Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Pew Research Internet Project - Teens and Technology

Keith, E.K.

IL-Media Literacy



Madden, M., Lenhart, A., Duggan, M., Cortesi, S., & Gasser, U. (2013, March 13). Teens and Technology. Retrieved from Pew Research Internet Project: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/03/13/teens-and-technology-2013/




Because facts from the Pew Research Internet Project article, “Teens and Technology,” were referenced in another article, I just had to do some fact-checking. It turns out, the facts cited in “4 Powerful BYOD Apps for the Disconnected Classroom” on Edudemic.com were accurate! If you are a straight-to-the-source reader, you are likely to spend more time than you expected at the Pew Research Internet Project website.

One of the items of interest around teen habits is that they predict future adult behavior. Not surprising, right? Among the many, many facts presented in this report that are relevant for youth and teacher librarians, one very interesting fact is that 74% of teens access the Internet using mobile devices at times, and that 25% of teens are accessing the Internet mostly or exclusively by phone. So, the reality of implementing a 1:1 BYOD technology environment is a real possibility.

The digital divide still exists, and starkly, for teens who live in a lower-income or lower-educated household. For teachers and school librarians, this would mean that some devices would still need to be provided at school. However, providing some instead of all devices takes a lot of financial pressure off of schools. In terms of addressing the digital divide, a BYOD environment makes sense.

The trouble with statistics is, like technology, they are out of date the moment they come out. The data collected for this 2013 report was collected July through September 2012. However, there is a clear trend toward the use of mobile devices that is likely to continue for some time. Figuring out how to use students' devices that they are already bringing presents itself as an important next step towards a 1:1 technology environment in schools.
 


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