Who's That Girl? New Findings About Girls Online From The Girl Scout Research Institute

The increased exposure to social media puts teenage girls in a confusing situation where a girl’s image is not always what it seems, as nearly 74 percent of girls believe other girls their age use social networking sites to make themselves “cooler than they really are,” according to a national survey, Who's That Girl: Self Image in the 21st Century, released by Girl Scouts of the USA.

The nationwide survey, which included more than 1,000 girls ages 14 through 17, finds that girls downplay several positive characteristics of themselves online, most prominently their intelligence, kindness and efforts to be a positive influence. In person, girls say they come across as smart (82 percent), kind (76 percent) and a good influence (59 percent), whereas online, girls consider themselves fun (54 percent), funny (52 percent) and social (48 percent). Girls with low self-esteem are more likely to admit their social networking image does not match their in-person image (33 percent vs. 18 percent of girls with high self-esteem) and are also more likely to claim that the image they portray online is sexy (22 percent vs. 14 percent) and crazy (35 percent vs. 28 percent). According to Kimberlee Salmond, senior researcher at the Girl Scout Research Institute:

“Adults and teens alike need greater understanding about the ways girls
represent themselves and communicate on social networking sites... If girls are
portraying themselves differently online than they are in person, this can
impact their identity, sense of self and relationships.”

The Girl Scout survey also sheds light on the fact that a majority of girls understand their emotional safety and reputations are at risk online, yet 50 percent admit to not always being as careful as they should be online. Sixty-eight percent of girls have had a negative experience on a social networking site, such as having someone gossip about them or being bullied. Furthermore, many girls are concerned that they won’t get into their college of choice (42 percent), will miss a job opportunity (40 percent) and will get into trouble with parents and teachers (40 percent).

In contrast, the vast majority of girls prefer face-to-face communication. Ninety-two percent would give up all of their social networking friends if it meant keeping their best friend. The study also finds that social networking provides an avenue for girls to maintain better relationships and feel more connected to causes they care about. Fifty-six percent of girls agree that social networking helps them feel closer to their friends, and 36 percent think that social networks have increased the quality of their relationships. Fifty-two percent of girls have gotten involved in a cause they care about through a social network.

Do you have thoughts about the online lives of teenage girls?

Good Morning America Endorses LMK

Head over to Good Morning America this morning and check out a story about LMK - our partnership website with Microsoft Windows in place to provide kids and their parents with the know-how to safely navigate online life. Cyberbullying and Online Cruelty have become two unavoidable stories in the current media landscape and in everyday life. Girl Scouts of the USA is extremely proud to lead the way in education children and parents on how to be more responsible citizens online! See the video below:

LMK Tours the Conference Circuit

In late October, I was honored to attend California's Women's Conference, on behalf of LMK(Let Me Know)- Girl Scouts of the USA's online safety initiative launched through a partnership with Microsoft Windows. At the conference I met Paula Deen, Maria Shriver, Geena Davis and along with my colleagues, spread the word about GSUSA's commitment to making the Internet a safer place for girls.

The following week, on the same topic, my colleagues got the opportunity to attend FOSI, Family Online Safety Institute Conference in Washington DC. More importantly was the presence of five teens (representing Greater New York and Northern New Jersey Councils) from the LMK Online Safety initiative. Cadettes to Ambassadors took center stage at the FOSI’s first Teen Panel Session, moderated by Marsali Hancock, the President of iKeepSafe. The session highlighted how and why teens use the Internet today and their behaviors and usage trends. They were joined by international students from Denmark, Brazil and members of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Washington. Our girl representatives also attended various breakout sessions including Getting Kids Hooked on Safety When They are Young and Kids On the Go – Challenges Confronting Mobility. See a video of the events at FOSI posted below and let us know what measures you take to keep safe online.

LMK in Latina Style

A recent article in Latina Style quotes a survey conducted by Omnibuzz, illustrating that tween and teen girls engage in and are exposed to riskier situations online than their male peers. The article states that:

"More than half of online teens (56%) said they’ve been asked personal questions (such as their age, sex, or location) online. Significantly more tweens (82%) than teens (58%) report having discussed internet safety with their parents. Correspondingly higher levels of tweens (59%) than teens (40%) report being concerned about being approached by adult strangers online. Disturbing to note is that 11 percent of teens reported being solicited online by adults and keeping the incident from their parents."

In the article, Gladys Padro-Soler, director of Membership Strategies and a key member of the Hispanic Initiative at the Girl Scouts of the USA states that:

“At the beginning of the technology revolution, we saw the division between
Latinos and other populations that had access to technology. I never encountered
a parent that did not want their daughter to thrive in her education and career
aspirations with the help of the technology that is around her,” she says. “I
met parents that were only afraid of what dangers lurked for their daughters
from the many tragedies they heard about in the news; others were very sad that
they did not have the means to provide a computer for their kids at home.”

The article points out multiple programs in place to combat the generational divide on the internet, highlighting LMK. LMK, as many readers know, seeks to bridge the digital divide between parents and teens by giving teens a platform to educate parents on the web issues most important to them. In regards to parents, LMK also offers a parent site. Let Me Know, the parent site, aims to provide parents with tips, tools and resources to help keep their families safer online. With insight from teen girls, parents learn about current issues that face teens online and how to utilize technology in a safe way. Read the entire Latina Style article here, and let us know what you think of Let Me Know, the parent site!

Online Safety: A Growing Concern

Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal published an article detailing the rise and fall of Albert Gonzalez.

Gonzalez was the ringleader of a data breach that siphoned off more than 40 million credit-card numbers from TJXCos. and others in recent years, costing the parent company of the TJ Maxx retail chain about $200 million. The article states:

"Wire fraud, conducted in cyberspace because wire transfers now use networks that connect to the Internet, has exploded in recent years. The Treasury Department recently reported that of the more than 55,000 incidents of wire fraud since 1998, more than half of them occurred in the past two years..."

As an identity theft victim myself, I can certainly state that it is not a joke - and often times there is no easy fix. What you can and should do is protect yourself. Many good ways to empower yourself with useful online safety techniques can be found at girl led website LMK. It has a very helpful Privacy module that you should check out. More importantly however, there is a quiz - which I failed.

Head on over to the quiz and let us know how well you do!

LMK: Girl Scouts and Windows take a stand on Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying and Online Cruelty have become two unavoidable stories in the current media landscape. From the tragic suicide of Megan Meier to the heart-wrenching tale of Nikki Catsouras, the need for dialogue and disclosure about online safety between today's younger generation and their parents is urgent and palpable.

To this end, Girl Scouts of the USA has forged a partnership with Microsoft Windows to assist parents and teens in bridging the generational, digital divide. LMK. LMK, text-speak for Let Me Know, is in place to provide kids and their parents with the know-how to safely navigate online life. In order to stay true to the spirit of Girl Scouts and give parents a window into the online lives of girls, LMK's content is supplied by girls. Read this story from The Warren Reporter to learn about three girls from northern New Jersey who serve on the national editorial board for the project.