http://www.macfound.org/site/c.lkLXJ8MQKrH/b.4773437/
"Results from the most extensive U.S. study on teens and their use of digital media show that America’s youth are developing important social and technical skills online – often in ways adults do not understand or value."
I find this to be true to the extent that the generation of most of our adults were not surrounded by this digital frenzy at a young age. I didn't get my first computer until I was 14, and I see more often than not, children as young as 4-5 years old using computers for educational games and activities. It is true, teens spend a great deal of time socializing via the Internet, but there needs to be a balance between interacting digitally and personally. If teens spend more time IMing than having personal contact, it depletes their understanding of speech and the physical gestures associated with it. Feelings and emotions are harder to portray through an e-mail than through a hand written letter, as well as having a simple IM conversation that doesn't employ natural sights, sounds associated with physical contact. I've had one too many IM conversations be misconstrued. However, it doesn't mean I wish to completely rule out this theory of teens using the Internet for supplementary purposes. I do believe it adds to their social networking skills and helps them to explore another world at the click of their mouse. But most of us have seen both sides to this coin and the dangers that the Internet presents. I feel that most everything can be done in moderation and with careful consideration...
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2 comments:
I agree with Lacey in that time students spend online has both positive and negative effects. There must be a balance and a student must monitor their time online. I think that by working or spending time online, students are developing skills that past generations did not that are now necessary in the current technologically advanced society.
I also agree with Lacey and Liz. Although the internet is a very useful tool for homework or research, there definitely needs to be a balance between socializing online and in person. Recently, there has been a strong lack of communication in person. It is so much easier to quickly type out an email to a friend then actually taking the time to sit down and write a letter to send to them. The internet is a huge convenience, yet it is destroying social interaction today. A lot of people hide behind their computer because they are too shy or insecure to talk to someone in person. Computers also eliminate personality. If someone comes across mean on the computer, you might be reading them wrongly or could completely miss their original connotation. This leads me to believe the computer should have a limited influence on social interaction and people, especially young teenagers. They should get out more in a social gathering to further explore ways of communicating.
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