O-F-L
Hunter Trommler: buy clothes for there digital pets xD
Al Cryotank: my cousin got me to try club penguin, useless game...
Barry Gkid: oh, tell me more. Why is it funny that they play club penguin and neopets?
Kimmy Rau: because there are better, older teenager games out there and we’re past those things. also. very lame graphics and retarded "themes"
Hunter Trommler: kids in my class (I’m in grade 9...in Canada! Go Canada! WOOOOO!)...anyway....play some weird game called "webkinz" its so messed up watching them its more pointless then neopets....
Barry Gkid: What do you think those people might say about you in Second Life?
Hunter Trommler: well XD.....proably the same thing....
Demina Druth: Anytime I tell my friends about SL they think it sounds lame

On Showing Their Second Life Avatars To Friends and Family
Barry Gkid: So the speaker went into people's homes, with their permission, and just watched what they did online.
Barry Gkid: What do you think an outsider to your family like her would observe if they watched you and your family?
Kimmy Rau: if we were also sharing sl with her, i would probably be more kinda, and act like maybe a kinda person then i am (would also show her furry fandom. furries are not talked about enough)
Kristofer Lubitsch: I would show them. I want them to see what most teens do into today’s society
Barry Gkid: Kristofer, what would you want to make sure she would see?
Kristofer Lubitsch: If I had to show her one thing it would about the furry fandom
Barry Gkid: Kristofer, what would you want her to know about Furry fandom?
Kimmy Rau: awesome avatars for one XD
Barry Gkid: Who shows their avatars to their friends or family, and what do they say about them?
Kimmy Rau: well. I bet first a lot of people would be interested why we’re animals as opposed to humans
Barry Gkid: Kimmy, true. And why is that?
Kristofer Lubitsch: I let my brother and sister see my avatars and some of my friends they were freaked out at first
Hunter Trommler: i show them to friends and family...and well my friends reactions are for the most part... find it weird that I play SL cause they don’t see the point of it...
Hunter Trommler: and my family is like w/e XD
Kimmy Rau: i have to both. my friends (who are animal freaks like me) and my parents have also asked why I’m a human. I say that its turn because most people to get used to fact of talking, two legged animals. And I guess if you talk to them about it and leave the fact about your animal out, then they picture this as a human/avatar thing only
Kaya Heartsdale: I let my parents & friends see, but no one really gets freaked out. My mom thinks some of the things my avatar wears are weird but other then that, no one really comments.

“Hip Hop is the Web 2.0 of the Streets”
Barry Gkid: Hip-hop!
Kristofer Lubitsch: Hip hop I believe has degraded today’s society
Barry Gkid: Kristopher, Hip hop itself or the way commercial record companies have used aspects of it to sell records?
Al Cryotank: I don’t like rap, it’s mainly the lyrics, but the rhythm in it rocks, if you changed the lyrics then I’d love rap
Barry Gkid: If you like the beats but don’t like the lyrics then look beyond the stuff at the front of the store. :-) There is a lot out there
Kristofer Lubitsch: well most of today’s rap is about killing gangsters and their drugs
Kristofer Lubitsch: I have not heard a lot of good rap where they talk about love and things
Barry Gkid: Maybe you're just not looking for the love rap, the socially conscious rap
Barry Gkid: I am not here to defend rap and hip-hop but I want to be clear that what rose from the streets, from african americans, is VERY DIFFERENT from what white producers market and sell to white middle class kids in the suburbs, who have the most money to spend on music
Barry Gkid: In many ways, hip-hop is the Web 2.0 of the streets
Barry Gkid: People participating, not just consuming, mixing different things to make something new, then sharing it in communities
Barry Gkid: Do any of you make music?
Kaya Heartsdale: I sing at church and in my friends 'band'.
Kimmy Rau: yea im also in band
Kristofer Lubitsch: I make music on my computer
Kristofer Lubitsch: more like Techno and Trance
Demina Druth: <3 techno
Barry Gkid: The speaker is saying that music allows people to engage with the world - is that true for any of you?
Al Cryotank: yeppers barry
Kristofer Lubitsch: yes it is
Kimmy Rau: true for me
Kristofer Lubitsch: Techno allows me to express my feelings at that time
Kimmy Rau: i like music that you can listen to and feel the music happening to you, like if something where special to happen, i could sit and picture it in my mind
Kristofer Lubitsch: Some times people make or listen to music just to get away from the slings and arrows of life.