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  1. There's something happening here, but you don't know what it is"
    -Bob Dylan

    Today's post will be somewhat of a continuation of last week's (although you should have been expecting that, after all, this is a blog on a singular topic - it's all a continuation!)

    For as long as this specific generation gap has existed, it's been criticized. Accusations, especially against Generation Y have been thrown about and widely accepted as fact. These accusations stand as the following1:

    • **They (Generation Y) are dumber than we (Generation X) were at their age. "Today we are lying to ourselves about the renaissance the computer will bring. It will bring nothing. What it means is that the neo-cortex is finally eating itself." - Robert Bly
    • **They're screenagers, Net addicted, losing their social skills and they have no time for sports or healthy activities. 
    • **They have no shame.
    • **Because their parents have coddled them, they are adrift in the world and afraid to choose a path.
    • **They steal.
    • **They're bullying friends online.
    • **They're violent.
    • **They have no work ethic and will be bad employees.
    • **This is the latest narcissistic "me" generation.
    • **They don't give a damn.

    The twenty-first century teen, connected and multitasked, autonomous yet peer-mindful, makes no great leap forward in human intelligence, global thinking, or netizen-ship. Young users have learned a thousand new things, no doubt. They upload and download, surf and chat, post and design, but they haven't learned to analyze a complex text, store facts in their heads, comprehend a foreign policy decision, take lessons from history, or spell correctly. Never having recognized their responsibility to the past, they have opened a fissure in our civic foundations, and it shows in their halting passage into adulthood and citizenship."
    -Professor Bauerlein 2 

    The above list comes from the first chapter of the book, "Grown Up Digital" by Don Tapscott. I could not recommend this book more (it's already been given rave reviews by a variety of tech-based business leaders including: Google CEO and chairman Eric Schmidt; Editor in Chief of Wired, Chris Anderson; and Nicholas Negroponte, the chairman and founder of the One Laptop Per Child project).

    However, the book is not all doom-and-gloom as suggested by the list above. In fact, Tapscott spends the rest of the book arguing against and proving the list to be completely wrong.

    He lists the '8 Norms of the Net Generation3:'

    1. Freedom
    2. Customization
    3. Scrutiny
    4. Integrity
    5. Collaboration
    6. Entertainment
    7. Speed
    8. Innovation
    and throughout the book discusses how these unique aspects of Generation Y (or as he calls them, the 'Net Generation') are all advantages which Generation Y is using to change everything about the society in which we live.

    Tapscott specifically focuses on education, the workplace, and relationships in the home.




    The Workplace
    The workplace is being changed by Generation Y because they have different expectations and ideas about how work should fit into their lives. 
    Traditional (Gen. X) Office Space (image via Flickr) vs Google (Gen. Y) Office Space (image via Google)
    Generation Y wants their norms to exist in the workplace - the freedom to work when/where they want; the ability to customize their own job descriptions; they'll  scrutinize a company before accepting a job; they want their companies and employers to have integrity; they want to collaborate with their bosses and co-workers (not just take orders); they want work to be fun, dynamic, and innovative. 4

    What used to be a system of corporate ladders organized by the baby boomers and Generation X; Generation Y will transform into corporate campuses based on collaboration and a variety of the other 'Net Generation Norms.'

    If a person just entering the workforce now is statistically predicted to have had 14 jobs by the time they're 38, then companies aren't harnessing the energy, skills, or the advantages of Generation Y employees. 5

    Employers, I will argue, have two options. They can refuse to adapt to the Net Gen, stick to their old hierarchies, and reinforce the generational firewall that separates the managers from the newly hired minions. But if they do, I believe, they will forfeit the chance to learn from the Net Gen - to absorb both their mindset and their tools of collaboration. In this complex business environment, that would be a bad choice. Instead, I think, the winners will be those companies in the corporate world who choose [to]...embrace the Net Geners' collaborative ways. 6


    Education
    As Tapscott discussed in the above video, Generation Y is changing education too (or rather, education needs to start changing for them). While the traditional style of teaching is the lecture format - Generation Y learns through their own norms to most effectively find, analyze, synthesize, and collaborate in learning. They are the first generation of interactive learners, they don't want to just sit and listen, they want to do and apply as they learn. 7

    Relationships
    When Baby Boomers were young, the family was organized into a hierarchy: Dad was at the top as the highest in command; Mom came next as second in command; and below her, the children.

