Spotlight on Digital Media And Learning

12.3.09 | A new report released today by Global Kids, Harvard’s GoodPlay Project and Common Sense Media finds that young people need guidance from adults in navigating ethical issues of online behavior.

The report, “Meeting of the Minds,” (PDF) is the result of a series of cross-generational online dialogues about digital ethics involving more than 250 adults and teens around the world. Participants discussed how to behave in a digital world, from illegal downloading and the creativity associated with remixing, to the factors that go into deciding whether to meet an online connection face-to-face.

“Youth are largely navigating these new online spaces on their own, without any real adult guidance,” says Rafi Santo, senior program associate in Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program.

“We wanted to facilitate genuine conversation between generations about real-life issues kids are facing, such as how to present themselves online and how to relate to intellectual property,” Santo adds. “Adults often feel like they’re in the dark about new technologies, and teens need guidance navigating the ethical issues associated with them. We hope the report will help to bridge this gap.”

The report found that teens were more concerned about how online behavior affected their own lives, rather than the implications of their actions for the larger community. Adults, on the other hand, were more concerned with responsibility to others when discussing digital dilemmas.

For example, a teen who makes a fake profile page about her teacher might think it’s funny, while adults are more likely to point out how such an act might hurt or damage the teacher’s reputation.

“Both adults and teens have important points to bring to conversations about digital literacy and citizenship,” says Linda Burch, chief program and strategy officer at Common Sense Media. “Adults bring their wisdom about the world, while teens bring their comfort and understanding of technology.”

“It’s our hope that other groups will follow our lead and facilitate their own conversations between adults and teens on these online ethical issues over the Internet,” Birch adds. “In classrooms, at dinner tables, through community forums, and even at the policy level so that young people are empowered to be good digital citizens.”

The dialogues led to 2,500 online posts by participants, all of which are available to read at Focus on Digital Media. The conversations are here, here and here.

Plus: For more on ethical decision-making in the digital realm, read Spotlight’s story At Home in the Digital Age.