Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Findings and Discussion
The Changing Youth Environment
NDM—their production, popularity and obsolescence—are linked to multiple
social, economic, cultural, and intellectual phenomena. Before turning specifically
to NDM, one needs to take into account other factors that might contribute to
observed changes; in the course of our interviews, broader cultural changes that
may impact youth practices frequently emerged. We identify two important external
factors that are likely influencing youth's appropriations and uses of NDM: demo-
graphic trends and the rise in extracurricular commitments. These factors should be
given due consideration when examining evidence of youth behaviors overall.
Demographic Trends
Demographic trends appear to have a significant impact on subsequent observed
changes over time in youth. The annual number of high school graduates in the
United States has been steadily increasing over the past 15 years and is expected
to peak at about 2009 to 2.9 million as the children of the baby boomer generation
reach adolescence (Finder, 2008).
While matriculating at a top college or university has always been a challenge, the
sheer volume of qualified applicants has increased the competition for coveted spots.
It is unclear to what extent this rise in applicants has in fact resulted in increased
competition. However, the educators with whom we spoke report that both students
and parents alike are extremely concerned about students gaining admission to their
preferred college, or sometimes any college at all; this situation has resulted in part
in a more anxious student population unwilling to deviate from prescribed markers
of academic success for fear of jeopardizing their chances of earning a spot at their
top college.
The Rise in Extracurricular Commitments
Another major change in the contemporary student's environment is an increase
in the type and intensity of activities he engages in. Students are committed to
more homework requirements and school-sponsored and external extracurricular
pursuits, which combine to consume nearly all of a student's time out of school. In
a recently published essay, a college junior readily admits that he spends more time
and energy with extracurricular newspaper work than on his academic assignments,
eking by academically on hastily written term papers and cramming for exams
(Flow, 2009).
Youth athletics have become a sophisticated system consisting of high school
athletes who specialize in a single sport and are expected to participate in non-school
athletic leagues and sport-specific training throughout the year. Similarly, students
in the performing arts are asked to commit to extended rehearsals, touring, and hours
of nightly practice. While the odds that these students will be able to convert their
