"It’s Complicated: the Social Lives of Networked Teens"

This book may be the "must read" of the year for anyone who lives with, cares/worries about, and/or works with adolescents.  The reviews of "It's Complicated" are stellar:

“Students, parents, and educators will find this a comprehensive study of how technology impacts teens’ lives and how adults can help balance rather than vilify its inevitable use.”—Publishers Weekly

“boyd’s extensive research illuminates the oft-misunderstood world of teens today, where social media is an extension of life . . . Thorough information interwoven with common-sense advice from teens and the author enable readers, particularly parents, to relax a bit regarding this new media age . . . Comprehensive new research that illuminates why and how social media is important to teens.”—Kirkus Reviews

Author Danah Boyd has some serious cred: a Fellow at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, and Research Assistant Professor in Media, Culture, and Communication at New York University. She is so committed to getting the word out about this book and the information it imparts, that it's available as a no cost pdf download from her website. (Scroll down the opening page.)  For a longer explanation about her decision to increase access to the book in this way, read Danah Boyd's blog.