this just in: internet not evil

The New York Times reporting on a study just released by the MacArthur Foundation that found that internet socializing by teens is not quite as harmful or dangerous as it was previously held to be:

Those concerns about predators and stranger danger have been overblown,” she [Mizuko Ito, lead researcher on the study] said. “There’s been some confusion about what kids are actually doing online. Mostly, they’re socializing with their friends, people they’ve met at school or camp or sports."

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."