[Air-l] Teen agers and the net

[Lauren Langman]

Dear Joal
As a sociologist, I would like to make a few comments, or should I say caveats. You cannot simply ask what is the effect of net-or effect of teenagers using net. One reason folks don't like sociology is that often our answers are "well it all depends".    So introverted folks withdraw to the net, extraverted ones, my daughter is about your age, use the net to maintain a plurality of relationships, often IMing  6 people at a time, planning social activities.   
The net can allow folks to play a variety of roles, some like my answer to you reflects my being a prof, some roles may be fantasies, but fantasy is an important part of life and for a teen ager to lack imagination as to what s/he may be, how s/he may relate, is a bit abnormal.   

The net can be a major source of porn, violence, hate groups, and thats ok-the price of free speach, but it can also be a source of information, help for term papers, tutors to help you on calculus. 

Thus I do not think the net has any single impact, rather a variety of impacts on different folks depending on their class-which of course impacts access to the net, gender-guys  more likely to go to porn sites (my generation had ot settle for Playboy and printed/filmed porn),  religion-most religions have a variety of websites---as do covens, humanists etc.  I guess the point is really a warning....there are no simple effects of the net, and the effects that do happen, are located in larger social networks, cultural values and the person's position, as well as his/her own unique personality.  Good luck
Lauren Langman