Journal 2: How Teenagers Consume Media

Citation: Robson, M (2009, July 13). How Teenagers Consume Media: the Study that Shook the City. Retrieved July 19, 2009, from Gardian.co.uk Web site: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jul/13/teenage-media-habits-morgan-stanley

This article was written by a 15 year old British teen about the different kinds of media that teens are exposed to on a regular basis and why or why not some are more popular than others. The types of media discussed covered everything from computers to billboards to phone books to radio. It was very interesting to see how many times the other mentioned the word "illegally" in the summary of his research- kids download music illegally, watch pirated movies, etc. There was also a strong theme of teens not wanting to pay for things and how the more expensive something is, the less likely they are to use it. Here in the States, it seems like many kids think that the more expensive something is (usually phones), the better it is, but the author made a point out of how teens in the UK don't want a phone that costs a lot of money because they know they are likely to lose it.

Knowing the students are not likely to pay for technology, what are some ways to incorporate free services into the classroom? Taking 422 is teaching me a lot about how to bring free technology into the classroom, and it is something that I see has clear benefits in reaching out to students. The texting opinion survey we did on the first day of class about our favorite trashy TV show is something that I think most teens would get into because texting is something they do on a regular basis anyway. Since most teens have access to the Internet, if not at home than definitely at school, any kind of free educational website would be beneficial to class.

What services are out there that students/families might be likely to pay for? Knowing that families come from all different kinds of socioeconomic situations, I don't know how many would be willing to pay for, say, an on-line subscription to a website. I would like to think though, that if there were some things available for a fee that were extremely beneficial parents and students would be willing to pay for it. If not, I wonder how willing schools are to subsidize the cost of such activities to create a more positive and enriching learning environment.