Study: time kids spend online not wasted after all

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For years, people have been telling us that the Internet is destroying our population's youth. It is making us less intelligent, more lazy, and less connected with the real world. Today's so-called "digital natives" are, according to some, America's dumbest generation yet. Information backing these people up shows that today's children, teens, and young adults are less knowledgeable than any previous generation and that we spend far more time online than we do doing anything else.

Well, in response to these critics, the MacArthur Foundation conducted a study on teens' online habits. The study, which lasted 5000 hours, consists of group and individual interviews, diary studies, "social networking profiles," and other online data. After the study was completed and the foundation analyzed the information, they released it to the public. The good news: "enables [youth] to participate in something close to a meritocracy, where their age isn't a concern." The bad news: "the Internet generally enables the same old social interactions in a new medium." Oh, wait. That isn't bad at all, is it?

Exactly.

The study indicated that the Internet is used primarily for two reasons: social-networking-based interaction and interest-based interaction. The social networking took place mostly in concentrated regions while the interest-based interaction took place in large areas. Also, for the most part, social networking was between kids who already knew each other offline. The Internet simply allowed them to expand upon their relationships with other people.

As for the idea that the Internet is eliminating the family setting, the study also showed that families are using the Internet together. Some of the people interviewed said that they have family gaming hours each week and many said that they use the Internet to create family projects such as videos and collages.

Interest-based interactions also help children and teens develop their knowledge and cultural awareness. They are able to find information, groups, and blogs on nearly any subject that they are interested in. Some become extremely involved in these and are able to communicate and interact with people who share the same interests.

One other way the Internet is actually advantageous to youth is that online, their age does not matter. They are able to interact in settings where adults are present and they are able to carry on conversations that they would otherwise not be able to in the real world. This can help enhance the maturation process.

The authors of the study do warn people, however, that when a teen is active online and the parents are not, it can create an "intergenerational gap." So their advice to parents, then, is to not only know what their children are doing but to also know how they are doing it and to participate at least some if possible.

The study overall shows people that rather than hurting our generation, the Internet is actually helping us. Instead of just replacing the pre-existing social realm, the Internet is simply an extension of it. It helps to educate us and to expand our relationships with friends and people who have the same interests.