SMS and Computer Based Sex Ed in Nigeria

LearningAboutLiving.org is a computer based sex ed program for Nigerian youth. The site guides students and teachers through some of the rough puberty topics by offering conversation- starting texts and suggestions for activities. The topics for discussion range from: Body Image, Love/Friendship, Assertiveness and HIV/STIs. I do have to mention that though the site offers fodder for discussion the word condom never appears.

The really interesting portion of this curriculum is the text in feature. I would love to know how it works in a little more detail. But it seems that when students have questions they aren't comfortable asking an adult or in a group setting they can text their issue and receive a personalized response. In the first 2 months the service fielded 10,000 questions. I think it would be great to include the questions and responses on the site so students who didn't know how to frame their questions could learn from their peers.

Texting 4 Health - Stanford

Half of ISIS will be in Palo Alto tomorrow sharpening our brains at the Texting 4 Health conference hosted by The Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University.

Deb will be speaking about SexINFO (text sexinfo to 61827) and how text based programs can reach low income urban youth.

I'm psyched to test out all the applications I haven't heard of, especially what's going on in developing countries where text is king!


I <3 txt.

As ET once said "Be Good"

I firmly believe that we are living in the future. Think about it for a moment. True there aren't flying cars whizzing through the air and we can completely exist on chocolate bars (although I bet I could live a pretty long time maybe even thrive on Cliff Bars alone.) That being said, a lot of this tech stuff that these 'future' kids of today casually wield would have amounted to a super-power when I was a wee-one (and I'm still clawing away at my 20s.) They have the power to instantly communicate and organize en masse. All they need is a cell phone touch pad and a rudimentary understanding of a growing system of code (OMG, LOL, ROFLOL, QFT etc) I love using urban dictionary as my rosetta stone to translate this new tech language.
I love the idea of relatively a simple cipher created out of the need for speed and brevity having this much power. Its like watching a language being born. As with every super-power there is always a dark side. What would Superman be without Bizzaro. The dark side of text messaging reared its ugly head as cops in Tokyo and Saitama broke up a ring of junior high and high school girls that were selling sex online via their cell phones. Apparently one of those arrested was in the 6th grade. Wow! What really makes my jaw drop and drag on the floor is that they developed an intricate text/SMS friendly code to advertise their services.

Like:
IkebLURV1700Yukichi2JC1

Ikeb = Ikebukuro. The neighborhood that the girl is in.
LURV = "I will have sex with you."
1700 = Time: 5PM
Yukichi2 = Yukichi Fukuzawa, the guy whose face is on the 10,000 yen note x 2 = I cost 20,000 yen
JC = Joshi Chugakusei (Junior high school girl. JS would be elementary school girl, JK would be high school girl)
1 = Grade 1. In Japan, 1st year of junior high = 7th grade.

I got this break down from www.tokyomango.com

So, wow I say! As our advances in technology continue to bestow upon us futuristic powers I have but one bit of advise - Always, Always use your powers for good not evil!

Networking with a View

Save the date! Plan on networking and hobnobbing with public health folks, youth advocates, youth and tech geeks at the top of the JW Marriott on Tuesday, January 22nd. Beverages, appetizers, live spinning by DJ JL, co-sponsored by ISIS, Inc. and the Full Circle Fund.

Full Circle Fund folks are cool. Their party line, "Full Circle Fund is an engaged philanthropy organization cultivating the next generation of community leaders and driving lasting social change in the Bay Area."

But really, they have 4 circles - technology, education, homelessness, and environment, where they donate time, money, and expertise to worthy non-profits, like ISIS. Yes, ISIS and San Francisco Dept. of Public Health won the Full Circle Technology Award in 2007 for SexINFO, our text messaging project for urban youth. And we got to sit in the front row for Al Gore's speech at San Francisco City Hall. Woohoo!

Join us on the 22nd, and meet some great folks.
www.sxtechconference.org
text "contest" to 61827