Digital Youth Network: Creating New Media Citizens through the Affinity Learning Model
Jenkins et al (2006) and Gee (2004) argue that the new media revolution is different from other technological revolutions in that it is quickly permeating all aspects of our lives, professional and personal, and is affecting how and with whom we communicate. However, only a small portion of youth move beyond consumption of digital media to become creators of them. Researchers have explained this by pointing to the cost of production equipment, limited access to human resources for learning, and the labor intensity of production as deterrents.
These explanations have become more questionable over the past decade with the development of affordable and usable technologies, which are seeding possibilities for the creation of new “cultures of participation” (Jenkins et al. 2006) or “affinity spaces” (Gee 2004). In these spaces—which can be found at home, in the community, and online—individuals work alone or collaboratively with family and peers (both local and global) around a topic of collective interest. They design and create digital music, digital videos, websites, robots, animations, podcasts, and other high-quality new media products. These products serve as the centerpiece for family conversation, play with friends, dialogue about the world, and reflection upon one’s journey through life.
According to Jenkins et al. (2006) and others (e.g., Gee 2004), cultures of participation occur in spaces that have low barriers to entry and involvement. In such spaces, discussions, debates, and collaboration between members are focused on the creation of new media artifacts. Jenkins claims that through these interactions, knowledge and skills are exchanged between novices and more-experienced members. This combination of immersion in a participatory group and the creation of a new media object through group discourse allows for the development of new media literacy skills such as analysis, debugging, persuasive argument, critique, iterative design, communication, audience awareness, project management, and other 21st-century skills identified by academics (Jenkins et al. 2006) and policymakers alike (National Research Council 2000; Partnership for 21st Century Skills 2006).
