- Tech-savvy kids (are the majority. Nearly 89% of 6 to 11 year olds know their way around the computer. Plus studies show this age group really wants to make a difference) (MarketingVox) (MediaPost, reg. required)

- The Winter Blog Blast Tour (kicked off yesterday in the kidlitosphere. Look forward to some awesome author interviews in the week ahead! And in case you missed day one, here's a roundup of clips) (Chasing Ray) (Guys Lit Wire)

- Moms give Motrin a headache (after an insensitive ad airs. The angry bloggers used Twitter to organize, eventually generating enough support to get the ad agency to pull the campaign) (AdAge.com, reg. required)

- iTunes U (offers free educational material available for download at the iTunes store. Plus check out The Gaming Krib, a digital initiative started by a panel of parents and educators with a mission to motivate kids to learn) (kottke) (press release)

- Capri Sun gets into the game (Literally. The popular kids' sports drink launches an integrated marketing campaign with an upcoming "TV Party video game" for Wii) (press release)

- Teens play it safe (when it comes to planning for the future. A poll on Teens and Entrepreneurship shows a 67% decrease in 13 to 18 year olds who want to start their own businesses. On a more optimistic note, the poll also showed that over half the teens predicted they'll be better off financially than their parents. Plus what's Slate's recession suggestion to Gen Y? Invest now) (Phoenix Business Journal) (Slate)

- Kicking that nicotine habit (may be tougher for high schoolers with limited access to resources for quitting) (CNN)

- Text for a cause (How mobile made giving easy. Also just in time for the holiday season? OfficeMax's popular viral campaign Elf Yourself returns. And a recent survey shows younger consumers still willing to shop as much — if not more — this season. Is there a recession for youth?) (Next Great Thing) (MediaPost, reg. required) (WSJ)

- Times reporter seeks out teen sources on Facebook (and catches a lot of grief from editors and parents alike) (NY Times, reg. required via Gawker)

What I find so great about this effort is the emphasis on creating a dialogue around the cause. Even non-contestants are encouraged to "make suggestions and recommend resources" in Changemakers' online forum. Not only does the competition inspire empowerment by offering winners the chance to see their proposals get realized, but it also provides the opportunity for young women to get plugged into a global community of activists. Talk about teamwork.

The magazine takes a cue from Barbara Walters and does its own spin on the most intriguing people of 2008, including Jesse McCartney, Nastia Liukin, and a Twilight star. Because it is the holiday issue, you can find the best party girl fashion. and an obligatory gift guide (this one is conveniently pull-out, which is unsurprisingly appealing to any gift-shopping girl… including myself). And finally, in true teen magazine fashion, the final issue of CosmoGirl clocks in with "898 things you'll love."

This month, Beyonce steals the cover and snags Seventeen's "style star of the year" title. She chats about her personal style and even came up with the fashion concept for her photo shoot ("naughty-nerd geek chic," if you were wondering). Also included are fashion secrets from such stars as Blake Lively, Pink, and Miley Cyrus, plus the top 10 red carpet trends (one-shoulder necklines, belted maxidresses).

The mag also has an eye-opening article about HIV, and with latest statistics citing 33 million people worldwide infected, now is great time to teach young girls how to protect themselves. Seventeen includes a story about a 20-year-old from the Bronx whose life has been changed from the "epidemic." Bridging the HIV feature with the star style theme of the issue is a huge charity auction that allows readers to bid on their favorite celebs' wardrobes.

With the most enviable cover of them all, Teen Vogue lands Kristen Stewart - although come Friday, she'll be better known as Bella Swan. The budding actress and Twilight star talks about the upcoming blockbuster and addresses the less-than-thrilled reaction from the series' die-hard fans regarding her casting. She also touches on her understated wardrobe and love for Chanel.

In the spirit of Christmas, lots of holiday party fashion features and 82 gifts to give (and, more importantly, get). On the more economical side, the mag enlists Gryphon designer Aimee Cho to make a preppy peacoat endlessly glamorous with a DIY fur collar (faux, of course). Plus, articles about the pros and cons of getting paid for good grades and how teens can deal with the age-old problem of embarrassing parents.

