5/18/2008

Generation Y

Is Gen Y going to change the web?

As Sarah Perez points out, the generation Y, roughly defined as „current 13 to 31 year-olds“ (but it goes as far back as 5 ys.) is different.


- they're digital natives
- they're not obsessed with TV
- they don’t care about ads, rather rely on their networks of friends
- for them work isn’t everything, but there has to be fun in it
- they’re socially conscious and care about the world
- they’re going to be the driving force behind technology changes
- they’re social networkers to the core, they grew up in SNs, but they’re also aware of the perils of posting online

I can agree with some of this, because my students are Gen-Yers. What’s not mentioned in the article: the digital divide, the fact that the above applies only to a relatively small percentage of youth. The rest simply lacks the necessary skills to participate in all the web 2.0 activities. A big part of youth have a very limited internet approach, they know and use maybe 5 to 10 websites and that’s it. And it still happens every now and then that I come across a student who hasn't used a search engine even once in his/her life.

4 comments:

Lydia said...

Francessa,
I so enjoy the topics you address on your blog. I actually had to look up the definition of web 2.0 at Wikipedia just to make sure I was on track (I basically was, but wouldn't have done great in a test!). Is the digital divide you describe due to economics? or interest? or geography?

I am forcing myself to go to bed earlier this week, so off I go.
Let's see if I remember the Deutsch for goodnight: something like Guten Aben? (I am not cheating to look it up!)

francessa said...

Hi lydia,

I think, there are many different types of digital divides, eg. global ones, geographical ones and more. As regards my students, the divide has certainly do to with socio-economical reasons, low level of education (in their families and upbringing), poor literacy skills. It’s like the Matthew Principle: “For whosoever hath, to him shall be given..” Those, who have good reading and writing skills and were brought up to be interested in their world, their communities, their future benefit most from participating in web 2.0 activities (such as blogging, creating profiles in networks, making podcasts and so on). The others are left behind, unless society manages to reduce the divide.

Guten Abend is good evening. And good night is Gute Nacht! Gute Nacht, Lydia! :-)

Lydia said...

Hi Francessa,

Another late night for me as I was trying to rework fonts on my blog, to no avail. I need to study more.

Our primary election is tomorrow and one huge local issue is a bond measure for new facilities at the community college. I voted yes and hope it passes. The community colleges here (the good ones) serve to bridge that divide you speak of. High school dropouts, single mothers, even senior citizens finding themselves in need of training to supplement their incomes - all need upgraded skills. It's important.

Alright, now I'm trying to figure out why "good" before evening in guten (with an n) but "good" before night is gute (without the n). I'm thinking it has something to do with the consonant and the vowel that begins the words following the "gut"-rooted word. In any case, as it is now nearly 2:00 a.m. I do wish you
Gute Nacht, Francessa!

francessa said...

Very good :-))

Ah, those fonts, lydia, I'm also struggling with them at the moment :-)

I will follow the election coverage tomorrow, as good as I can from here.

Night (die Nacht) in German is female; evening (der Abend) is male and therefore requires the 'n': einen guten Abend - but: eine gute Nacht!

I'll be away for the -again long - weekend, this Thursday we have Corpus Christi, and on Friday a school holiday which is nice because school is very exhausting at the moment.

If you'd like to e-mail some time: that's: francessa2002@yahoo.de.

Einen schönen Abend und eine gute Nacht!

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