Some interesting research results are coming out that suggest that perceived problems concerning youths’ use of information and communication technologies (ICT) may not be as dire as has been suggested.
An article published in the most recent issue of the journal Pediatrics, describes a study conducted on “sexting”, i.e. “the transmission via cell phone, the Internet, and other electronic media of sexual images”. The authors found that the practice amongst 10-17 year-olds is far less than previous studies have suggested. It turns out that only 1% of youth have appeared in “sexually explicit” images that have been transferred electronically. Previous research put that figure as high as 20%.
Reynol Junco has been studying the relationship between Facebook use and student engagement. He recently published an article detailing some of his findings in the journal Computers & Education. Interestingly, Junco found that Facebook use, in and of itself, does not necessarily lead to poor educational outcomes, but rather; that it is the type of use that is more significant. See this excellent infographic explaining Junco’s research.
It seems then that some of the knee-jerk-reaction policies working against ICT in education that use things like sexting and Facebook “addiction” as justification may not be entirely warranted.
