Children as young as 11 are now actively shaping their online ‘personal brand’
Research by AXA has found that children as young as 11 are managing their ‘personal brand’ online.
The study, conducted by the Ambition AXA Awards for talented
young people, has found that even before they have finished primary
school, there is a real awareness of how they present themselves to
others online - and managing personal reputation online is seen as
crucial.
While 75 per cent of 11 to 18-year-olds use social media sites
such as Facebook, Bebo and Twitter to keep in touch with friends
and family, two-thirds (36 per cent) say they use it to tell people
about themselves. By the time they reach 17 to 18 years of age,
that figure rises to 42 per cent.
The importance of social media to the young is summed up in these
two revealing statistics: 90 per cent use it, and even at 11,
just 14% doubt social media's role in making themselves look good
to others; by the time they reach 17 to 18, most deem it 'very
important'.
Indeed, almost one in five (18 per cent) of 11 to 12-year-olds -
far higher than in any other age group - using a professional
photograph for their profile picture would be the most popular way
to improve their personal image online, reflecting the influence of
celebrity culture.
Other manipulations among this age group (reflected across the
other ages too) include: making friends with people they don't know
so they appear to have more friends (21 per cent), exaggerating
social activities (18 per cent), de-tagging unflattering photos (18
percent), adding 'cool' people to their friends and contacts (14%
per cent) and exaggerating personal details such as height and
interests (12 per cent).
Jason Bradbury, presenter of the Gadget Show and a judge of the
science category of the Ambition AXA Awards said: "The importance
of social media to today's generation cannot be underestimated. The
fact that two-thirds of children as young as 11 are already using
social media sites to create - and manipulate - their online
'brand' seems to be driven by the ambition to 'look good', perhaps
driven by influential celebrity culture.
"However, rather than exaggerate or deceive others by manipulating
their profile, children should be encouraged to get out there and
achieve - no faking necessary. That's what the Ambition AXA Awards
are all about; encouraging and rewarding those who are making the
best of themselves and their talents."
One in five 11 to 12-year-olds say they aim to be the best in the
world at what they do, a determination unmatched by older age
groups, outdoing even 17 to 18-year-olds in their drive to
succeed. According to the survey, just 5 per cent of these
pre-teens say they don't feel at all driven to succeed, and few
(also 5 per cent) believe achievement is overrated.
However, what they will succeed in is another matter, with
interests chopping and changing at that age: they, more than any
other age group, say they are likely to be obsessed by a certain
idea or project (of which they have many), but are likely to lose
interest or set a goal and then later decide to pursue another one
(34 per cent say they that's 'very much' or 'mostly like' them,
dropping with age to 24 per cent at the age of 17-18).
The study was commissioned to support AXA's initiative, the
Ambition AXA Awards. The £200,000 awards scheme for 11-18
year olds was launched in March to reward young UK talent and
achievement in Enterprise, Science, Community, Sport and The Arts.
Five talented young people could each win a bespoke mentoring prize
worth up to £40,000 (a total prize fund of £200,000). The deadline
for applications is 14 October and winners will be announced on 30
November 2011, after which the judging panel will help the winners
to create a development package that will help them to achieve
their goals.
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