Sunday, May 30, 2010
Submitted by vmartir on Mon, 05/24/2010 - 14:27.
For some time the image of the maladjusted teen was that of a zoned out kid sitting in front of a computer, but the advent of social networking sites has changed that says a growing body of research.
Today’s digital kids may not be such a disaster after all. Contrary to some who claim teen social skills are hampered or harmed by technology, studies are increasingly finding that electronics are just a different, modern way that young people are developing emotional bonds and their own identities, and learning to communicate and work with others.
Computer and cell phone use has skyrocketed over the past decade. In January, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that young Americans ages 8 to 18 spend more than 7 ½ hours a day tethered to computers, plugged into MP3 players, watching TV or playing video, computer or handheld games – and for much of that time, doing several at once. And that figure doesn’t include texting, which Pew Research Center said 72% of teens do regularly, and 30% do more than 100 times a day!
Studies have also found that:
* adolescents are using sites like Facebook and MySpace to keep in touch with friends they already know, not to converse with strangers
* kids who struggle with depression and/or aggressive behavior are more likely to harass, bully and take online risks such as “sexting” and befriending strangers
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