Social media trigger new approach

Since its last decennial count, the U.S. Census Bureau has begun taking advantage of more social media to spark interest among one of the nation's most difficult-to-count groups — youth.

The majority of these changes have occurred online, coinciding with the social prominence of Web sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

"These social media were not available 10 years ago," said Sonny Le, senior media specialist for the local census center in Oakland. "The new tools of today help us reach a much wider audience."

The official Web site of the 2010 census includes comprehensive texts and videos that walk people through filling out the forms and mailing them back, as well as readable and audible information pertaining to the importance and relevance of the census.

"(The census Web site) has a ton of new information available, including links to the Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and blog pages, which are frequently updated," census public affairs specialist Samantha Oneil said.

The most difficult people to count are between the ages of 18 and 24, Le said. Young adults in this range are typically moving away from home or attending college far from home and are non-responsive to the forms, he said.

This also marks a point in their lives, Le said, when this type of exposure to the federal government is very new and often unwanted.

"The message is always the same, just on a different platform," he said. "It's about finding the right medium and the right message to appeal to our target demographic."

The U.S. Census Bureau has enlisted help from multiple advertising companies and spokespeople that attract much of the media spotlight, Le said. Athletes, actors and even the president can be seen backing the census in various advertisements.

Major television stations are also airing promotional segments and commercials in support of the census, including MTV, VH1 and all local stations.

"It's even on BET," student Bridgett Gay said. "Major players in the rap world are trying to get younger people involved. It's obvious (the bureau is) putting in a lot of effort."

Though the census is not currently being collected online, the bureau is studying ways in which to offer an effective online application in the future, Oneil said.

Thus far, it has not proven to save money or incite more cooperation from the public by use of the Internet, she said.

As part of the recent attempt to raise interest across the country, however, 13 vehicles are traveling across the country on the Portrait of America Road Tour, stopping at colleges, city halls, plazas and parks to inform the public just how important it is to "be counted," Oneil said.

At the stops, members of the U.S. Census Bureau draw a crowd and engage them with activities and useful information pertaining to the census.

They also take sign-ups for temporary census field recruiting jobs, Oneil said.

Also, if census forms are not mailed back, she said members from the bureau go door-to-door to the homes that did not respond to collect the necessary information,

"I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail," Gay said. "Ten questions — fill it out and send it back. It's as simple as that."

Contact Cody McFarland at cmcfarland.advocate@gmail.com