Over three years, [the research team] interviewed over 800 young people and their parents, both one-on-one and in focus groups; spent over 5000 hours observing teens on sites such as MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, and other networked communities; and conducted diary studies to document how, and to what end, young people engage with digital media.

Their website is filled with a metric ton of research on gaming, identity, civic engagement, race & ethinicity and more. The most recent study explores how time spent online is crucial in a teen’s development. From 901AM’s excellent run down:

The researchers identified two distinctive categories of teen engagement with digital media: friendship-driven and interest-driven. While friendship-driven participation centered on “hanging out” with existing friends, interest-driven participation involved accessing online information and communities that may not be present in the local peer group.

Some other findings:

There is a generation gap in how youth and adults view the value of online activity.

Youth are navigating complex social and technical worlds by participating online.

The social worlds that youth are negotiating have new kinds of dynamics, as online socializing is permanent, public, involves managing elaborate networks of friends and acquaintances, and is always on.

“Geeked-out” learning opportunities are abundant – subjects like astronomy, creative writing, and foreign languages.

(via 901AM)