With support from the MacArthur Foundation, the GoodPlay project explores the ethical character of young people’s activities in the new digital media. We seek to understand how young people conceptualize their participation in virtual worlds and the ethical considerations that guide their conduct. We are exploring five themes which we believe are salient in the digital age, with implications for ethics—identity, privacy, ownership and authorship, credibility, and participation.

In the first phase of our project, we studied youth ages 15-25 who participate in online games, social networking sites, and other online communities. Our methods included in-depth interviews and the posing of ethical dilemmas. Based on this research, and in collaboration with Project New Media Literacies, we developed classroom exercises to encourage high school-aged youth to reflect on the ethical implications of their online activities.

In the current phase, we are studying the ethical perspectives of youth ages 10-14 and of influential adults in young people’s lives. We are also studying “good participation,” focusing on youth who use digital media to facilitate the achievement of civic and political goals.