From selfies to start-ups, it's those born after 1990 who are making the internet work for them. Katie Wright reports

THE internet is blamed for a lot of things: goldfish-like recall skills, short-circuited attention spans, selfie-induced vanity, and that's just for starters. But a new study reveals that young people are reaping the rewards of a life lived online, using the digital assets at their disposal to achieve their career goals - and older generations are envious.

The research, carried out by Lucozade Energy, focused on 'Generation Z' (born between 1990 and 1998) and found that 71% of those surveyed think they are more "worldy-wise" now than in previous generations, and 70% of those believe this is because of social media.

"Twitter is faster than any news," explains 20-year-old Max Furr in the report, published on Gen Z's favourite blogging site, Tumblr (www.generatorsz.tumblr.com). "I'll say to my parents, 'Oh, have you heard about this?' They're like, 'No.' It's like... YOU have to wait until 10 o'clock tonight before you can hear about the news.'"

It's not just passive consumption of media that marks these youngsters out however. More than half of 16 to 24-year-olds (56%) believe their digital and life experience means they'll be more prepared for work later in life - and many are making headway in their careers in their teens. Max now runs a fashion retail site and leveraged his 40,000-strong Tumblr following to set up a hugely successful pop-up shop on Bond Street. Bejay Mulenga, meanwhile, founded the Supa Academy, a digital platform that helps other youngsters run their own business, after making £15,000 from a shop he set up at his own school.

Does this mean that growing up in a digital world makes it easier to succeed in life? Not necessarily - a quarter of respondents in the Gen-erators Z report think it makes life harder. The parents of Gen Z , on the other hand, certainly think the youth of today are at an advantage, with 72% saying they wish they had had the same opportunities when they were younger, and 62% even admitting they are jealous of the experiences of digital natives.

Jealousy aside, the findings are encouraging. The internet may still be to blame for a lot of bad stuff, but it's propagating a new kind of self-sufficient ambition and allowing the next generation to sow the seeds of success.

REIGN IN GAMING

It's well-known that when it comes to computer gaming, it's no longer a man's world, as women now make up half of all gamers. But did you know only 12% of the people actually making the games are female? A new crowdfunding project from non-profit Creative England wants to redress that balance and "to amplify female voices and skills in what is often considered a male-dominated sector," says Crowdfunder MD Phil Geraghty. The Queen of Code campaign is offering £3,000 each for the first five female-fronted projects to reach their target (of at least £2,000). Game developers, designers, writers and coders can upload their ideas at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/queenofcode.

SPAMMING FROM HER GRAVE

It was a social media slip-up which would probably have had her cackling with laughter: a week after her death, Joan Rivers appeared to be Instagramming from the afterlife when a sponsored post appeared on the comic's profile and on her Facebook page praising the new iPhone 6. 'The battery is getting tired' read the strangely apt caption next to a photo of her old iPhone, in a scheduled post which was quickly removed. Let's hope that wherever they are, both Joan and her old phone are now at rest.

EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY

The power of cuddling is well-documented: it releases a chemical called oxytocin, which reduces stress, relieves pain, boosts your immune system, and generally makes you feel awesome. And now, there's an app that promises to deliver that oxytocin burst wherever you are. By signing up to Cuddlr (cuddlrapp.com) using your Facebook account, you can request a (strictly platonic) cuddle from a user in your vicinity, or respond to cuddlees in need. Which is great in theory, but the lack of users with ratings for their previous unromantic embraces suggests there's not a whole lot of cuddling going on.

BROWSING AROUND... GEOLOCATION APPS

Discover the world around you as you travel with Field Trip (www.fieldtripper.com)

Tinder, the hugely popular dating app where you swipe left or right to find romantic matches near to you (www.tinder.com)

Glympse lets you share your location with only the people you want (glympse.com)

Map social media movement and trends with Banjo (www.ban.jo)

Track the traffic and avoid jams using data from drivers around you with Waze (www.waze.com)

THING OF THE WEEK

What not to do with your new iPhone 6  (www.tiny.cc/iphonedrop)