- More on MTV's Backchannel (and other social viewing apps) (Wired)

- Obama's 'fireside' chats (started airing on YouTube this Saturday. Will young followers stay tuned? Plus more stats on how Facebook factored into the election) (MarketingVOX) (Media Post, reg. required)

- Understanding overparenting (and how spoiling has evolved) (The New Yorker via kottke)

- What Webkinz did (for the toy industry. Plus Lego gets into gaming, And a car-themed virtual world makes a play for boys 9-12) (Wired) (Marketing Vox) (Virtual World News)

- Victoria's Secret hawks campus gear (for Boston College and Catholic groups aren't happy. Plus Axe v. Old Spice [battle of the boys' body sprays]. Also Ford Models goes digital and partners up with big brands) (Trendhunter) (AdAge.com, reg. required)

- Six Flags goes guerilla (to promote the relaunch of Superman the cheap and easy way) (AdAge.com, reg. required)

- Kirkus' Best Children's Books (available now. Plus new trailer for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hits the big screen this week) (via Becky's Book Reviews) (Omnivoracious)

- Are you afraid of breaking the internet? (A new study from the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project shows this may be an age thing. Also Gen Y workers may want to rethink holiday shopping on the office computer) (ReadWriteWeb) (press release)

- Violent tendencies in teens (linked to "an interplay between behavior and environment during childhood," rather than one single cause) (New York Times, reg. required)

Some say the answer is systematic parental control. The latest version of Windows Vista, for instance, advertises, "a centralized location where [parents] can turn parental controls on and off; block or allow specific programs, games, and websites; and set controls for every aspect of [their] child's computer use." My question is: how do parents control the online activities that take place away from home? And what about those crafty kids that figure out a way to access the central panel and select the off options?

Another idea for keeping surfing safe online is to introduce a kid-friendly search engine like the recently re-launched visual search engine Quintura for Kids When I first went online not so many years ago, it was on AOL which prompted users to select settings by age (Kids, Teens, etc.) The restrictions seemed secondary to the enticing content that the welcome page had to offer me. Quintura's method is more akin to this positive approach of promising kid-centric content. Also, the approach doesn’t wed the kid to his or her home computer, but rather allows them to use their search engine of choice from anywhere on any machine or device. Of course, there’s no rule saying parents can’t employ both methods, but is there a limit to placing limits?

While Scion has had its sights set on the hipper, younger driver for at least five years and fittingly relied on guerilla tactics to get Gen Y’s attention, Mercedes hasn't been associated with the youth movement since Janis Joplin warbled about getting one from a divine benefactor. And of course that product placement was dripping with irony. Seriously. I mentioned the "Generation Benz" campaign to a friend and the response was, "What next? Cadillac?" And yet, after taking a harder look at both strategies it isn’t as obvious who will win this battle of the brands.

For all its bells and whistles, the first episode of "Fists of Oblivion" Scion's Coppola-directed (Roman Coppola, that is) live-action nine-part puppet show left me feeling more confused than anything else. The part I struggled with the most? The lack of humor. Or even what might be called the attempt at humor. The spot's parody of the typical kung-fu film began and ended with the puppets themselves. The tone was deadpan. But not in a good way. AdAge says that "Coppola's irreverent style" is supposed to keep Scion's core customers "young, mostly male and web-savvy" coming back to the site for more. It's obviously no longer required that an ad contain the product it’s pitching, it seems like the spot didn't even wink towards the car. From my perspective, the connection between the puppet cop with a grudge to settle and the gas-saving vehicle (other than its being embedded on the site) was lost.

Mercedes-Benz, on the other hand, has taken a decidedly more grown-up approach to their target audience by inviting an exclusive group of Gen Y consumers to www.generationbenz.com, a password-protected website. MediaPost (reg. required) reports that the site is an attempt to mine the select Gen Y sample for insight towards their "attitudes, lifestyle and brand preferences" through questionnaires, polls and live chats. Ultimately, the company "hopes to get a new group of consumers into the brand and shape the brand for the future." Sure, it doesn't have the wow factor involved in a puppet production, but it's a pretty smart game plan. During these trying times when it comes to making a big financial decision like buying a new car, we want facts not farce. It's unclear what incentives the company has promised participants for their contributions. But if they're able to draw out honest opinions about what twentysomethings want from their next car and then apply them accordingly, they will have done well. Sounds like a win-win situation.

