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" As teachers, we all have assumptions -- and likely some opinions -- about teenagers and social media. But are those assumptions correct? Now we have research to help us find out. Common Sense is releasing (Sept 18) its latest research report, Social Media, Social Life: Teens Reveal Their Experiences, a deep dive into the social media habits of American teenagers. This research is the second wave in an ongoing study tracking teens' attitudes about social media; the original report was released in 2012."

"Children are heartily encouraged to read in their early years of school. However, once students have mastered this skill and they move from learning to read, to reading to learn, the role of pleasure in the activity can be forgotten. If reading is just seen as a tool for learning, the will to read may not be fostered in young people. Recreational book reading involves voluntary reading for pleasure, and research suggests that students in Australia and internationally are reading less over time."

A good post from Common Sense Media about where teens are with social media today. The questions "Are teens totally over Facebook? Or are they using it even more than ever? are asked and an answer is attempted. From reports it is evident that there are many and varied social media being used by young people. Teenagers are dividing their attention between a sizeable number of apps and tools. These all allow them to write, share, video-chat, and even shop for the latest trends. The advice is:"You don't need to know the ins and outs of every app and site that's "hot" right now (and frankly, if you did, they wouldn't be trendy anymore). But knowing the basics -- what they are, why they're popular, and what problems can crop up when they're not used responsibly -- can make the difference between a positive and a negative experience for your kid." A few of these media are discussed in light of this.

"While you want to encourage teenage students to develop a healthy sense of independence and make their own decision, you also want to protect them from the dangers in the world. In order to make sure their experiences with social media are positive, consider the tips in this post "

"The Quick Picks list, presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting suggests books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure; it is geared to the teenager who, for whatever reason, does not like to read. The 2016 list features 67 titles and 2 series, drawn from 181 nominations."

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Snap: Teenagers connect and express themselves via digital media but might be less conscious of how the footprint that follows their photos, videos and posts will affect them as adults. Pictures and comments posted online leave a public trail of digital footprints, and it can be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove the bits we don't want others to see.