An important new study by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has just been released based on the Foundation's Digital Youth Project. The full report is available online along with a 30-page white paper and a two-page summary.
From the research summary:
"Over three years, University of California, Irvine
researcher Mizuko Ito and her team interviewed over
800 youth and young adults and conducted over 5000
hours of online observations as part of the most exten-
sive U.S. study of youth media use.
"They found that social network and video-sharing sites,
online games, and gadgets such as iPods and mobile
phones are now fixtures of youth culture. The research
shows that today’s youth may be coming of age and
struggling for autonomy and identity amid new worlds
for communication, friendship, play, and self-expression.
"Many adults worry that children are wasting time online,
texting, or playing video games. The researchers explain
why youth find these activities compelling and impor-
tant. The digital world is creating new opportunities for
youth to grapple with social norms, explore interests,
develop technical skills, and experiment with new forms
of self-expression. These activities have captured teens’
attention because they provide avenues for extending
social worlds, self-directed learning, and independence."
For some provocative questions about implications for education, schools, and classrooms, read Will Richardson's weblogg-ed post: http://tinyurl.com/5gyapz.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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