Diva Chat
Have you heard of Diva Chat? A couple of my friends and colleagues have mentioned that this is a popular platform for chatting many young boys and girls use, especially in the NT to communicate. In order to get into one of these chat rooms, you must have a Telstra NextG account and registration is done at the website above. Look for the Competitions and Promotions section (see below) and sign up.
I am aware that Prof Graham Brown from Curtin Universtity in WA has been involved in researching outreach projects in chat rooms but I do not have any data or evidence of the effectiveness of such outreach projects. 
If you have a Telstra NextG connection on your mobile phone, all you have to do is click on the BigPond link on your Next G™ mobile, then go to Celebrity+Fashion. There may be a one off charge. I’ve been told that one of its benefits is the ability to still use the services even without credit. That does not sound like Telstra to me but when I can get my hands on a volunteer to sign up, I’ll let everyone know.
If you read this and would like to offer us some information in terms of offering/advertising free services for young people e.g. sexual and reproductive health, Quit smoking, counselling, please get in touch with me through the comments section or send me an email.
great post, thanks for sharing
Thanks for the comment.
Im boared
Boared as in Boar + ed? or you mean bored?
Great to hear more about what’s happening in the space of supporting our NT youth! I’ve just posted this across my Facebook business page (http://www.facebook.com/BronwynCleeandAssociates) to help spread the word.
Hi Bronwyn thanks for passing this on to your networks. I wanted to raise the fact that remoteness will not stop a young person from being a digital native. Fact is, the internet is creating a global cultural supermarket and indigenous culture, art and wisdom needs to also go on the shelf.
I’m researching language at Wadeye, NT, looking in particular at changes in language among the younger generation. I’ve recently been shown Divas Chat by some of the youngsters up here. It seems very popular in this town… perhaps partly as a way to keep in touch with family members living elsewhere?
Most of what they put on there is to do with mob identity, mostly a bit subversive. I think if you had a message you wanted to communicate via this medium, it would definitely have to be on their terms, if at all.
I’m planning to research this further, if that’s possible without being too intrusive.
If you’re going to investigate peoples’ use of Diva Chat, we should stay in touch. Maybe not by using Divas Chat, though.
Hi John,
I’m interested in the particular question and hope that in due time an ethics application and consultations with young people can lead to some shared understanding. I’m almost always on Twitter as @yhpo and my email is kishan.karu@gmail.com
When is your next trip to Darwin? Thanks for getting in touch with me John.
Kishan
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Hey there!
my name is Shaz and I’m in my final year of social work and have done heaps of volunteer work with indigenous youth. I really wanted to do my assignment on divas chat and was just wondering whether you could help me out and let me know which health messages/advertisements are on divas chat? Heaps of the indigenous youth i worked with have it..and I’m really interested to know what companies or health messages are being advertised towards Indigenous youth through divas chat. If you could email me that would be great:)
Thanks so much!
Shehara
Hi there,
I’m also really interested in whether existing outreach services on diva chat have had uptake.
My background is in understanding web behavior and creating relevant programs that involve young people and target particular attitudes and behaviours.
I now live in Alice Springs developing youth services across nine communities. Diva chat is of great concern to elders and the source of many fights between young women. Interested in how we can use this for good.
Love to hear about your work and join minds about this.
Olivia
Twitter @owhitty
hi olivia thank you for the comment. I’m doing my best to advocate for an open mind towards online engagement and health communications. But what it needs is indepth study of online behavior like you mentioned and I am considering doing such research.
I have just confiscated my 15 yr old sons phone and found naked pictures of women in there he has been communicating through Divas Chat. He signed up for free on his phone without my knowledge and you have to actually agree to be 18 to go into that chat. A girl is calling his phone all the time now and I wonder if i should answer it and tell her not to call anymore.
Hi Jen,
Do you reckon this problem is because of Diva Chat? Technology can only shape or sequence a behavior. What you maybe be talking about is sexting and there are laws around such behavior.
Have a look at this article: http://youthhealth20.com/2011/07/05/sexual-grooming-and-sexting/
and lets discuss further.