The growth of the Internet has dramatically
altered the ways in which individuals
use the media, and youth are at the forefront
of these changes. Generation Y, the nearly
60 million individuals born after 1979, represents
the largest generation of young people in the
nations history, and the first to grow up in a world
saturated with networks of information, digital
devices, and the promise of perpetual connectivity.
Although teens overall spend less time online
than do adults (for a variety of reasons, including
busy school and after-school schedules and the
need to share Internet access with others), they
are much more involved in the interactive and
communications aspects of the Internet.
Youth are more than just consumers of digital
content; they are also active participants and creators
of this new media culture, developing content
themselves, designing personal websites, and
launching their own online enterprises. The proliferation
of youth-created Web pages and message-
board postings, and the popularity of instant
messaging among young people all contribute to
the booming use of the digital media for communication
among youth.
