Growing Up at the Intersection of the Genomic Era and the Information Age

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Children actively seek to make sense of their worlds based on the information they receive and their experience. For children growing up at the intersection of genomic era and information age, the array of information and experience continues to expand. This article highlights the importance of exploring these early contexts for learning, including the children's exposure to books and mass media, and the impact of early learning on later health literacy and behaviors. This article presents a case study discussing the inheritance of cystic fibrosis using the Harry Potter book series.

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Background

To date, research focused on genetic and health literacy has been primarily knowledge based in its approach. This means that the focus has been limited to what individuals know rather than how it is they have come to know it or its context. Using a knowledge-based approach alone, research revealed the public's understanding of genetics to be fairly limited. As a result, most subsequent interventional research and educational efforts focused on increasing the amount of basic genetic knowledge

Changing Contexts for Learning

Children today are growing up in both the genomic era and information age. As they transition to being adolescents, their social networks will increasingly be defined by cellular phones, Buddy Lists and My Favs, instant and text messaging, and MySpace and Facebook connections. Information becomes increasingly more available, downloadable, and portable, and their classrooms expand to include interactive chat rooms and blogs. Needless to say, the context in which children are learning today is

Summary

With their increasingly early and ongoing exposure to technological advances, expanding social networks, and information sources, children growing up at the intersection of the genome era and information age are increasingly exposed to basic and complex genetic concepts and terminology in their day-to-day lives. The potential influence of this early exposure on future genetic literacy, health promotion, and risk-reduction behaviors has yet to be determined. We know that children actively seek

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