Berkman Luncheon Series >

jun
12
2007

Digital Natives: Understanding a Generation Online

Erin Mishkin, Urs Gasser, and John Palfrey

Berkman Executive Director John Palfrey and Research Coordinator Erin Mishkin held a lunchtime discussion on Berkman’s Digital Natives project. With over a million young people “born digital,” now is the time to look ahead and to shape the educational and regulatory framework for the emerging digital space in ways that advance the public interest. The Digital Natives project explores this “born digital” generation and the emerging trends of how they construct identity, learn, create, and socialize in an ever-changing “always on” landscape. In some cases, like the surge in online creativity, these trends point to opportunities we should harness. In others, significant risks lurk that are critical to address. As a global society, can we come to understand what’s happening with a generation online, to embrace a digital present, and to shape, in constructive ways, a more digital future?

About Erin 

Erin Mishkin has worked with teens in various arts mentoring programs since 2001. She received a Masters degree in education from Harvard University in 2006 where she focused her research on cyber bullying and developing curriculum on cyber bullying prevention. Prior to returning to school, Erin worked at National Public Radio in their Distribution Division where she did everything from operate a conference popcorn maker to manage their commercial marketing initiative. She currently works as a research coordinator for the Berkman’s Digital Natives project.

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