13 Things to Know About Teens and Technology
Lee Rainie, Director, Pew Internet ProjectJuly 23, 2014ACT – College Enrollment Planners ChicagoEmail: [email protected]: @Lrainie
StupidNarcissistic
Privacy indifferentMaterialistic
Anti-socialMean
Especially savvy ‘digital natives’
3) Teens are not an alien speciesTeens are more _____
4) Teens have tech-saturated lives
• 95% use internet / ~ three-quarters have broadband at home74% access internet on mobile device – 25% “cell mostly”
internet users• 78% have cell phones / 47% have smartphones– 80% have desktop/laptop– 23% have tablet computers
• 81% use social networking sites – 76% use Facebook - 24% use Twitter– Approx. from young adult data: a quarter of teens use
Instagram; 1 in 7 use Pinterest; 1 in 10 use Tumblr
5) This has networked information
• Pervasive / portable / persistent
• Personal via new filters• Participatory / spreadable• Linked
• Replicable and editable• Immediate• Timeless / searchable• Given meaning via networks /
algorithms
Online survey of 2,462 Advanced Placement and Writing Teachers
77% of teachers surveyed say the internet and digital search tools have had a “mostly positive” impact on their students’ research work
87% agree these technologies are creating an “easily distracted generation with short attention spans”
76% of the teachers in this study strongly agree “the internet enables students to access a wider range of resources than would otherwise be available”
76% strongly agree that internet “search engines have conditioned students to expect to be able to find information quickly and easily”
65% agree to some extent that “the internet makes today’s students more self-sufficient researchers”
83% agree that the “amount of information available online today is overwhelming to most students”
90% agree that “the internet encourages learning by connecting students to resources about topics of interest to them”
71% agree that today’s digital technologies “discourage students from using a wide range of sources when conducting research”
Grading students’ research skills
Ability to recognize bias in online content
Patience and determination in looking for information that is hard to find
Ability to assess the quality and accuracy of information they find online
Ability to use multiple sources to effectively support an argument
Understanding how online search results are generated
Ability to use appropriate and effective search terms and queries
0% 50% 100%
1%
1%
3%
3%
5%
6%
7%
6%
11%
12%
19%
20%
20%
15%
26%
26%
29%
36%
38%
35%
37%
39%
26%
29%
33%
43%
24%
20%
21%
9%
Excellent Very good Good Fair Poor
What is the future of learning?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”
New: Learning as a process
Knowledge is objective and
certain
Old: Learning as transaction
Knowledge is subjective and
provisional
New: Learning as a process
Learners receive knowledge
Old: Learning as transaction
Learners create knowledge
What is the future of learning?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”
New: Learning as a process
Knowledge is organized in stable, hierarchical
structures that can be treated
independently of one another
Old: Learning as transaction
Knowledge is organized “ecologically”-disciplines are integrative and
interactive
What is the future of learning?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”
New: Learning as a process
We learn best passively, by listening and
watching
Old: Learning as transaction
We learn best actively doing and managing
our own learning
What is the future of learning?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”
New: Learning as a process
Our “intelligence” is based on our
individual abilities
Old: Learning as transaction
Our “intelligence” is based on our
networks
What is the future of learning?-- Shana Ratner (1997) “Emerging Issues in Learning Communities”
How will hyperconnected Millennials live?http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Hyperconnected-lives.aspx
Millennials’ future• In 2020 the brains of multitasking teens and young adults
are "wired" differently from those over age 35 and overall it yields helpful results. They do not suffer notable cognitive shortcomings as they multitask and cycle quickly through personal- and work-related tasks. Rather, they are learning more and they are more adept at finding answers to deep questions, in part because they can search effectively and access collective intelligence via the Internet. In sum, the changes in learning behavior and cognition among the young generally produce positive outcomes.
Millennials’ future• In 2020, the brains of multitasking teens and young adults
are "wired" differently from those over age 35 and overall it yields baleful results. They do not retain information; they spend most of their energy sharing short social messages, being entertained, and being distracted away from deep engagement with people and knowledge. They lack deep-thinking capabilities; they lack face-to-face social skills; they depend in unhealthy ways on the Internet and mobile devices to function. In sum, the changes in behavior and cognition among the young are generally negative outcomes.
How it works• Motive – learning, mastery, productivity • Content – actionable info, how-to
sensibility, links and other resources• Device – desktop / laptop • Engagement – full attention – vertical
reading• Influentials – trusted brands and known
experts (professional and amateur)• ~ Mindshare – quarter to a third of media
time
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy– Search optimized / findable– Acting as information sherpas– Problem solving mindset– Cut and paste– FAQs– How-to videos– Feedback friendly
How it works• Motive – real-time awareness• Content – headlines, new information, first
impressions matter most• Device – smartphone, tablet• Engagement – glancing OR galvanized• Influentials – brands• ~ Mindshare – < 5% of media time
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy– News, especially scoops– Deals– Location enabled– Insights from analytics
How it works• Motive – killing time, beating boredom• Content – gamified, bite-size headlines, link-
dense• Device – smartphone • Engagement – distracted, quick-twitch• Influentials – brands, quality of social network• ~ Mindshare – 5%-10% of media time
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy – Apps– Immediate connection– Predictable and compelling home screen– Grabby copy / activity– Clear and consistent Return on My Attention
How it works• Motive – catching up / checking in / curiosity• Content – news (broad definition), social updates• Device – any / all• Engagement – continuous partial attention /
horizontal scans / sharing• Influentials – editors, social networks• ~ Mindshare – quarter to a third of media time
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy– Apps– Smart curation– Customizable filters– Compelling ecosystem of content– Tagging and saving for future immersion– Social network mediated– Serendipity encounters
How it works• Motive – friend grooming• Content – social, personal, entertaining • Device – all• Engagement – partial, browsing• Influentials – super-networkers / primary nodes
in the network• ~ Mindshare – 10% of media time
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy– Social networks are gatekeepers– Spreadable content– Treat central network nodes like traditional media
influences– Enable participation and feedback
How it works• Motive – my permissions• Content – personalized, anticipatory • Device – my surroundings• Engagement – immersive, invisible• Influentials – my past behavior, analytics,
algorithms• ~ Mindshare – most waking hours
Implication for message makers
• Engagement strategy– Selective product placement and messaging– Permission-based monitoring / interactions– Careful of privacy sensitivities– Careful of too much “monetization”
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