Children, youth & media: EDITORIALS: It's good to text but it's better to talk

Editorial: It's good to text but it's better to talk
By Andy Hillier, features editor, Young People Now andy.hillier@haymarket.com - 18/04/07
Just because young people are willing to vote for their favourite X Factor contestant using their mobile phone, it doesn't mean they will use such methods to provide feedback on more serious matters. Young people realise that certain issues require careful consideration - perhaps even discussion with a responsible adult - and sometimes a more detailed response than a text message will allow. Equally, with a standard text message costing from 10p, they will usually have to feel very strongly about a subject before using their precious phone credit or text allowance. This week we report how the Hansard Society went to great lengths to encourage young people from 500 secondary schools and 200 community youth projects to submit evidence to a Home Affairs Select Committee on the criminal justice system via mobile phone (see p5). While this is laudable, only 101 young people registered to take part in the Citizen Calling project - out of which eight actually submitted evidence via mobile phone. We also report that the Frontier Youth Trust is setting up an initiative to allow young people to leave a message for God (see p2).

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Chris Schuepp
Young People's Media Network - Coordinator

Youth Media Consulting GbR
c/o ECMC (European Centre for Media Competence)
Bergstr. 8 / 11th floor
D-45770 Marl - Germany

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