things I noticed:
lots of black w/ bright colors added - hot pinks, blood red, lime
mixing texture and pattern into backgrounds
using hand drawn sketches and images
lots of little pieces with different links - sometimes up to 20 choices - all different images
ads galore - too much to look at, free stuff, references to cell phones and music, exclamation points, celebrities
either websites were very happy with bright colors, or more artsy and dark, and geared towards the "angsty" "emo" "rebellious" "music driven" teen.
To me it seems that most teens around the age of 16 are looking for attention, turn to music for comfort, are in constant contact with friends, and use the internet to "market" themselves. They are stressed and live a fast paced life, and are often over stimulated.
screenagers in general -
young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change. But more than eight-in-ten also acknowledge that these tools "make people lazier."
constant contact with friends. When not chatting over the Internet, they sometimes endure "awkward silences because we're not used to doing just one thing or being with just one person."
About half of Gen Nexters say they have either gotten a tattoo, dyed their hair an untraditional color, or had a body piercing in a place other than their ear lobe.
emo
Asked about the life goals of those in their age group, most Gen Nexters say their generation's top goals are fortune and fame
http://people-press.org/report/300/a-portrait-of-generation-next
How do you target these discretionary spenders, this try-it generation, these slaves to peer pressure, the addicts of cool, and these can-never-have-enough-stuff age group?
They're mobile, better-educated, quick thinkers, openly opinionated, and better communicators than we ever were, because they have better and faster forms of communication.
They're digital in everything that they do. Televisions use digital technology, the music they listen to is digital (as the CD dies a slow death), their phones are digital, the games they play are digital (who has the time for a board game like Monopoly when you can challenge and play an opponent on another continent in real time?), and they are on the move. On the go, go, go!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Capturing-Screenagers&id=1240269
39% of online teens share their own artistic creations online, such as artwork, photos, stories, or videos
33% create or work on webpages or blogs for others, including those for groups they belong to, friends, or school assignments
28% have created their own online journal or blog, up from 19% in 2004.
27% maintain their own personal webpage
26% remix content they find online into their own creations
http://www.viralblog.com/2007/12/21/59-of-us-screenagers-create-content-online/
www.pbs.org
