New Study Shows Time Spent Online Important for Teen Development

Contrary to the opinions of many parents, time spent online is important for teenage social and technological skill development, according to a new study from the MacArthur Foundation. This ethnographic study interviewed over 800 teens and parents about digital media use and logged over 5000 media use observation hours. The researchers found that teens use digital media for two primary reasons: friendship-driven activities and interest-driven activities. Additionally, the authors describe activities as "hanging out," "messing around," and "geeking out" to describe genres of participation by teens online.

With chapters entitled Media Ecologies, Friendship, Intimacy, Families, Gaming and Creative Production, this report is sure to have a huge impact on digital media use studies in the future.