Many parents worry about the time their kids spend online, but this activity may actually be good for them.

A study by the MacArthur Foundation claims that surfers gain valuable skills to prepare them for the future. One of the authors observes, It may look as though kids are wasting a lot of time hanging out with new media, whether it s on MySpace or sending instant messages. But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page. The study also finds that concerns about online predators are overblown;

most kids socialize with friends they know from other situations like school or camp.76 What s your take on this?

Are concerns about excessive Web surfing overblown? P-45