Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media – Mizuko Ito, Sonja Baumer, Matteo Bittanti, Danah Boyd, Rachel Cody, Becky Hayes, Amanda Lenhart, Sandra Calvert – 2009, MIT Press
What the Book Explores
Mizuko Ito and her colleagues examine how young people in the United States engage with new media technologies—including the internet, mobile phones, and gaming—in their everyday lives. The book moves beyond simplistic concerns about screen time, focusing instead on the various social and cultural practices that shape children’s and teenagers’ experiences. It identifies three core modes of engagement: *hanging out* (casual social interaction), *messing around* (exploratory and playful experimentation), and *geeking out* (deeply focused interest-driven learning). These are not mutually exclusive but often overlap and intertwine.
Historical / Cultural Context
Published in 2009, this work emerged during a period of increasing anxiety and debate surrounding the impact of digital technologies on youth. Earlier studies often framed new media as a potential threat to children’s development, citing concerns about addiction, exposure to harmful content, and social isolation. Ito et al. offer a nuanced perspective, grounded in extensive ethnographic research. Their approach reflects a broader shift in media studies towards understanding audiences as active participants in meaning-making, rather than passive recipients of media messages. The research takes place in the early stages of widespread adoption of social media, offering a valuable snapshot of a rapidly evolving media landscape. This was a key moment when the norms and expectations around digital interaction were being established.
Who This Book Is For
This book is primarily aimed at academics and professionals in fields such as media studies, education, and youth development. However, it is also accessible to general readers interested in understanding the ways in which young people navigate the digital world. It provides a valuable counterpoint to sensationalized narratives about technology and its effects, offering a more grounded and insightful analysis. Parents, educators, and policymakers may find the research particularly useful in informing their approaches to supporting young people’s digital literacy and well-being.
Further Reading
- Rheingold, Howard. The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier (1993). An early exploration of the social dynamics of online communities.
- Turkle, Sherry. Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other (2011). Examines the psychological impact of digital technology on human connection.
- boyd, danah. It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens (2014). A comprehensive look at how teenagers use social media.
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