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Talk to Teens—They're Still Listening

11.10.11

In 1999, teens were asking libraries to provide the latest technologies. No one anticipated the future described by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s January 2010 “Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year-Olds.” The report, which made the front page of newspapers across the country, added fuel to a conversation about the impact of technology on teen development. The report was both relevant and shocking; almost all adults were surprised at the large chunks of time young people were spending as consumers of various media. Commentators wondered if technology was replacing important conversations and the reading of literature that has traditionally helped us understand what it means to be human.

The report confirmed librarians’ suspicions that teens spend a relatively small amount of time with print media (about 38 minutes a day). By contrast, young people were found to be consuming various electronic media for 7 hours and 38 minutes every day, seven days a week. Moreover, since these young media buffs are often engaged with more than one medium at a time, they are able to cram 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media into their nearly eight hours of daily media time.

Source: American Libraries