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Author, speaker, and futurist Leonard Sweet (@lensweet) scouted this article in the World Future Society’s (@WorldFutureSoc) magazine, The Futurist (@Theyear2030) (March-April 2012): A Future of Fewer Words?: 5 Trends Shaping the Future of Language by Lawrence Baines (in an earlier article, Baines offered 6 manifestations of the retreat of the written word:

     1. The power of image-based media to influence thought and behavior;

     2. The tendency of newer technologies to obliterate aspects of older technologies;

     3. The current emphasis on school reform;

     4. The influences of advertising and marketing;

     5. The current state of books as repositories of the language; and

     6. The reconceptualization of the library.)

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Sweet says,

I tried to say the same thing in chapter 9 of my upcoming book Viral ("Turning a Tin Ear to Poetry"), but Baines is more comprehensive and scientifically compelling. “As the world recedes from the written word and becomes inundated with multisensory stimuli (images, sound, touch, taste, and smell), the part of the human brain associated with language will regress. While visually astute and more aurally discriminating, the areas of the brain associated with language are also associated with critical thinking and analysis. So, as the corpus of language shrinks, the human capacity for complex thinking may shrink with it.”

“Losing polysyllabic words will mean a corresponding loss of eloquence and precision. Today, many of the most widely read texts emanate from blogs and social networking sites. Authors of these sites may be non-readers who have little knowledge of effective writing and may have never developed an ear for language.”

Read The Futurist article in full (membership required).

Read Baines’ earlier article (pdf).

Let Somersault (@smrsault) help you navigate the changing communication scene to most effectively reach your consumers.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Futurist News tab.

According to a new survey of technology experts, teens and young adults brought up from childhood with a continuous connection to each other and to information will be nimble, quick-acting multitaskers who count on the Internet as their external brain and who approach problems in a different way from their elders.

Many of the experts surveyed by Elon University’s (@elonuniversity) Imagining the Internet Center and The Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project (@pewinternet) say the effects of hyperconnectivity and the always-on lifestyles of young people will be mostly positive between now and 2020.

But the experts also predict this generation will exhibit a thirst for instant gratification and quick fixes, a loss of patience, and a lack of deep-thinking ability due to what one referred to as “fast-twitch wiring.”

Survey respondents say it’s vital to reform education and emphasize digital literacy. And a notable number say trends are leading to a future in which most people are shallow consumers of information, in danger of mirroring George Orwell’s 1984 of control by powerful interests in an age of entertaining distractions.

Read this report in full.

Also see our previous blogpost “Introducing Generation C: Americans 18-34 Are the Most Connected.”

How does this research and these predictions help you determine the future needs of your consumers and the ways you can publish life-changing content to meet those needs? Write your comments below.

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you identify blue ocean strategy for your brand.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Born sometime between the launch of the VCR and the commercialization of the Internet, Americans 18-34 are redefining media consumption with their unique embrace of all things digital. According to Nielsen (@NielsenWire) and NM Incite’s (@nmincite) US Digital Consumer Report, this group — dubbed “Generation C” by Nielsen — is taking their personal connection — with each other and content — to new levels, new devices, and new experiences like no other age group.

The latest Census reports that Americans 18-34 make up 23% of the US population, yet they represent an outsized portion of consumers watching online video (27%), visiting social networking/blog sites (27%), owning tablets (33%) and using a smartphone (39%). Their ownership and use of connected devices makes them incredibly unique consumers, representing both a challenge and opportunity for marketers and content providers alike. Generation C is engaging in new ways and there are more touch points for marketers to reach them.

Access the report (registration required).

Also see our blogpost "Millennials Will Benefit & Suffer Due to Their Hyperconnected Lives."

Contact Somersault (@smrsault) to help you navigate the changing demographics in today’s publishing world.

And be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Research tab.