- 'The New Media Literacies' (Great video on the changing skill set Gen Y needs to get by today. Lana Swartz from the project led one of our lunchtable discussions in Boston!) (YouTube)

- Instant nostalgia for instant photography? (New free app for Macs gives pics that retro feeling) (via Trendcentral)

- American Eagle and the JoBros team up (to launch AE's new kid-targeted brand 77kids with a special one-time only online performance among other digital extras) (Cynopsis Kids)

- Just Jared Jr. launches (a tween/teen version of the celeb-friendly gossip site. For everything you wanted to know about the drama between Joe Jonas and Taylor Swift, but were afraid to ask) (via press release)

- The truth is out there (new sites like Unigo and Yollege let students speak out about their campus experiences for better or worse. Also, CurrentTV talks dollars and cents with the college crowd as they prepare themselves for rocky times ahead in  "Maxed Out" ) (Springwise) (Current TV via press release)

- Kids love ABC (plus the rest of Media Life Magazine's Younger Viewers TV ratings wrap up)

- Tyra shares (shocking stats on risky teen sex practices) (MSNBC)

- Introducing Mrs. P (a new video library of classic children's stories available online. Plus check out Big Universe, a cool site where you can create children's picture books) (Becky's Book Reviews)

- Calling all high school techie girls! (The National Information for Women & Technology wants to reward you for being you. Apply for a grant today!) (Derek Baird: Barking Robot)

- Building a better phone (for teens. Alcatel's Teen Lab Members make some interesting suggestions for what they want out of their mobile technology)

P.S. Check out YMME presentations from Boston up now on the Mashup page! We have a very cool volunteer who will be editing the audio for us and will post it as soon as it's done.

While millennials are certainly aware of the dire financial times we live in, our general attitude towards the future remains optimistic. Some may scoff and say that this is because we don't know what we're in for, and to some extent that's true. Ten years ago today I was celebrating my Bat Mitzvah. My only concept of the economic climate then was my own personal windfall. But does this really put us at a disadvantage now? If anything, our inability to recall the widespread anxiety of the past will help us to weather what's ahead by allowing us to keep a level head.

Another reason we're not worried? The odds are in our favor. As our Millennial panelists pointed out last week, Boomers are still going to retire and Xers aren't nearly as numerous as we are. The end result? Even in a slow-moving labor market, there will continue to be plenty of opportunities for talented Millennials.

But what really keeps us calm in these troubled times? The same strategy that got us through high school, accepted into college and hired in the first place: making a plan. From a recent article in PC World:

[Millennials] have good judgment, and many of them realize that they won't be able to make the demands for raises, promotions, training and the hottest technologies during a recession that they've previously made on their employers, says [Lisa Orrell, a generational relations expert and author of Millenials Incorporated]

And, if all else fails? We'll move back in with our parents. No, it wouldn't be ideal, but it's still a viable option if we need it. Unlike Gen X, this move backwards isn't synonymous with failure. It's more like a reset button.

The Panelists
Ryan Healy (Co-Founder, Brazen Careerist)
Nadira Hira (Writer, Fortune)
Reena Nadler (Program Manager, LifeCourse Associates)
Saaret Yoseph (Editorial Assistant, The Root)

Moderator
Mike Dover (VP, Syndicated Research, nGenera)

Myth: Millennials Feel Entitled
It's no secret that Millennials have a different attitude towards climbing the corporate ladder than the generations that came before (with twentysomething CEOs who can blame us?), but that doesn't necessarily mean we're looking to avoid earning our way to the top. We just expect the ascent to happen sooner than later. Healy suggested that it was this sense of self-confidence that was being confused with entitlement (he credited parents for instilling us with the belief that we can do anything we set our minds to). Yoseph took a slightly different stance, conceding that Millennials were high-maintenance, but this was only because we were high-performing as well (i.e. willing to work on nights and weekends.)

