Just ask a teenager what the fox says, or Dance Gangnam Style. They probably know what these terms mean and a few others that are popular among teens. Teenagers are the target market for many businesses as they sell and seek teenage users. I have watched students addicted to games like Flappy Birds. They 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. This is why I am fascinated in bringing to light some of my thoughts about how technology catches fire among teens.

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, “What does the fox say?” has a catchy tune that plays 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 living 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.

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