Chart by Chart of the Day (@chartoftheday)

Business Insider SAI (@SAI) reports that Kirsten Kowalski (@ddkportraits), a lawyer with a passion for photography, browsed Pinterest's (@Pinterest) Terms of Use and found Pinterest's members are solely responsible for what they pin and repin. They must have explicit permission from the owner to post everything.

“I immediately thought of the ridiculously gorgeous images I had recently pinned from an outside website, and, while I gave the other photographer credit, I most certainly could not think of any way that I either owned those photos or had a license, consent or release from the photographer who owned them,” Kristen writes.

Kristen turned to federal copyright laws and found a section on fair use. Copyrighted work can only be used without permission when someone is criticizing it, commenting on it, reporting on it, teaching about it, or conducting research. Repinning doesn't fall under any of those categories.

A court case allowed thumbnail images to be considered fair use, but Pinterest lifts the entire image, not a thumbnail.

If that didn't scare Kristen enough, the all caps section of Pinterest's Terms of Use did:

“YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE ENTIRE RISK ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SITE, APPLICATION, SERVICES AND SITE CONTENT REMAINS WITH YOU.”

What's more, Pinterest places all blame and potential legal fees on its users.

Basically, if a photographer sues you for pinning an image illegally on Pinterest, the user must not only pay for his or her lawyer, they must also pay for Pinterest's lawyer. In addition, the defendant must pay all charges against him or herself, along with all of Pinterest's charges.

Kristen likens Pinterest to Napster as an enabler of illegal activity. It wasn't just Napster that went down – 12 year old girls who downloaded music were sued too.

She concluded her post inviting someone from Pinterest to call her. Someone did. The founder. Read about it at “My Date with Ben Silbermann — Following Up and Drying My Tears.” Bottom line: She writes Silbermann said “some changes are on the way in the very near future.”

Also see Adweek’s (@Adweek) “Brands Pinning it on Pinterest” and “Pinterest: The New Facebook for Lifestyle Magazines.”

Somersault (@smrsault) is beginning a Pinterest board. What should we put on it?

Infographic by Modea (@Modea)

Emily Temple, editor of flavorpill (@flavorpill), has compiled more photos of more gorgeous bookstores “from Slovakia to Brazil to West Chester, PA” (see our previous blogpost). Enjoy these (and maybe even plan to visit them) while appreciating the fact that not all bookstores are bereft of customers these days.

See the photos and read this in full.

If you’re a book lover like we (@smrsault) are, bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

The website Book Guys (@PaulTheBookGuy) discovered this article gem by Emily Temple, editor of flavorpill (@flavorpill). Despite grim news of brick-and-mortar bookstores closing, there are still bookshops open that are wonders to the eye and beckon customers to come see!

We can’t overestimate the importance of bookstores — they’re community centers, places to browse and discover, and monuments to literature all at once — so we’ve put together a list of the most beautiful bookstores in the world, from Belgium to Japan to Slovakia.

See the photos and read this in full.

Also see our blogposts, "20 More Beautiful Bookstores from Around the World" and "The 20 Coolest Bookstores in the World."

If you’re a book lover like we (@smrsault) are, bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

The American demographic landscape has changed significantly, as reflected in the 2010 US Census compiled by the US Census Bureau (@uscensusbureau). The shifts related to race, age, gender, ethnicity, geography, income, and other key marketing drivers profoundly impact the USA and how brands communicate their messages to target audiences. Adweek (@Adweek) has partnered with Draftfcb (@Draftfcb), to present The New America (@The_New_America), a website “dedicated to providing timely and topical news and insights on what the metrics mean for marketers, ad agencies, publishers, and technology companies.”

