Wired and Plugged In

Goodstein, Anastasia (2007). Totally Wired. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.

Goodstein begins her book with "Meet a Totally Wired Teen" and reflects on the day in the life of a contemporary teen, noting the teens extensive and continuous use of technology. She feels that teens have not changed much. Technology is used to carry out similar activities, such as listening to music, journaling (blogging) and expanded the venues of talking to texting, instant messaging, and e-mailing. In the chapter, "Finding Their Space: Social-Networking Sites" she sees teens "hanging out" on social networking sites such as FaceBook and MySpace, using them as venues for self-promotion, sharing interests, talking about their offline lives and hooking up.

The volume and variety of technologies used by teens has greatly increased and intensified. As I can see and understand Goodstein's view, I think technology has a powerful influence on how teens and tweens interact with the world. It seems that technology, especially mobile technology, is an extension of their being or a part of their being. Many tweens and teens constantly carry and use mobile devices, allowing them to be connected to others, to music, videos, broadcasts and podcasts. This readily available technology becomes another live being in the room.

A CBS TV News report, “Todays Plugged in Tweens", on the Kaiser Family Foundation’s (KFF) report “Generation M2: Media in the LIves of 8 to 18-year-olds" published in January 2010 verifies the increase of technology in the lives of tweens and teens. The KFF indicates that this report “is the third in a series of large-scale, nationally representative surveys by the Foundation about young people’s media use”. The KFF’s news release indicates that 8-18 year-olds devote an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes to using entertainment media across a typical day and spend most of that time multi-tasking with more than one medium. The amount of time spent with media increased by an hour and seventeen minutes a day over the past five years, from 6 hours, 21 minutes in 2004 to 7 hours, 38 minutes today. This survey indicates that ready access to mobile multi-media devices is increasing consumption. About 30% of kids have no parental rules imposed on them about time watching TV or playing video games and less than 50% of the kids have parental rules guiding content in TV shows, music or video games. Over 60% of youth indicate that the TV is on during meals and 70% of youth have a TV in their room. The survey found that heavy media users (more than 16 hours a day) get lower grades.