Beacon Street Girls Declare 2007 'Year of the Sleepover!' MySpace Has Not Replaced the Sleepover as the Favored Method for Cementing Friendships
A new survey conducted by B*tween Productions, home of the Beacon Street Girls books, products and website, finds that even with a plethora of new technology at their disposal, sleepovers remain the favorite way for girls to connect with their friends.
Lexington, MA (PRWEB) February 16, 2007
A new survey conducted by B*tween Productions, home of the Beacon Street Girls books, products and website, finds that even with a plethora of new technology at their disposal, sleepovers remain the favorite way for girls to connect with their friends. Based on this information, the company is declaring 2007 "The Year of the Sleepover" and extending its line of sleepover-related products.
"Sleepovers play an important role in creating and supporting deep, lasting friendships among preteen girls," said Addie Swartz, Founder and CEO of B*tween Productions. "Recognizing this, we made sure that sleepovers play an important role for the Beacon Street Girls. For example, in Worst Enemies/Best Friends, the first Beacon Street Girls book, the five main characters find a special place to call their own, bond at a sleepover, share confidences, create treasured memories and become close friends."
This data is particularly interesting in light of another recent survey (from Duke University) which has gained national attention by documenting that adult Americans report having fewer and fewer friends. According to the survey, there is a one-third drop in the number of people with whom the average American feels comfortable discussing important matters. Meanwhile, social networking sites like Xanga and MySpace are opening up new avenues through which kids can increase their number of casual acquaintances.
The BSG Super Sleepover Survey Shows Technology Hasn't Replaced Old-fashioned Fun
The 2007 BSG Super Sleepover Survey conducted by B*tween found that sleepovers remain incredibly popular among preteen girls. Of the more than 500 girl respondents between the ages of 9 and 13, 92 percent have slept over at a friend's house, with more than two-thirds of the girls having sleepovers at least once a month. Twenty-six percent sleep over at least once a week.
In addition, the majority of girls in this age range are even more likely than their mothers at the same age to sleep over at a friend's house or have that friend to their home. This is counterintuitive in the face of technological advances and the growth of social networking sites like MySpace.
"With all the talk about 'friending' and online interaction, not to mention busy schedules and over-programmed kids," states Swartz, "you might think that today's girls have stopped having real-live friends. For tween girls, sleepovers remain an important part of being a true friend."
While a variety of activities are on the agenda, almost one-fifth say their favorite sleepover activity is "telling stories and talking 'till all hours." Setting up a home spa comes in a close second. A fashion show is also among the favored activities.
92 have slept over at a friend's house with 26 percent sleeping over at least once a week. More than three-quarters of the respondents started sleepovers when they were 9 or younger. More than half of the girls surveyed claim that they have more sleepovers than their mothers did at their age. One-quarter admitted that they were neck-and-neck with mom in the sleepover department. Most important thing they pack in their sleepover bag -- that special "stuffed" friend.
New Sleepover Kit Offers Sleepover Ideas
Currently, one of the top sellers for the Beacon Street Girls is its award-winning black velvet sleepover bag, recently named one of the top tween toys for 2006 by Learning Express. For the spring 2007 season, the Beacon Street Girls are extending their line of sleepover related products, adding the new Super-fabulous BSG Sleepover Kit, complete with the BSG sleepover activity book, toiletry case and more. The BSG Super Sleepover Handbook gives girls party ideas, recipes for sleepover snacks, a list of top sleepover movies and special sleepover games.
In addition, any sleepover veteran worth her popcorn salt knows that she needs to bring her own personal care products to the pajama party. Now she'll be able to buy Beacon Street Girls body care products, including body wash, lotion and sprays at select high-end specialty stores. The new body care products are specially formulated for young, sensitive skin, using natural and herbal ingredients. They come in five fun scents and are never tested on animals.
About B*tween Productions
The Beacon Street Girls brand (BSG) provides great books, cool gifts, and a safe and interactive online world designed to celebrate the potential in every preteen girl. The brand was specifically created to empower "tweens," those girls between the ages of 8 and 13, who are "between toys and boys." Shaped by leading experts in adolescent development and current research on how to positively impact girls' self-esteem, the Beacon Street Girls offer a fresh, exciting and healthier media alternative to today's MTV-style world. Super fans in 74 countries and their parents have embraced the Beacon Street Girls as role models who are "just like me."
Beacon Street Girls books are available wherever books are sold. Beacon Street Girls products are available at independent book and gift stores nationwide and online at http://www. beaconstreetgirls. com (http://www. beaconstreetgirls. com)
Editorial Note: Survey data and images available
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