Your parents may complain about how much time you spend in front of the computer monitor. Nevertheless, you may feel a daily need to connect with your thousands of closest internet friends - updating your Facebook page, seeing what’s happening on MySpace, catching up with all the people you follow on Twitter…

You are not wasting time. You are developing skills:

“…”It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it’s on MySpace or sending instant messages,” said Mizuko Ito, lead researcher on the study, “Living and Learning With New Media.”

“But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page.”"

link: All those hours teens spend on Web aren’t wasted

So if you are a teenager, bookmark the article. The next time your parents start the discussion about how much time you spend online, please tell them they are interrupting your development of critical literacy skills. And, of course, you are looking at Hot or Not to develop your appreciation of fine photography.

Catherine Forsythe