Study on Typical Teen Hackers

A new study concludes that many hacker kids tend to have the same qualities as other children who engage in more traditional troubled behavior out in the real, offline world. Low-self control is one of the biggest predictive factors in whether or not students are likely to turn to cybercrime, the researchers found. They may have had other additional involvement in digital piracy. Boys are more likely to hack, and they have different motivations for hacking than girls. Boys are more likely to turn to become hackers if they use drugs, spend a lot of time watching television, or play a tons of computer games. And girls are more likely to turn to cybercrime if they hang out with other kids who shoplift or engage in other types of petty theft. They're also more likely to become hackers if their friends like to frighten or intimidate people "just for fun."


Other risk factors are environmental. Student hackers of both sexes are more likely to have parents who are of higher socio-economic status , and live in small towns or rural areas where there are fewer activities and less structured time.
Holt, T. J., Navarro, J. N., & Clevenger, S. (2019). Exploring the Moderating Role of Gender in Juvenile Hacking Behaviors. Crime & Delinquency. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011128719875697

Digital content survey

Conducted online among ASCD members, this report aimed to collect information in order to better understand the usage and attitudes toward digital content in the classroom and school library in 2019. This 2019 study focuses on current usage habits and future plans, as well as administrators' mindsets as they make their decisions on digital content going forward.
Digital content report. (2019). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. 
http://www.ascd.org/professional-development/white-papers-library/overdrive-ascd-download.aspx?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OverDriveStudy1-092519&utm_content=Button

Screen Time Use and Academics Study

Not all screen time is created equal, according to a review of 58 studies from 23 countries published recently. The review found that time students spent watching television and playing video games -- rather than time spent on the internet and using mobile phones -- negatively affected academics. Watching more TV impacted language and math abilities as well as an overall academic composite for teens; just language and math abilities were impacted in younger children. Teen scores appeared to be worse than those of younger children when the amount of time spent watching TV went up. On average, a typical child plays video games for 40 minutes a day and watches between 1.8 and 2.8 hours of TV each day. Almost a third of children and adolescents spend more than four hours a day on screens, with boys outpacing girls.
Adelantado-Renau M, Moliner-Urdiales D, Cavero-Redondo I, Beltran-Valls MR, Martínez-Vizcaíno V, Álvarez-Bueno C. (2019, Sept. 23). Association Between Screen Media Use and Academic Performance Among Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis . JAMA Pediatrics. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.3176
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2751330?guestAccessKey=f02523bb-1adb-4566-8f9f-02bab8189b69&utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=092319

Internet Nonconnectivity Impact study

From the benefits of teaching lifelong digital citizenship skills to the challenges of preparing students to critically evaluate online information, educators across the country share their perspectives on what it's like to teach in today's fast-changing digital world. Nevertheless, about 12% of teachers said that more than 60% of students lack the home internet connectivity needed to complete their homework, according to a recent report.  In response, about 42% of teachers at high-poverty schools said they avoid assigning homework that would require an internet connection.
The Common Sense Census: Inside the 21st century classroom. (2019).  San Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media.
 https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/the-common-sense-census-inside-the-21st-century-classroom-2019

Large print books benefits study

Large-print books may aid students' reading comprehension, according to a survey of 3-12th grade students, teachers and librarians by Project Tomorrow on behalf of Gale's Thorndike Press. The large-print books were found to improve reading abilities and students' attitudes about reading. Among the findings:

• 61% of elementary school students said they remembered characters and plots better when reading large print books.

• 48% of high school students said they read more outside of school after experiencing large print books.

• Middle school students reported a 43% reduction in feelings of anxiety about reading when using the large print format.

Evans, J. (2019).  Advancing literacy through large print. independence, KY: Thorndike.

https://www.gale.com/thorndike-striving-reader/project-tomorrow-study

Information-Seeking Behavior Study

Children are more likely to look for answers to their questions online than to ask their parents, according to a survey of 15,226 people in 10 countries by Lenovo. Many parents also said they look online to help their children with homework assignments, most often in math. Globally, three-quarters of parents said their children would turn to the internet first. That was highest in India (89 percent) and China (85 percent) and lowest in Germany (54 percent).
https://news.lenovo.com/pressroom/press-releases/parents-no-longer-needed-for-homework-modern-generations-empowered-by-smart-devices/