    Since that time, things have shifted and now children (Generation Y specifically) are in the middle of it all. Why? Because Generation X parents are more democratic and less authoritarian in their parenting styles. And, for the first time ever, the child has a role in the family as the "Tech expert," an authority on something. While parents were previously the experts in everything in the household and had a stricter parenting style; because of the generation gap in technology, they must now defer to their children when it comes to one of the most important aspects of daily life in the 21st century - Technology. 8

    Thoughts, Comments, Questions
    I had hoped to use a questionnaire to be answered but it didn't really get the response I was hoping for (it actually got...no response which was, honestly - more than a little disappointing. )

    However, I have received a couple of comments on Facebook and here on the blog, regarding the topic of Generation Gaps in Technology, and I thought I'd take a moment and highlight/respond to them!

    Facebook Comments
    I am sure your parents understand the importance of music (they were teenagers during the 80s after all). However, it's important to keep in mind that they grew up during a time that didn't allow for the level of music customization that you're used to now. Your parents were limited to listening to whatever was being played on the radio. However, you have access to thousands of songs through websites like last.fm, grooveshark.com, itunes.com, and on amazon.com. You can download a huge variety of music genres and then arrange it on your iPod in any way you like. Generation X grew up having specific music selections served to them by whatever corporations were in charge of their favorite radio stations. To them, the idea of spendings hours picking out songs and arranging them into playlists is just a bit unusual, and seems way to time consuming.

    I often wonder if Generation X's cautious (ie reading manuals) approach to technology is sometimes just another way that their technophobia shows itself. There's an interesting essay by Harold Hellman called "Technophobia" in which he tells a story about his friend who couldn't get along with his manual transmission car, even after being taught ways to get to car to work better, his friend just couldn't cope with the technology fo the vehicle and wound up having to pay more for an automatic! 9 Generation Y (us) can just use technology because we grew up with it - it's not even technology to us, it's just life.

    This is likely because of the passive way that Generation X is used to consuming information and using technology. To them, computers, cell phones, etc. are just tools and they expect them to just work as the tools which they were intended to be. If it's a "phone" it should be used to make calls and that's all that it needs to be used for. Generation Y, however, wants to have a hand in the products we use, we customize everything to do what we want it to do, rather than just using these things as just plain tools.

    Blog Comments

    I specifically wanted to respond to the statements that I've underlined.
    I honestly don't think that there's a right or a wrong when it comes to this topic. I think it really has more to do with adaptation and the more efficient application of technology. While it's still your choice whether you want to go analog or digital when it comes to most things, there are a variety of items, services, etc. that are making the jump to digital.

    For example, you can no longer watch analog TV, it's all broadcast in digital, and in order to watch it on a TV that doesn't have a build in digital connection, you have to buy an adapter for your television in order to access basic channels.

    Another example is banking, a lot of banks are using paperless statements (you actually have to specifically request that the bank send you a paper bank statement). And a lot of government documents are no longer completed on paper and sent in via snail mail, but instead you're required to fill out forms online and send them via e-mail.

    However, you can still choose to go analog when it comes to a variety of things (although in some cases it's becoming more difficult - for example, you can still take film based photos, but developing them is no longer as easy as it used to be, places like Wal-Mart no longer process film so you're forced to either develop yourself in a dark room OR you can send them away to a higher-priced development lab).

    The reality is that while analog still exists (for now), the transition of everything to digital is happening, and if you're going to absolutely insist upon nothing but analog, you're gonna have a hard time living in the 21st century.

    Works Cited
    [1] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 3-5. Print.
    [2] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 2. Print.
    [3] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 5. Print.
    [4] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 160-169. Print.
    [5] McLeod, , Dir. Did You Know; Shift Happens - Globalization; Information Age. Youtube: 2007, Film.
        .
    [6] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 150. Print.
    [7] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 121-147. Print.
    [8] Tapscott, Don. Growing up digital. New York, NY: McGrawHill, 2009. 224-225. Print.
    [9] Hellman, Harold. "Technophobia." Technology and Man's Future. Albert H. Teich. New York: St. Martin's Press,
          1981. Print.


    Video - TEDxToronto, , Dir. TEDxToronto - Don Tapscott . Perf. Tapscott, Dan. Youtube (TEDxtalks): 2009,
              Film. .

