Пересказ это текста : Today’s American teens live in a world surrounded by communication technologies. The Internet and cell phones have become a central f
orce that drives the rhythm of daily life.
The number of teenagers using the Internet has grown by 24% in the past four years, and 87% of those teenagers between the ages of 12 and 17 are now on-line. Compared to four years ago, teenagers’ use of the Internet has intensified and broadened as they continue to log on more often and do more things when they are on-line.
Among other things, there has also been significant growth over the past four years in the number of teens who play games, get news, shop, and get health information, all on the Internet.
Not only has the number of users increased, but also the variety of technologies teens use to support their communication, research, and entertainment preferences.
These technologies have enabled a variety of methods and channels by which youth can communicate with one another as well as with their parents and other authorities. E-mail, once the cutting edge «killer app», is losing its privileged place among many teens as they express preferences for instant messaging (IM) and text messaging as ways to connect with their friends.
In focus groups, teens described their new environment. To them, e-mail is increasingly seen as a tool for communicating with «adults» such as their teachers, and institutions like schools. They also see it as a way to convey lengthy and detailed information to large groups.
Meanwhile, teenagers use IM for everyday conversations with multiple friends that range from casual to more serious and private exchanges. They also use it for their own personal expression. Through buddy icons or other customisation tools, teens can express themselves with a particular look and feel and differentiate themselves from one another.
Other IM tools allow for the posting of personal profiles, and even «away» messages, which let others know when a user is away from the computer but wishes to remain connected to their IM network