Mostly they do not have any experiences with computer games and are therefore hardly able to judge the game activities of the young people and their impact so that they can align their education accordingly. The fears of arousing or increasing aggression, losing social contact or isolation of children and young people and compulsive gaming are opposed to the clearly positive effects of learning and acquiring computer skills. Computer games are used by young people mostly for entertainment; they banish boredom, but at the same time they give them the feeling of success, power and control. Thus they fulfil the need for recognition especially with children and young people at the lower educational level, which they often do not get at school.
Read more online...The Pew Internet & American Life Project released the study "Digital Footprints" that revealed that Internet users are becoming more aware of their traces on the Internet. For example 47 % have searched for information about themselves, in comparison five years ago only 22 % were looking for that. But 60 % of the interviewed Internet users are not concerned about the amount of information available about them online and 61 % do not feel compelled to limit it.
The user behaviour in the fast, mobile, participatory web is in the focus of a study published by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. The research finds that many Americans are jumping into the participatory web without considering all the implications. If nothing really bad has happened to someone, they tend neither to worry about their personal information nor to take steps to limit the amount of information that can be found about them online. On the other hand, if someone has had a bad experience with embarrassing or inaccurate information being posted online, they are more likely to take steps to limit the availability of personal information. These results correspond with previous outcomes regarding spyware (software that covertly tracks the navigation of users): Internet users who had not encountered spyware were less likely to view it as a serious threat and more likely to say it's just part of life online. For further information please have a look at the report.
The "Zentrum für empirische pädagogische Forschung" at the University of Landau published a survey about the importance of computer games in the every day life of children and youths. 784 young people in the age of 9 to 20 years were asked to provide information about their life situation and their playing of computer games via an online questionnaire.
The study defines players who play more than two hours at school days at least 3-4 times a week and in addition show symptoms of addiction as pathological players. The study proves that these players are more often unable to cope with their present life situation and feel less integrated than other players. The computer has an overcoming function for them to regulate or to suppress negative emotions.
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