IM and Learning

Interesting mention of a study conducted in China and the effect of instant messaging and political knowledge. When you follow this link, scroll down to the section -- By-product Learning in the Communication Age: Instant Message Use and Political Learning in China. In one graph, the author writes:

I drew two major conclusions from the results. First, IM intensity – which is measured by number of instant messaging services a student uses, average IM friends, frequency of IM use, and IM attachment level – doesn’t predict political learning. Yet IM information use, which reflects a student’s inclination to obtain as well as publish information on IM, is a positively strong predictor of knowledge gain, political news seeking, and political
discussion.

It's something I'd never thought of before, examining IM use, but then again IM and texting are both bigger deals elsewhere in the world than in the U.S., which is far far behind the rest of the planet in access to wireless and mobile technology.