Teens Going Online at Libraries More than Ever

Researchers at the Pew Internet and American Life Project recently made a presentation to the Congressional House Telecommunications Committee about teens and the internet.

Some highlights:
  • "Teens from poorest families lag in Internet use."  In households where the family income is less than $30,000, only 73% of teens are Internet users, while 89% of teens in households with family incomes between $30,000 and $50,000 use the Internet. 
  • "Teens log on most often from home, but library use grows more than any other location." 54% of teens have gone online from a library.  That's up from 36% in 2000.
  • "Email is still a fixture in teens' lives, but instant messaging is preferred."  89% of online teens report ever using email, but qualitative research shows that the popularity of email "is wanning in favor of instant messaging." 

See the full 8-page report .

 

Upcoming Event

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Jennifer Bartell Boykin, Poet Laureate of Columbia, SC

April 25, 2024, 6:00 PM
Join the South Carolina State Library's Center for the Book for our next Speaker at the Center Author Talk, featuring Poet Laureate of Columbia, SC, Jennifer Bartell Boykin. She will discuss her debut book of poetry, Traveling Mercy, and her upcoming release, Only Believe (The Word Works), a winner of the 2023 Hilary Tham Capital Collection.