Friday, November 21, 2008
Online Time Makes Teens Lazy - Or Just Smarter?
Friday, November 21, 2008
The most extensive U.S. study on teens and use of digital media finds
that America's youth develop important social and technical skills
online, often in ways adults do not understand or value. "It might
surprise parents to learn that it is not a waste of time for their teens
to hang out online," said Mizuko Ito, University of California, Irvine
researcher and the report's lead author.
Released this week at the American Anthropological Association's annual
meeting, the extensive study was funded by the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation's digital media and learning initiative. The
$50-million initiative is exploring how digital media is changing how
young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.
"There are myths about kids spending time online - that it is dangerous or
making them lazy," said Ito. "But we found that spending time online is
essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills
they need to be competent citizens in the digital age."
To see the report, click here
that America's youth develop important social and technical skills
online, often in ways adults do not understand or value. "It might
surprise parents to learn that it is not a waste of time for their teens
to hang out online," said Mizuko Ito, University of California, Irvine
researcher and the report's lead author.
Released this week at the American Anthropological Association's annual
meeting, the extensive study was funded by the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation's digital media and learning initiative. The
$50-million initiative is exploring how digital media is changing how
young people learn, play, socialize and participate in civic life.
"There are myths about kids spending time online - that it is dangerous or
making them lazy," said Ito. "But we found that spending time online is
essential for young people to pick up the social and technical skills
they need to be competent citizens in the digital age."
To see the report, click here
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1 Responses to “Online Time Makes Teens Lazy - Or Just Smarter?”
3:39 PM, December 10, 2008
Thanks for posting this -- it seems that every new technology makes people wary (sometimes for good reason), but also has advantages that we don't realize until we study it more. Things like this always make me wonder what the next "new evil" for kids will be -- first translating the Bible into English, then comic books, then radio, now Facebook -- what next??
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