Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

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1.10.08 | by Eszter Hargittai and Peter Miller

While there are many small-scale studies examining different aspects of youth digital media uses, there is a dearth of high-quality generalizable longitudinal data.  The goal of this study is to examine the value and feasibility of longitudinal projects, exploring the various options based on a thorough review of the literature and consultation with experts on digital media uses and survey methodologies.  Over the next year, we will archive and synthesize the literature on youth digital media uses, and host both in-person and online expert meetings to collect information about existing knowledge and developments in this domain.  The result will be a white paper on how best to track digital media use to serve the research community.

We are compiling a list of existing studies on digital media use by youth from varied disciplines and diverse national contexts.  We welcome references to existing projects including information about study methodologies, data, and resulting papers and books.  We are also eager to hear about professional organizations where people studying these topics congregate. While we are aware of many people working in this area, we want to make sure we are comprehensive in our review so we welcome pointers on all of the above.