Myth: Millennials Expect To Become Rich And Famous
As Millennials came of age there was a fundamental shift in the perception of who was considered a celebrity– first, with the advent of reality TV and then with YouTube. But, as far as our desire to join that culture? Healy said Millennials are much more concerned with our personal brand and what we project on the scale of social networks (i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter). Nadler added that if you look at who's influencing Gen y, it's parents and professors more than celebrities (echoing what we heard during the SurveyU preso on Gen Y's political influences).

Reality: Millennials Come With Helicopter Parents
Whereas Gen Xers would opt to go it alone once they reached college, according to Nadler, Gen Y is much less willing to take a risk if it isn't validated by an authority figure. Yoseph explained that we appreciate the safety net that comes with a support system. Parents, in turn, have responded by becoming increasingly involved in their children's lives beyond high school. On a positive note, this closeness has translated for some into a better relationship between Gen Y and Boomers at the office allowing for mentorship opportunities. There is a point, however, when involved becomes too involved. Nadler said she's heard both college administrators and employers begin to complain about parents’ heightened presence. Finally, there are some employers who have wholeheartedly embraced the shift. Nadler cited a recent army campaign that co-marketed to parents as well as potential recruits with the tagline, "You made them strong. We make them army strong."

Myth: Millennials Are Post-Racial
This myth was actually a point of contention among our panelists. While Yoseph agreed that Gen Y was a diverse community, she wouldn't go so far as to say we've become post-racial. In fact, she argued Millennials gave themselves more credit than they were due, engaging in cultural tourism rather than a deep understanding of race. Healy, however, argued that we were nearly there and cited our strong reaction against Sarah Palin, whom he called a culture warrior type, as evidence that we were already in, if not heading rapidly towards, a much more progressive place.

Reality: Companies Could Benefit From Reverse Mentoring
Hira (who wrote a piece on attracting the Gen Y worker for Fortune) traced one source of generational workplace tension to the fact that Boomers feel like when they went to work they came in, put on the suit and played the game. Now they're wondering why Gen Y isn’t doing the same. As for the strain between X and Y? Chalked up to good old-fashioned sibling rivalry. But, when it comes down to it, are Millennials' suggestions for the workplace really such a bad idea? One issue that came up multiple times was Y’s need for constant praise: (one survey showed more than 60% of Millennials wanted feedback once a month or more on their work). But, as Nadler pointed out, who wouldn’t benefit from more feedback? Other points mentioned were flexible hours (working from home on Fridays) and informal attire (to Gen Y, casual doesn’t mean unprofessional.)

In Conclusion
While Millennials are by no means perfect employees (several panelists pointed to a problem taking on a leadership role), they do have a lot to offer. Not only as smart, capable individuals, but as a collective whole with big ideas about business and business culture.

- Game on (for the face-off between iPhones and gaming giants) (WSJ via PSFK)

- Green is the new black (Another study confirms that young shoppers are enviro-conscious. Surprise surprise. The question is how dedicated are they? Plus Microsoft and Synnovate discover young people interact with brands online. And email is not dead - Sprint finds millennials under 30 want to email from their phones) (AdWeek) (Direct News)

- The virtual classroom? (More than one in five college students are signed up for an online course) (The Boston Globe)

- 'Not just a hipster mall' (Urban Outfitters partners with "edgy" retailers to open Space 15 Twenty in Hollywood) (via Trendcentral)

- Millennials fight (for the right to wear Chuck Taylors in the office) (WSJ, reg. required)

- Afro-Latino youth (as a gateway market) (AdAge.com, reg. required)

- Are kids' shows (getting dumbed down? New study from non-partisan research and advocacy group Children Now says only one in eight of children's programs reach "high educational standards." Plus go inside the Barbie store in Bueno Aires) (Cynopsis Kids) (L.A. Times, reg. required)

- So are teens twittering now? (This isn't what we've been hearing, but apparently users are getting younger) (Mobile Youth)

- Target puts the gift in gift card (creating cards that double as digital cameras) (Gizmodo)

- Philippines Tourism Taps MTV (to help promote adventure travel to their country) (BrandWeek)

P.S. Looking for volunteer(s) to help us edit audio from the Ypulse Youth Marketing Mashup East conference. Fame (but unfortunately not fortune) await! Email us if you can help out….