8. News Articles

1. Teenagers’ Internet Socializing Not a Bad Thing
This article, written by Tamar Lewin, says that teens may spend a lot of time on their computers and phones, but this behavior isn't bad, like parents think. Mizuko Izo, lead researcher on the study, “Living and Learning With New Media" say, “It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages...But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”

This article relates to the Prensky piece, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants" because it talks about how teenagers are the digital natives and they are on their computers all the time, instant messaging, and texting but they also use the computer to learn how to do things for themselves. According to Prensky, "the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of a pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language" (Prensky 2). Lewin wrote "“New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in a classroom setting,” the study said. “Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults". Teenagers are turning to their peers to learn more, especially about computers and technology, because adults are less likely to know how to do it.


2. Column: Cell phones a hazard for teen drivers only? Yeah, right
This piece by Ric Anderson is his attempt to denounce the laws that prohibit only teen drivers from using phones and other technology while driving. In it he is driving while talking on the phone and getting distracted by all these other gadgets he has. He does it to show that to say that all teens are reckless, unskilled drivers and that all adults are capable of driving while talking on their phones is ridiculous. He says, "Anyway, I'm sure some people will say the lawmakers were gutless and should have made it illegal for drivers of any age to use cell phones. But everybody knows that once you reach a certain age, you become a safe and responsible driver with the ability to handle all sorts of electronic gadgetry and drive at the same time. I mean, duh."

This article relates to Prensky as well, but instead of saying that only adolescents use technology and it interferes with their driving, Anderson points out that adults have many forms of entertainment and communication that they too use while driving, and being adults does not mean they can handle it any better or are better drivers and can therefore multitask.

3. VINELAND: Police, SPCA file charges against teenager who drowned friend's kitten
A 16 year old girl is getting charged after stealing and killing her friend's 1-month old kitten. The friend called the police after the 16 y.o. left and when they went to her foster parent's house they found the dead kitten in the front yard. SPCA officers took the kitten away. The girl wouldn't tell why she did it, but did say that she drowned it in the bathroom sink. DCYF also showed up and the girl was going to be evaluated. She also said she didn't want to return to her foster parents.