America's youth are more obsessed with online video games, iPods, smart phones and computers than ever before. According to a new Kaiser Family Foundation study, 8-to 18-year-olds are using media devices for more than seven and a half hours a day. The number reportedly "shocked" researchers who measured youth habits five years ago and predicted that technology usage "could not possibly grow further." The study also finds that several harmful behaviors such as maladjustment and lower grades are associated with heavy media use. But that's not stopping some tech bloggers from defending America's youth.

A pair of Web-loving pundits defend the new lifestyle and promote its societal merits. Is this more about the kids or them? Here are their arguments:

• The Kids Are All Right,  writes Brian Barret at the tech blog Gizmodo: "The children are our future, and our future is a digital age. I can accept that. And there's a lot of valuable information and insight to be gleaned from these here internets, if you look in the right places."

• Don't Blame Technology, insists Beth Blecherman at Tech Mamas: "As a mom and a technologist, I want to give my opinion to the question of whether it is the media that causes the problems or whether troubled youths turn to heavy media use... Instead of blaming technology, I say we blame society for not being a safe place for kids and not having enough after school options for kids...Embrace kid's fascination with technology and help them understand the dangers and the positive ways they can use it."

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John Hudson