This Week's Herman Trend Alert Cyberbullying---a Growing Problem

The Herman Trend Alert October 21, 2009 Using Social Media to Prevent Disease Capitalizing on the growing popularity of social networking among young people, organizations dedicated to the prevention and control of disease have begun using these sites to fulfill their purposes. A brand new Facebook application was launched last week to help educate, motivate, and mobilize young people to prevent the spread of Humanpapilloma Virus (HPV). For a while now, Facebook has had a breast cancer prevention application. Through Facebook, "Fact Check: HPV" (hpvfactcheck.org) encourages visitors to take an interactive, educational quiz about HPV, find additional resources, and commit to take action. But the big news is that for the first time, concerned friends can anonymously share this application with others in a trusted relationship, because they are already Facebook friends. According to Derek Hansen of the University of Maryland (UM)'s College of Information Studies, the new system creates "plausible deniability" and capitalizes on friendships to prevent disease. UM's iSchool collaborated with the Partnership for Prevention to launch this application. The level of HPV infection among the United States sexually active population is shocking---over 80 percent carries at least one strain of this dreaded virus. In fact, a recent study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that one in four adolescent girls between the ages of 14 and 19, or 3.2 million teen girls, is infected with at least one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases---(HPV, Chlamydia, Herpes, etc.). Given that the use of social networking sites has quadrupled over the last four years and over 75 percent of young adults, age 18 to 24, have an online profile page, it is logical that organizations like the Partnership for Prevention would get behind this initiative. At the same time, the CDC has been online technology and social networking for a while. In addition to providing quizzes, eCards and eGames to engage the visitor to its website, the CDC has even its own island in the virtual world of Second Life. Expect to see social networking used to promote all kinds of agendas to this cohort of young people who are very comfortable connecting technologically. © Copyright 1998- by The Herman Group, Inc. -- reproduction for publication is encouraged, with the following attribution: From "The Herman Trend Alert," by Roger Herman and Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurists. (800) 227-3566 or http://www.hermangroup.com. The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group, Inc." DISCOVER WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON... in the hearts and minds of your employees. Our InnerViews interviewing service uses SPHRs and PHRs, certified human resource professionals to probe for the information you really need to know. Exit and Stay Interviews, as well as Why-Didn't-You-Take-Our-Offer Interviews. Call Rosalie Catalano at 937-416-7066, or read more at: http://www.hermangroup.com/retentionconnection/exit_interviews.html. MOM ALWAYS TAUGHT IT WAS GOOD TO SHARE You have probably subscribed to The Herman Trend Alert for a while now and you know how valuable it is to you. Why not suggest that your friends sign up at http://www.hermantrendalert.com? Join the thousands who subscribe in 87 countries around the globe. Are there particular topics you'd like to see covered? Let us know and we will research "The Future of. . .". And let us know how else we may serve you? E-mail: joyce@hermangroup.com. YOUR EMPLOYEES NEED THEIR LEADERS MORE THAN EVER Help your leaders to excel. Thousands have used our weekly Lessons in Leadership to help their supervisors and managers remember how to hold onto top talent. The 52-week subscription is only $47, a bargain when you think about the savings to your organization in reduced turnover. Quantity discounts available by emailing Carol at carol@hermangroup.com. Order today at: http://www.hermangroup.com/store/subscription_all.html#3. Herman Trend Alerts are produced by the Herman Group, strategic business futurists, Certified Management Consultants, authors, and professional speakers. New subscribers are welcome. There is no charge for this public service. The Herman Trend Alert is received by over 30,000 subscribers in 78 countries, in addition to other websites and printed magazines. Do you enjoy receiving this weekly e-mail update? Contact us about our co-branded Trend Alert service. Click here to sign up for the Herman Trend Alert. Subscribe or Unsubscribe to weekly Herman Trend Alert View this week's Herman Trend Alert Archived Weekly Herman Trend Alerts

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