How Media May Help Kids Learn
How is this hyper-stimulating environment affecting a teen’s cognitive development? “We know for sure that there are impacts on attention, memory, comprehension, and communication skills development,” said Renee Hobbs, Professor at Temple University and Founder of the Media Education Lab. “The nature versus nurture debate is alive and well in ADHD studies. There was one really good study that showed for every additional hour of TV that the child watched at 2, there was a dramatic increased likelihood of having ADHD symptoms at 7. And we don’t think that stops at age 7. That research provides a really good justification for those parents who want to limit the amount of time that children spend with screen media.”
Although many parents, and even some teens, see evidence that multi-tasking takes a toll on productivity and performance, there are some children who thrive and succeed in this fast-paced environment. “The current thinking is that this is an individual differences phenomenon,” said Hobbs. “It looks like multi-tasking might be interacting with cognitive style, or learning differences, or other individual differences in the child.”
The peer pressure on teens to stay on the media treadmill is undeniable. Sheryl S., a Boston mother of two teens, adds, “Every teenager I know is hooked on the multi-tasking and media hype. If you aren’t doing these things, you aren’t cool.” Lisa G., 17, admits, “I guess it never really stops. It’s just always interrupting you.” Could she turn it all off? “No, no, I could never do that. Because when you’re so used to just being in constant contact with everyone, it’s hard to be away from it. It’s what I’m used to.”
Teens Create Their Own Media
There are some positive outcomes from this media saturation. A 2007 Pew Internet and American Life study reported that 57% of online teens currently create content for the Internet. That includes 12 million teens who are inventors of Web sites; creators of artwork, photos, stories, and videos; authors of blogs and online journals; and artists who remix content found online into their own version of cyber folk art.
Even celebrity culture may serve as an object lesson and inspiration. According to Convergence Culture, by Henry Jenkins, Media Studies Professor at MIT, teens’ “fandom,” their attachment to celebrities, musicians, and athletes, may motivate them to create and perform themselves.
Tory G. has a MySpace page for his band where he posts videos and blogs. The band performs at charity events around the country motivated by the message “diversity, understanding, respect, and multiculturalism.” The Graffiti application on Facebook allowed Samantha 0., 19, to create a computer graphic that she submitted as part of her college application and was accepted.
Jenkins is encouraged by these new skills. “Young people are learning how to play, perform, express themselves, and collaborate in large-scale communities. Yet, there is another skill often missing – judgment,” he said.
That’s where parents come in. Clara G. believes that the technology is here to stay and that she needs to be her children’s moral guide: “You have to embrace it, you have to be a part of it. You can't bury your head in the sand and say no, this is not happening, because it is.” Helping your teen navigate the media wilderness is a parenting survival skill whose time has come.