PAYSON — Just ask a teenager what the fox says or what dancing Gangnam Style is — they probably know what these terms and a few others terms that are popular among teens mean.

Teenagers are the target market for many businesses as they sell their products and seek teenage users. I have watched students addicted to games like Flappy Birds. They often seem to care about nothing else and their lives revolve around the latest fad.

Unfortunately, these popular forms of entertainment are not always the most productive and educational. As a teacher, this is why I am fascinated with how technology catches fire among teens. Based on my experience, here are some of my thoughts on the reasons why technology can snag teen's attention.

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I'll admit it right at the start: When I think about teens and social media, I immediately begin to tally up the negatives.

1. Catchy

There must be a catch, a well-placed hook to lure the most level-headed teen into what is being marketed. Many times this is a play on words or a catchy tune that sticks. For example, "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" has a catchy tune that plays in teen's heads the instant someone asks the question. Others automatically start singing it almost without control over themselves.

2. Socially borderline

Teenagers are trying to break free of many things and so if it seems like something would let them live on the edge, they must try it. This has been where many fall into problems with technology — when they start using their technology at times they shouldn't, like in class. It is always a game to see how well they can hide it. This also is the case with Instagram and pictures that are sent quickly. The boundaries of what is appropriate or not is very difficult to separate, so this seems to be popular for poking fun at peers and others.

3. Speed

Teens want things fast and they want it without waiting. If something is popular, it needs to be accessible quickly. Something they can access for free, without having to download a lot of extra material, is favored the most.

4. Simple

It seems that simple is better. The attention span of teenagers is short, but growing. They want things now without waiting, but they could spend hours on their technology device doing one or two very simple things. I love the example of how many texts teens are able to send in a day — some write thousands of texts, yet have the hardest time writing an English paper. They need something simple and fun for them.

5. Peer approved

What peers think of you as a teen is the peak of all that matters. The value of peer opinion is the ultimate measure for teens. Peer pressure can change a mind faster than a jet airplane. If peers accept something, it is acceptable. This means that even if you do not agree with the opinion of others, you go along it anyway because that is what your peers think. John Carlisle is a teacher at Payson Junior High School and founder of Mentor+LLC

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