ARTICLES: Average teenager has never met quarter of Facebook friends (UK)

The average 12- to 15-year-old has never met one in four of their "friends" on social networking websites such as Facebook, according to new research.

Telecoms and media regulator Ofcom's annual Children and Parents: Media Use and Attitudes Report also found that teenage girls are the UK's texting champions, sending more than 220 a week – a third more than boys.

The regulator's latest research revealed that 12- to 15-year-olds on average spend 17 hours a week on the internet, matching TV viewing for the first time, and that potentially well over a third of three- and four-year-olds use the internet for TV and games.

More than 40% of five- to 15-year-olds who have internet access have a social networking profile, rising to 80% among 12- to 15-year-olds.

The latter age group has an average of 286 online friends and 93% of them claim they are confident they know about online safety.

full article on The Guardian website

ARTICLES / RESEARCH: Textese gr8 training 4 poets of 2moro

Research has linked children's use of text abbreviations with improved literacy.

THEY'RE at it wherever you look - on the bus or train, even just walking to school. Students seem fixated on their mobile phones, nimbly tapping out text messages such as ''Wen wil i c u 2night? Cos sum1 left a msg bout ur frend bein sik. R u sik 2?''

This tide of texting has prompted warnings that the technology is leading to a decline in language skills. So are children losing the capacity to read, write and spell well?

The answer: Probably not.

Indeed, new research has found a strong link between primary school children's use of text abbreviations and improved literacy.

full article