Good news for worried parents: All those hours their teenagers spend socializing on the Internet are not a bad thing, according to a new study by the MacArthur Foundation.
“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, “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 study, conducted from 2005 to last summer, describes new-media usage but does not measure its effects.
Wouldn't you be interested in a study measuring the effects?
I seem to recall that the vast amounts of television I watched were supposed to turn me into a fat, semi-Mcliterate slob. I'm still waiting, because, frankly, I could use a few extra pounds before osteoporosis sets in. But, "they" seem to have been mistaken.
ReplyDeleteSo, I don't suppose our kids will end up substantially worse off than us.