    Posted by Kaylynne at 10:09 PM | 0 comments | |

  2. No Gen X-er Left Behind - Post 3

    Tuesday, June 7, 2011

    Note – I apologize for the mess-up, I copied and pasted my post from Microsoft Word into blogger and after editing the HTML itself, it looks like something went incredibly wrong and this wasn’t posted correctly AT ALL! (Even now, I'm still having issues with the HTML formatting) So here’s the real post!


    There are two specific times and places where the digital generation gap appears to be most prevalent:
    • *In the Workplace
    • *In Education
    It is within these categories that a study of generational gaps in technology could be most beneficial and they would likely affect the three largest aspects of our everyday lives. If the generation gap is studied, society could learn to manage generational differences in technology use in the work place and in education. 

    A Bigger Problem Than a Stapler in Jello...


          With Generation Y now entering the workforce and Baby Boomers keeping their jobs past the traditional age of retirement, it should be no surprise that there are clashes between ideas, opinions, and work ethics amongst the 3 generations populating the workplace all of which are now largely affected by how the different generations use technology. 
              A variety of surveys and research studies have been conducted in order to find insights and information about how the generation gap affects productivity and management in the workplace. As a result, people are starting to see some key differences between the generations at work:

    Image via Goldbeck Recruiting
    (A better and more informational chart can be found here in PDF format. Looking closely, it quickly becomes obvious just how much technology use informs the workplace ideals of Generation Y).1


              With these findings (and others hopefully to come), companies can learn about and implement new ways of employee management that takes into account these generational differences, thereby strengthening not only their own companies but also the global workforce as a whole.
             Additionally, while Generation Y fills the workplace, it’s becoming more and more difficult for older generations to find and keep jobs that require technology-based skills. Many of these jobs don’t have on-the-job training (employers expect potential employees to have prior education and experience with technology regardless of age) which makes it challenging for older, less tech savvy generations to even learn about the technology with which they struggle.2


    Note Taking: Digital or Analog?


              When broaching the topic of technology and generational gaps in education, there are some specific problems that quickly become obvious. The communication between students, classmates, and teachers; the technologies used in the classroom, the accessibility of education – these are each specific categories in which technology affects learning and teaching styles between the generations.
              While a Generation X or Baby Boomer instructor might be used to set office hours during which a student can come and meet with them to communicate any issues he or she might be having in the class; the generation Y student expects to be able to communicate with their instructor at any time of the day via e-mail.
              As educational institutions (run by Generation X and Baby Boomer faculty) routinely offer courses on campus at set times; Generation Y continues to demand that they be allowed to access to course content and information anytime, 24/7 at their convenience.  “For the most part, universities operate in fixed locales, campuses, and on fixed calendars, semesters and quarters with classes typically set for 50 minutes, three times per week. In contrast, digital natives live in an anytime/anyplace world, operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, unbounded by physical location.”3
              And as Generation Y prefers the use of more technology based study aids (i.e. access to textbooks on their iPhones and iPads or the use of laptops for note taking); will generation X teachers see these things as distractions rather than aids?

    Straight Up...
              Overall, it's clear that because of the dominance of Generation Y (and the generations following), technology use will only continue to grow more and more pervasive throughout every aspect of our lives. As much as some members of older generations would like to, they can't stop it, and fighting against it would only make their own lives more difficult. If more studies can be done to learn more about the generation gap and how it could be closed (most likely through greater access to technology education for those who aren't tech savvy), then the generations would likely be able to communicate more effectively in the workplace, in education, and maybe even just in personal relationships. 
     
    [1] - Campus Market Expo. Camex.org, n.d. Web. 8 Jun 2011.  
              <http://www.camex.org/Portals/CAMEX/uploaded_docs/handouts/2-12_HO.pdf>.
    [2] - Kerz, Marsha. "Let's Bring Aging Americans Into the Information Age." Huffington Post (2010): n. pag. Web. 8 Jun
              2011. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcia-kerz/lets-bring-aging-american_b_799797.html>.
    [3] - Levine, Arthur. "Digital Students, Industrial-Era Universities ." Views. Inside Higher Ed, 14 Jun 2010. Web. 8 Jun
              2011.<http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2010/06/14/levine>.

