Sociology professor Pascoe co-authors book on teens and technology

Photo:courtesy of MIT Press. 15 authors explore teen media culture in Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out. Assistant Pr

C J Pascoe, Assistant Professor of Sociology, is the most recent member of the CC community to reach published success. Pascoe is one of 15 authors of the book Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out, a series of studies about youth and technology. 

Though sociologists have long gathered quantitative data, the qualitative research surrounding teen media culture was previously lacking. Therefore, the MacArthur Foundation sponsored The Digital Youth Project of University of California, Berkeley and Southern California to fund three years of research between 2003 and 2006 to fill the void. 

The use of technology in teen romance practices drew Pascoe’s attention. Her chapter, “Intimacy,” focuses on the ways media has established new rules in the dating world. Pascoe noticed that, often, teen romance is not taken seriously in the academic world, but that there are distinct protocols regarding it.

“Adults don’t take note of teenage relationships. They can’t take them seriously,” Pascoe said.

The onset of social networking sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, has indisputably brought relationships further into the public sphere. Pascoe believes younger generations think over the anxiety producing balance of how many pictures to comment, how often to send messages and the consecration of romance in the relationship status. Similar to the expectation of flowers and chocolates for your valentine, the performance of the relationship online is essential. Though Pascoe found that as flirting, courting and dating moved into the digital world, teens still viewed breaking-up as an intimate exchange that should be in person. 

Pascoe believes adult panic over new technology has been extreme. While the inflation of coverage on sexting and online predators haunt the imaginations of older generations, Pascoe found that these incidents are far fewer than society is made to believe. 

“With any invention there is a moral panic,” she said. “The same thing happened with the train, the car, the telephone, the television.”

The benefits of newfound independence and fast, efficient information exceeds the negative effects of technology, Pascoe believes.

“Kids have information at their finger tips,” she said. “When I was in school, finding information was a pain.”

Every generation, Pascoe said, faces the challenges of newfound territory. Parents concerned with their child’s activities, teens scrounging to get the latest and greatest inventions and young adults trying to navigate the treacherous roads to romance will always exist. Pascoe and her associates hope, however, to lend a new look into the way media has colored the outline of current youth culture.