"It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it's on MySpace or sending instant messages," said Mizuko Ito, lead researcher on the study entitled Living and Learning With New Media. "But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They're learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page."
The new study is part of a $50 million project on digital and media learning. Researchers interviewed 800 parents and teenagers and observed teens online for 5,000 hours. One finding is that most teens are continually available via mobile phone and instant messaging to a small but intimate community of friends. Teens use the new media for socializing, to explore romantic relationships, and to "geek out."
"Geeking out" means exploring a special area of interest through the Internet, and joining a community of people who share that interest, the study reported.
Posted By: Aspen Education Group