Make Your Own Comics: Storytelling With Friends
Jacob Blackstock first conceived of the burgeoning social comics site Bitstrips as a way to let the rest of the Internet participate…
Tech
Your source for youth perspectives on the culture of technology, digital media, and the arts.
Cheating In The Digital Age
My parents always tell me that when it comes to school, I have it a lot easier than they did. When they entered college in the 80s, the encyclopedia was still the go-to source for academic information, and your only tools in the classroom were a notebook, pen, and an open mind. This, to me, is unimaginable. Today’s educational technology makes it a lot easier to learn, and a lot easier to cut corners.
How Young People are Really Using Snapchat
Want to know what kind of pictures young people are really sharing on Snapchat? Just ask them.
A couple months ago, my friend told me about a new photo sharing app called Snapchat. I downloaded it, added my friend, and soon I got a notification that I had received my first Snapchat. I opened it up, and saw my friend, Shae, giving me the McKayla Maroney “not impressed” look. Then the photo vanished.
Keeping My Personal Life Private, On And Offline
Facebook says you’ve got to be at least 13 to sign-up, yet there are millions of underage users, giving away their personal information without a second thought. And social media is just the tip of the iceberg.
Digital DJing Looks Good On Paper – And It Works
Kate Stone has advanced some futuristic technology, turning simple construction paper into turntables that actually play music.
Youth Radio and Turnstyle had the honor of hosting this inventor who wants to change the way we think about electronics. It’s awe-inspiring to watch Stone’s as-yet-unnamed creation in action: you touch your simulated turntables on a piece of paper, and you’re controlling the DJ app on the iPad sitting five feet away from you. Every function that’s available on an analog turntable, including blending songs and scratching records, is also possible with Stone’s technology.
Drones, Drones Everywhere… Including Youth Radio
I met my first drone playing Call Of Duty: Black Ops. In the game, you can control one of these unmanned flying vehicles to hover and fire missiles to destroy enemy territory. In real life we also associate drones with death from above. The news constantly reminds us of their destructive power, but at a recent Brains and Beakers, Youth Radio’s science-speaker series, Chris Anderson demonstrated how drones can be constructive too.
Ethan Zuckerman On Civic Engagement
It’s easy to find alarming evidence that we’ve lost our way when it comes to civics in the US. But longtime global activist and MIT prof Ethan Zuckerman says there’s a lot to get excited about too, if we’re willing to think in new ways about what it even means to be civically engaged in the digital age.
City Divided Over Tech’s Clout In San Francisco
Silicon Valley may be the financial center of the tech industry, but lately San Francisco is earning a reputation as the heart and soul of it. Tech workers who don’t want to live in the Valley’s sprawling suburbs have migrated northward. And hundreds of tech-related businesses have set up shop in San Francisco too. But the culture of tech that’s taking hold in the city hasn’t come without controversy.
Seeking The Heart Of Indie Games In Austin
For the first time, the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, has added a Gaming Expo. Since the 1980’s the city has been the spiritual heart of computer gaming. Austin’s strong ties to the $67 billion dollar video game industry are now being recognized by the festival. This puts the 7,000 game developers who work in Austin– according to the IRS by way of the International Game Developers Association — in the spotlight. While conventioneers have been gathering downtown to hear about the latest trends, I went in search of Austin’s burgeoning independent game scene.