About The Series
On June 13, CBSNews.com will begin a three-day series of reports on the intersection of teenagers and technology. Through the use of multimedia, we will examine how teens are using technology and what that technology is doing to them.
We also want to hear from you — your concerns and questions about teens and their interaction with technology. We've lined up some experts to answer your questions and offer some insight into what's really going on. (You can read more about them below.)
Each day of the series will include several offerings around a central theme. On the first day, we will present an overview on teen habits and explore the high-tech gear they are using. We will show how MySpace and Friendster work, what games teens are playing and how the latest cell-phone features are attracting teen users. We also will release the results of an exclusive CBSNews.com poll on how technology is being used in teens' daily lives.
On day two, we will examine what technology is doing to teens. The cover story will focus on crime and who's watching teens while they are online. We will also attempt to get inside the teen brain with features on how technology is affecting their cognitive and social development.
Day three takes a more personal look at teens' lives. We spent the day with one wired teen and will show how technology has made today's teens different from those of past generations. We will also provide a demographic portrait of teenage America and explain how the digital divide is affecting teens.
As we've said, this series will give viewers a chance to have their questions answered. Our three experts, listed below, are standing by to answer your questions on any aspect of this topic. Submit your questions by June 13 and come back to see the answers two days later. Please indicate if you want a particular analyst to reply.
Larry Magid is a syndicated technology columnist for nearly two decades, and serves as on air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. He also writes a CBSNews.com with news and reviews on technology. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."
Magid is the founder of SafeKids.com and co-founder of BlogSafety.com, a website dedicated to keeping kids safe on social networking sites like MySpace.
Ask Larry such questions as: How can I be safe online? What are the dangers of MySpace? What's the best tech gear for kids? What are the best ways to protect my computer and my teen?
Steve Jones is Professor of Communication at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He holds a Ph.D. in communication from the Institute of Communications Research, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.S. in Journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Jones is the author and editor of numerous books, including "Society Online," "CyberSociety," "Virtual Culture," "CyberSociety 2.0," "The Encyclopedia of New Media," "Rock Formation: Technology, Music and Mass Communication," "The Internet for Educators and Homeschoolers," and "Pop Music and the Press." His research interests include the social history of communication technology, popular music studies, Internet studies, and media history.
Jones was first president and co-founder of the Association of Internet Researchers and serves as Senior Research Fellow at the Pew Internet and American Life Project. He has made numerous presentations to scholarly and business groups about the Internet and social change and about the Internet's social and commercial uses, and was selected to participate in the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunication Infrastructure Agency's efforts to review proposals for funding parts of the "information highway" in the 1990s.
Ask Steve questions such as: What is the effect of teens spending all their time in front of a computer screen and TV? Is it true that kids who play the most violent games have the fewest friends? How young is too young to start using computers? Are critical thinking skills lost due to over reliance on computers?
Cynthia P. Hunter is a career and technology educator at Thomas S. Wootton High School in Rockville, Md., outside of Washington, D.C. Wootton was recently recognized by Newsweek Magazine as No. 51 in a ranking of the country's best 1,000 high schools.
As a school resource teacher, Hunter supervises and evaluates department teachers, implements policies and curriculum. In addition, she teaches computer programming, Visual Basic, Cisco LAN management, software application and Web-site development classes for students.
She is in the process of setting up the Academy of Information Technology program at Wootton for the 2006-2007 school year. The AOIT curriculum is a standards-based four year academic program. Students take classes in Computer Programming, Digital Networks, Microcomputer Technologies, Networking, Web Design and Computer Applications. Academic learning is enhanced with job shadowing, mentoring, field trips and industry guest speakers.
Hunter is also the coordinator and director of the Girls in Technology Summer Exploration Camp at Wootton, which introduces 8th and 9th grade students to the world of information technology.
Hunter has a B.A. in Business Administration from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from Hood College in Frederick, Md.
Ask Cynthia questions like: Is technology over/underemphasized in schools? How do we get more girls interested in technology? What's happening in online education? What's happening to grammar and spelling now that everyone uses computers?
E-mail us your questions now!
