A recent ethnographic study by the MacArthur foundation called “Living and Learning with New Media,” found that the heavy online socializing common among teenagers can help them develop necessary technological skills and literacy for success in today's world, as well as give them the opportunity to explore their interests and find forms of self expression.
The study was conducted from 2005 until last summer, and involved interviewing 800 teenagers and their parents, and observing the teens' new media use to find ...