Academic Studies of Note
e-Media Statistics:
Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds - A 2009 national survey (conducted every 5 years) by the Kaiser Family Foundation regarding electronic media use among kids 8-18 years old.
Zero to Eight: Children's Media Use in America - 2011 national survey of media use by young children and families from Common Sense Media.
Television Viewing in Infancy and Child Cognition at 3 Years of Age in a US Cohort (Schmidt, et al, 2009) Television viewing in infancy does not seem to be associated with (i.e. does not help) language or visual motor skills at 3 years of age.
Social Media and Young Adults: 2010 Pew Research Center study of Internet and other social media trends among US teens and young adults.
Surveying the Digital Future: A Longitudinal International Study of the Individual and Social Effects of PC/Internet Technology: from the USC Annenberg School of Business, an overview of Internet and social media trends and their impact on families and society, consisting of an ongoing series of polls and studies.
e-Media Health Effects:
Associations between Media Viewing and Language Development in Children Under Age 2 Years (Zimmerman and Christakis, 2007) - The "Baby Einstein Study," which found a strong negative influence on language development for babies 8-18 months exposed to "educational" videos.
Associations Between Content Types of Early Media Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems (Zimmerman et al, 2007) - Noneducational viewing and viewing before age 3 are associated with subsequent attention problems.
Violent Television Viewing During Preschool Is Associated With Antisocial Behavior During School Age (Christakis, 2007).
Sexting, Cyberbullying, and other Digital Dangers: 2009 Pew Internet Project compilation of studies documenting dangers and potentially devastating uses of social media.
Fast-paced fantasy shows may impair executive function in young kids (the "Sponge Bob Study"): a 2011 study in the journal Pediatrics showing negative effects on memory and concentration on 4 year-olds after watching Sponge Bob Square Pants, versus drawing or other slow-paced shows.
Academic Statistics and Trends:
2010 College Board Survey Shows Decreasing American College Degree Attainment.
National Endowment for the Arts research brochures, including 2004 Reading at Risk, and its 2009 follow-up Reading on the Rise. These reports summarize recent U.S. reading trends and demographics.
Multitasking Adversely Affects Learning:2006 UCLA/National Academy of Science study documenting the different pathways used by human brains while focused and distracted (i.e. multitasking), and implications for learning. Distracted learning results in shallow recall and lower ability to apply new information.
