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Christina's LIS Rant
Friday, August 04, 2006
  JCMC: The Internet at Play: Child Users of Public Internet Connections
Sandvig, C. (2006). The Internet at play: Child users of public Internet connections. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(4), article 3. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue4/sandvig.html

Abstract
This article reports an ethnographic study of a subsidized computer center for children in an inner-city library. Unsurprisingly, young children play with the Internet. Surprisingly, this creates conflict with the justifications given for such centers by adults and public policy, leading to an atmosphere of tension between differing understandings of the Internet's purpose: as a place for ritual and play vs. as a place for the transmission of information and for work (Carey, 1989). Theories of play based on Huizinga (1950) and Gadamer (1989) are used to explain Internet play. The study finds that the narrowly instrumental rationales of public policy about the digital divide are rehearsed and repeated in everyday conversation at the center, even to the extent that child's play is denaturalized and seen as a problem that must be corrected.

Good reading for public library staff. There's an ongoing battle in some public libraries between adult visitors who want to use the limited resources for job or house hunting and the kids who want to play. Frequently adults visitors feel that their work is more important than the children's play.

Also, this idea of "ritual" communication where "it is not the exchange of information that is relevant, but the cultural understandings developed through an interaction" may be useful in the DOPA discussion. In fact this article in general might inform that discussion.

I have to laugh at the observations of how the children use the computers -- they seem pretty much on. Unfortunately, this study was actually conducted in 1998-9. I wonder what has changed? Maybe nothing.

Updated for yucky formatting.
 
Comments:
Sounds like an amazing study, although it is not surprising to me who worked the desk back in 1998 (and have heard similar stories along the same lines even today).

Important not to underestimate this issue. I have seen literal fights break out over "they're just playing around and I'm trying to do my resume" issue.
 
We need to face issues involving the use of the internet by children. The internet needs some sort of child-friendly and child-appropriate functions - parental guidance. We can't just have the kids tap into sites that are not for them (or even for adults).
 
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This is my blog on library and information science. I'm into Sci/Tech libraries, special libraries, personal information management, sci/tech scholarly comms.... My name is Christina Pikas and I'm a librarian in a physics, astronomy, math, computer science, and engineering library. I'm also a doctoral student at Maryland. Any opinions expressed here are strictly my own and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer or CLIS. You may reach me via e-mail at cpikas {at} gmail {dot} com.

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Christina Kirk Pikas

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