March 21, 2006

A new study from Mediamark Research shows that young children spend more and more time on the Internet. The report also reveals that over 50 percent of American children surveyed aged six to eleven years old were spending at least some time on the Internet every month, and many of them every day.

For years now, parent groups and educators have voiced concern that all this Internet time could be detrimental to children's education, at least to a certain degree.

However, a new paper presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), by Professor Henry Jenkins of MIT and the New Media Literacies project, contends that young online users are developing the skills, knowledge and self-confidence they need to fully participate in the world around them.

Citing teens' skillful use of all things digital, including instant messaging, Myspace.com & similar social networks, online free sample offers, 'zines', 'mashups', Wikipedia and onlibne games, Professor Jenkins said, "Social connectivity, creativity and learning take place through these various media-related experiences."

If the professor is correct, surfing may not be a mindless waste of time for young minds after all.

In fact, comparing new media with old, he contrasted passive media consumption (essentially the slug on the couch) with the more interactive pursuits that characterize digital culture, which has "relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing and members feel their contributions matter."

Professor Jenkins continued, "This may be what is most radical about the new literacies — that they enable collaboration and knowledge-sharing with large-scale communities. Right now, our schools are still training autonomous problem-solvers. But as students enter the workplace, they are increasingly being asked to work in teams, drawing on different sets of expertise and collaborating to solve problems."

Going online might not just be fun for children and teens, it could be a crucial part of their 21st-century education.

Source: eMarketer