A few articles of interest:

·         Higher Numbers for Higher Education: More than 30% of adults now have bachelor’s degrees

·         Multigenerational Households: Number of children living with a grandparent increases

·         Coming of Age in the Down Economy: Pew finds young Americans are underemployed but optimistic

·         Man Down: The future isn’t rosy for American males

·         An Unmarried Boomer: The growing number of middle-ages singles has significant implications

·         5 Discoveries from the 2010 Decennial Census That Advertisers Should Know:

     1.    The US population is an older one.

     2.    We are an ethnic soup spread throughout the country.

     3.    The growth of the Latino population is substantial.

     4.    Multiracial identification is growing.

     5.    Internal migration from the North and East to the South and West continues.

See The New America.

How will these changes influence your publishing agenda in the coming months and years? Write your comments below.

Let Somersault (@smrsault) help you analyze demographics to maximize your brand’s marketing communication strategy.

Be sure to bookmark and use daily our SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially the Research tab.

Author, pastor, and speaker Charles R. Swindoll (@chuckswindoll), broadcaster on the syndicated radio program Insight for Living, has penned a new book about his childhood speech impediment and how he was able to overcome it. The Christian Post (@ChristianPost) asked Swindoll about his life, his stuttering speech as a boy, and the inspiration and drive behind his new book, Saying It Well.

If anyone has ever seen the movie The King's Speech…they will see something of the struggle that I went through. There’s nothing more fearful for the average person in our society than to stand before a group of people and speak. When you add to that the battle of stuttering, your problem is exacerbated beyond words.

So when I began to learn how to speak [publicly], I still had the fear, because I always had my speaking interrupted with the impediment. So it took some time to gain confidence over that. I am thankful that over time I have been able to conquer that battle though admittedly there are still times that I go back to the principles that were taught by my speech teacher....

...when it was at its worst, I think my mind was racing ahead of my ability to put it into words. I had to learn to pace my speaking. The use of pauses was really helpful. Knowing that some words come more difficultly than others, I have found it helpful, when I get to some of those words, that I pause, say it in my mind, and then I speak it more deliberately.

...if you can find ways in your life to conquer the fear of falling on your face or in some ways appearing foolish in front of an audience it would be helpful. I found several things come to my rescue; one is a good sense of humor. I am often the brunt of my own humor. People feel comfortable when you share stories like that.

...it’s important to begin with a statement in your speech that grabs the attention of the audience. I try to make my opening line 15 words or less. It’s the only part of my speech that I memorize and it doesn’t have to be profound, but if it carries with it something that breaks the “ho-hum” of the audience, then I think that is a great way to start.

After you’ve begun with that opening statement, you need to have an introduction that helps the audience know what you’re saying is important....help convince them of the value of what you are talking about.

...then you move into the body of your speech.... You move from one point to the next and on to the next, perhaps to four or five points, and along the way you do a little review of what you just presented. Then you bring up a new point to develop. As you’re moving along through the speech you’re moving towards a conclusion; this is the part many people leave out. Just as you need to have a good takeoff, you need to have a good landing. If you’ve done everything except land well you haven’t succeeded. So instead of just bouncing on the ground when you land, you need to have a smooth landing.

...remember to quit while [the audience is] still wanting more.

Read this in full.

Let Somersault (@smrsault) help you represent your brand well in any public venue, including public speaking.

Be sure to bookmark and use daily the SomersaultNOW online dashboard.

Business Insider SAI’s (@SAI) Chart of the Day (@chartoftheday) above depicts book popularity on Goodreads (@goodreads) by members listing the books they’re reading or would like to read, and the spike a book receives after it's mentioned by NPR (@NPR) or The New York Times (@nytimes).

Let Somersault (@smrsault) help your brand’s publicity.

And bookmark our SomersaultNOW online dashboard; especially see the Marketing/PR tab.

It turns out that consumers who are physically touched in stores judge products more harshly, leave more quickly, and are less willing to spend than those who aren’t, especially if they’re touched by a man.

Implication: Although retailers try to drive as many customers to their stores as possible, overcrowding may drive them away as well.

Read this article in full.

Read the study in full.

Be sure to bookmark and use daily our (@smrsault) SomersaultNOW online dashboard designed specifically for professionals in the book trade.