    Videos:
    Wynn, Garrison, Dir. Generational Differences In The Workplace Segment . Perf. Wynn, Garrison. Youtube: 2008, Film.
              <http://youtu.be/iNDIR04LtRk>.
    Wesch, Michael, Prod. A Vision of Students Today . Dir. Michael Wesch." Digital Ethnography Project: 2010, Film. 
              <http://youtu.be/MNza3EjY8FQ>.

    Posted by Kaylynne at 11:47 PM | 0 comments | |


  3. Hi, my name is Kaylynne. I’m a Mac AND a PC! I’m also a member of Generation Y.

                Allow me to start at the beginning!  I’m ____ years old (okay, so I’m not stating my age, but that’s because I don’t want it to discredit me) and I was born into a world saturated by technology. By the time I was 2, I could operate the VCR on my own; at 8 I was introduced to Mavis Beacon, MS Works, and the internet; by 11 I was coding HTML websites; when I was 12, I took apart my family’s desktop computer (I put it back together with only a minimal number of “spare parts”); and at 16 I started to learn about cybercultural anthropology, network security, and the future of technology. In addition, I’ve been playing video games since I was in the 4th grade (my first console was a Sega) and I’ve had a cell phone since the age of 15. 

     Mo' Money Technology, Mo' Problems
                Knowing a lot about technology, is a little like knowing a lot about cars. Once people find out, right away they start always coming to you for help. (I really don’t think history fanatics have this problem).
                Once my parents started to realize that I was able to use the family computer better than they could, they started to call me EVERY time they had a problem with something. 
                “Kaylynne! How do I print!?”
                “Kaylynne! Show me again how to send a text message.”
                “Kaylynne! How do I get the DVD player to work without breaking the cable?”
                Well, you get the idea.
                The day that I taught my mother how to Copy and Paste text on the computer, you’d have thought she’d won the lottery. It was a good day for me too, one less thing for her to need my help with.
                Unfortunately this problem wasn’t limited to my parents, my IT help was requested by just about everyone I knew: teachers, grandparents, siblings, etc. and while my siblings have started to figure a lot of this stuff out for themselves, anyone older than me still seems to struggle.  

                Even now, I continue to act as my family and friends’ personal IT department.


    Why are you so…old!?
                One of my grandmothers has figured out how to use Amazon and Ebay, but still struggles with a variety of other (what I would call) simple tasks. My other grandmother (who, leans over my shoulder, maniacally scribbling down the steps as I show her how to do different things on the computer) has managed to finally learn how to use Internet Explorer to surf the web (but if anyone were to move a single icon on her desktop, she’d be completely lost).            


    Big Bang Theory - Old People Clip by KonichiwaKay
     
    Every time I help someone older than me with a technological problem, I can’t help but wonder; why is it that Generation X (and anyone who’s come before them) can’t understand this stuff? Or in some cases, can sometimes manage to figure some things out but not others? How come they struggle with technology at all? (After all it was the Baby Boomers and Generation X who invented all the technology we have now)! 
    For a while now, I’ve been trying to figure out the answer to these questions while also trying to think of a way that I could more easily teach older generations how to use technology (mostly because I’m certain that it would net me a Nobel Peace Prize). 
    So far, I’ve managed to develop my theory about differing interfaces and levels of interactivity during the beginning stages of technology use. Another theory that’s been suggested is a fear of change that reveals itself in a kind of psychosomatic inability to use technology.  While, having an interest in the fields of sociology, psychology, and neuroscience helps in looking at this topic in kind of a different light, I unfortunately, haven’t specifically trained or studied in any of these fields (beyond reading studies and professional journals) and therefore, wouldn’t know where to really begin trying to prove or disprove any theories.
    However, the whole point of this blog is to discuss this very topic! So as we (that’s you and I, dear readers) delve into this topic, perhaps we’ll at the very least learn a little more about this struggle between the generations and maybe find a little bit of technological peace between Generations X and Y (and maybe even the Baby Boomers)!
    I would like to encourage any readers to share any personal stories they might have about their own struggles with technology and the younger/older generation’s technological abilities; as well as any comments or theories that relate to this!

    Posted by Kaylynne at 11:30 PM | 7 comments | |


  4. Image via mycomicshop.com

                In the 1960s, a term was coined to explain differing opinions in politics, fashion, and music between the generations: “The Generation Gap.”1
                Today’s generation gap isn’t as strongly fueled by culture itself but by the technologies that are shaping our culture, as well as our differing opinions about these technologies.

