'From MySpace to Hip Hop' In A Couple Paragraphs

Last night I went to the Common Sense Media/MacArthur event "From MySpace to Hip Hop" down at Stanford. I got lost (as usual) and was late so I missed most of the research presentations and mainly caught the summary and the panel. I think they will post video of the event here later. I actually took really detailed notes and then forgot my notebook at the dinner (which I crashed). I'm going to try to briefly summarize the themes I heard last night (this is like the condensed Cliff Notes - please check out the webcast once it's live).

There are essentially two types of youth internet users the researchers are focusing on — more mainstream teens who primarily use the internet to recreate their offline social networks, i.e. it's more of a digital extension of their real lives with all of the banality, drama, flirting, status, bullying, etc. that goes with it.

The other group are the interest driven teens who tend to expand their networks beyond offline relationships based on participating in a community around something they are super passionate about, whether it's anime or running a business in Teen Second Life or being a fan of Harry Potter. It also can include creating music online at an after school program. This group tends to be more marginalized teens, but there are more and more mainstream teens exploring these types of interest driven niches or activities (managing multiple spheres - their real life friend sphere and their interest driven sphere).

There was also lots of talk about how the existing paradigm of school just doesn't match up to the kind of learning the interest driven teens are doing on their own, outside of school. School is BORING and delays gratification — it's about preparing for college or preparing for the future. Whereas participating in an interest driven community offers more instant feedback and validation from peers and other amateur creators (of all ages) teens aspire to be like or can learn from.

My sense is that while there may be passive learning happening in the first group, the more active, independent and exciting learning is in the interest driven space. The challenge is how or if this type of learning can ever be integrated into schools or whether schools have become an outdated institution all together.

Related links

Common Sense Media
MacArthur Digital Media and Learning Blog
Digital Youth Research

One funny aside: I got an email while I was at the event from LinkedIn telling me they removed my photo (an artsy shot of me looking down) because you couldn't totally see my face. LinkedIn's founder Reid Hoffman was there, so I jokingly pretended I was really upset by this. Evidently there are no avatars or artsy photos allowed on LinkedIn — and it's strictly enforced! Has this happened to any of you?

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