Get it together and see what's happening
A big part of The Teens' Speech is working with popular and respected bloggers on MySpace and YouTube to get the word out.
Our first super-blogger is Alex Day, aka nerimon. Since first joining YouTube in 2006, he's built up a loyal subscriber base of nearly 65,000 followers. From what I can see, he's done this by being honest, accessible and genuinely insightful.
Take this clip, for instance. As well as being a fantastic big up for The Teens' Speech (and the RNLI), it's also an incredibly succinct and powerful lecture on the etiquette of social networks and the internet. In it, Alex argues that the internet should be collaborative, open and empowering.
I think that's why something like The Teens' Speech could only have existed online.
This is a medium that 75% of young people now say they can't live without; a place where teenagers can be themselves. Yes, it's about socialising but, as Alex so lucidly demonstrates, it's also about freedom of expression without fear of disapproval or censure.
When we enter this space, it should be on their terms - not ours. This is their turf and if we acknowledge that, young people will be more likely to tell us what they want and what they really think.
