The nation’s backyards and playgrounds might be eerily empty, but teenagers in the United States are actually learning critical social skills and technical skills while they are plopped in front of their computers, a new study by the MacArthur Foundation concludes.
Despite what their parents may think, social networking sites and other new media help young people to learn how to develop relationships, manage their public identity, and to learn basic IT literacy that can help them become successful in today’s world, the study found. Teens also use the Internet to learn more about topics that interest them, and frequently engage in peer learning.