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This is a report written by Sonia Livingstone and based on research that calls into question whether "the literacies required for today's communication and information environment an extension of, or a radical break with, past traditions of knowledge and learning?"

This is very detrimental to a kids growth in learning how to spell, write and over all communicate like a normal human being. I don't even know most of these.

I agree with both of the points above, however I feel that it is also good to bring up that that all languages have their own slang. In the English language you could say "Sup" in lieu of "How are you doing?" or "Totes" instead of "Totally!" I think the chat abbreviations are just short hand that has been integrated at lightning speeds. The point I'd most like to bring up is the "phonetics" involved with a lot of these. I think that's where the real problem is being generated. It's fine to drop a "BRB" or "LOL" into a chat convo because this is simple every day slang. It's when I read things like "10Q" (thank you) and "4NR" (foreigner) that make my brain want to melt through my face.

Wow Matt! Some of these I've never ever heard of. In fact my brain might melt through my face as well. I'm just kidding but it annoys me too. I spoke with a 30 year old through facebook chat and she used tons of abbreviations I didn't understand. I feel so outdated sometimes.

Gone are the days of using pencil and paper to figure out math problems. I personally learned math this way, then got up in high school and had to learn how to use a scientific calculator. I had a class for a year about how to use this calculator. Since then math and I aren't friends. In that sense I think it has made us more technologically smart but not more math smart because the calculator does all the work for us. I was actually having a discussion with an old high school math teacher of mine a few days ago and she said no longer can she count off for incorrect equal signs or actually feel like she's teaching because of all the new technology. Computers are teaching students these days. I think it contributes to us being lazy too and not using all of our brainpower.

I agree with the point that you made above, this article was very informative and provides quite a few insights that I found interesting. The most interesting to me is the way that search engines contribute to the way we remember things. I've never considered this before, but thinking back it's definitely true! Good find!

I forgot to add about audio books aren't helping either. I think that for years TV has had an effect on learning ability but reading to me has always been important. I've never owned a audio book in my life, but some people are big on them. I'm old fashioned in regards to picking up a book and reading it will help exercise your brain.

I loved audio books when I was a child during long car rides, because I love reading, but trying to read in a car would make me sick. I will always choose a book over an audio book because with reading, you can find new words and learn how to use and spell them properly. Honestly, I didn't know audio books were still super popular. Also TV and movies based on books don't help literacy, I think, just because most people are too lazy to pick up a book and if they have the choice to read or watch, they'd rather have all the visuals and storyline there for them, rather than reading and creating an image through their imagination. Using your imagination is ALWAYS more vivid and exciting than a movie. But that's just my opinion.

This release by UCLA newsroom sheds light on a study and quotes Patricia Greenfield, UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children's Digital Media Center, Los Angeles as saying that "Wiring classrooms for Internet access does not enhance learning," among other statements she makes in the study.