Based on focus group interviews with 120 students aged 12-18, we found that youth appropriate online information in personal, social and academic settings. One of the Lab’s summer interns created this infographic to characterize the debate that often surrounds youths’ copy-paste practices: ‘plagiarism and theft’ versus ‘sharing and remixing’.

With this graphic, we relate a more in-depth perspective of one side of this debate. Rather than punishing students for copying information, adults could approach copy-and-paste as a practice that, when done responsibly, can aid collaboration, creativity and information sharing. Moreover, copy-and-paste could play a part in creative remixing in the form of fan art, mashups and other creative uses of technology. Instead of focusing on punishment for copying information, this infographic encourages a dialog about the values and risks of sharing and remixing practices, appropriate attribution and creators’ rights.

Download full size image.