WORRIES about the damage the internet may be doing to young people has produced a mountain of books-a suitably old technology in which to express concerns about the new. Robert Bly claims that, thanks to the internet, the "neo-cortex is finally eating itself". Today's youth may be web-savvy, but they also stand accused of being unread, bad at communicating, socially inept, shameless, dishonest, work-shy, narcissistic and indifferent to the needs of others.
An overwhelming majority (89%) of all kids age 6-11 in the US spend at least some time doing online activities and - though many of their basic social activities haven't changed much over the years - they have vastly different communication styles and preferences than older age groups, according to a study from Experian Consumer Research.