Children Chatting On The Internet (Phase 3)

PARENTS: Please note that this study falls outside of the UCLA Lab School blanket consent form. As such, additional consent forms for this study are being sent home with students. Parents must sign and return this form if they would like to participate

Children Chatting on the Internet, Phase 2 (of a study began in 2006) will survey the current class of 6th graders, and three successive 6th grade classes asking the children in the form of written open-ended questions about their off-line and on-line computer activities. The survey will be followed up with a focus group and individual interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the students’ off-line and on-line choices. Of greatest interest in this Phase 2 study will be answers to questions about the students’ understanding of the internet, what it is and what it represents to them. In addition this study seeks to understand how students connect to the internet, how students find sites, favorite internet games, and frequency in communicating using email, instant messaging and texting. Both parental consent forms and student assent forms must be signed for students to participate. This study is conducted by Debbie Weissmann, Ph.D. If you have any questions feel free to contact Debbie at dweissmann@ucla.edu or (310) 722 7750.