    There are Two Sides to Every Story
                There are currently two prevailing generations that interact most with technology both at home, school, and in the workplace: Generation X (born between the late 1960s and early 1980s)2 and Generation Y (born roughly between the late 1970s and mid-1990s3; sometimes referred to as the ‘Net Generation’ or ‘iGeneration’). I could also include a third generation, the Baby-Boomers; however, their opinions of technology are generally similar to those of Generation X, so for the sake of simplicity and for the purposes of this blog, most references made to Generation X will likely also include Baby-Boomers.
                There are a variety of technology-based issues on which Generations X and Y disagrees, including: privacy issues; the etiquette of technology;  opinions of different interfaces (likely as a result of differing introductions to technology); and the overall importance and effects of technology on society.

    Some Privacy, Please!?: Privacy Issues and Social Networking


                With constant backlash against changes made to privacy policies on social networking websites like Facebook, it’s no surprise to find that both Generations X and Y are concerned about privacy issues online.4 However, Generation Y is often less concerned about these issues than Generation X. Having grown up with technology affecting just about every aspect of their lives, Generation Y has become used to sharing a variety of aspects about their day on a variety of social networking sites, and consider it to be just another part of communication. They are living their whole lives online. Meanwhile, Generation X is more likely to withhold certain things, choosing only to share things they don’t consider to be “personal” (except in the sharing of family photos).5

    Mind Your Manners!
                 One area in which the generations seem to most strongly disagree is that of digital etiquette. While most of Generation Y would think nothing of texting while speaking to someone, Generation X would consider it to be remarkably rude. The majority of disagreements in what is appropriate and inappropriate seem to deal specifically with digital etiquette in the workplace. In a study conducted by LexisNexis, researchers found a variety of “discrepancies between generations on what the appropriate use of technology and software is…in the workplace.”6
                It appears that members of Generation Y don’t consider mobile phone use or the access of social networking sites to be distracting, while older generations tend to disagree and consider these things to be inappropriate in the workplace and may possibly have a detrimental effect on productivity.

    I'm Worried I Might Break It!
                 I have a theory of my own (if it’s been studied already, I’d love some links to read and would happily give credit where it’s due, but so far I have yet to find something that really discusses this) that, when combined with the fear that Generation X seems to feel when it comes to technological changes, could provide some explanation as to why they could have a sort of ‘mental lock’ that can prevent them from learning and using new technologies.
             Personal computers were relatively new when Generation X first started interacting with them. Most importantly, these computers did not have interfaces anything like the ones we use today. While Generation Y has grown up using operating systems like Windows or Mac; Generation X grew up using an earlier version of DOS. They were taught to code and not how to interface and interact with operating systems and software.
    Left: Original IBM Computer / Right: 2009 Averatec Desktop Computer
    We vs. They
                Overall, Generations X and Y see (and use) today’s technologies differently. Generation X is wary of technology but recognizes its importance and knows that it’s not going away (but that doesn’t mean they’re going to sign up for a Twitter or Facebook account right away). They’re concerned about privacy and how the Internet could affect the attention spans and productivity of Generation Y.
                Meanwhile, Generation Y was born into this world of technology and have spent their lives online. They are aware of the issue of privacy but aren’t afraid of ‘over-sharing’ information online. Lastly, Generation Y isn’t quite as concerned about the possibility of shortened attention spans as they are about their multi-tasking abilities.

    Sources
    1 - Generation Gap. (2011). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Gap
    2 - Generation X. (2011). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
    3 - Generation X. (2011). Wikipedia. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Y
    4 - 3point beyond the arc [Web log message]. (2010, November 12). Retrieved from http://3pointbeyondthearc.blogspot.com/2010/11/generation-gap-is-shrinking-when-it.html
    5 - Budvietas, R. (2011). Sexy social media. Retrieved from http://www.sexysocialmedia.com/baby-boomers-use-social-media-differently-than-generation-x-and-y/
    6 - Lexisnexis news - press releases. (2009, April 15). Retrieved from http://www.lexisnexis.com/media/press-release.aspx?id=1256843646775951

    Posted by Kaylynne at 8:46 PM | 2 comments | |