Here’s a story on some survey research in the UK on patterns of technology consumption among the young and their impact on social relations. I haven’t tracked down the original report, but the headers say that offline interaction is still the primary “driver” of young people’s behavior.
The report finds that of their top 10 favorite activities, “seven are still offline.” They include “hanging out with friends, listening to music, and seeing boy/girlfriends.”
But several other findings in the study suggest that the presentation of them downplays the impact of digital tools.
The summary here notes that young people are “involved in an astonishing 48 digital communications every day.”
It notes that “The technology itself is ‘invisible’ to the young consumer” — that is, it is so much a regular part of their lives that they don’t even notice it.
It notes that “Young people are attracted to digital technology because it allows them to present an edited or idealised version of themselves” — and we should add to that idealization that it depends upon the ideals of their social set, that is, the ideals of 17-year-olds.
Also, “They have an average of 99 friends online, half of which they see face to face.”
Also, “63 percent would feel either really stressed or more anxious if they were unable to use the internet for a day,” and “41 percent would feel more stressed if they couldn’t use their mobile phone for just two hours.”
The researchers seem to think that because the kids favor digital tools not because they are fascinated with the tools themselves, but because of the way the tools facilitate social contact, that digital technology isn’t as strong and shaping a presence as digital skeptics think.
They should consider this final finding more carefully:
“Texting is so ubiquitous that 34 percent even text the group of friends that they are physically with.”
A better frame for the results may be found here in this blog post by Nicholas Carr.
