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The Net Generation is just what the name
implies. It's the group of people ranging from ages 4 to 24.
The world of computers has been a part of their lives. From computer
chips in their toys to computer chips in their cars. This generation
is immersed in technology in almost every facet of their lives. Don
Tapscott views this generation as "for the first time
in history, children are more comfortable, knowledgeable, and literate
than their parents about an innovation central to society. And it
is through the use of digital media that the N-Generation will develop
and superimpose it's culture on the rest of society. Boomers stand
back. Already these kids are learning, playing, communicating, working
and creating communities very differently than their parents. They
are a force for social transformation(p.1-2)." In these words
we see that there is a informational revolutions that needs to be recognized.
As time and technology passes we become more apart of a new world where
we are all connected.
In the world of this technological revolution Tapscott observes what the N-Generation is doing in this new found internet community. If you are thinking entertainment, you are correct, but that is not the sole purpose for their connection to the internet. The N-Generation is using the digital media for learning. The internet can be used for composing their essay to completing research on Wayne Gretzky.
They also use the internet
to communicate. "Chat groups and computer conferences
are bursting out all over, populated by young people hungry for expression,
discovery, and their own self-development. At certain stages they
love to meet people and talk about anything. Over time they mature
and their communications center around topics and themes. 'E-mail' me has
become a parting expression of a generation(p.5)."
With a new outlet for people to communicate we give more room for self-expression
and voice to those who need to be heard.
The web has opened up communication
the N-generation to the world. They are not bound to face to face interaction,
telephone or letter writing. They "are routinely
gathering online to chat, sometimes discuss a common interest, such as
sports or the guitar, but often with no other specific purpose to the conversation
other than to be with, and interact with, kids their own age. Instead
of hanging out at the playground or variety store, or going home to watch
TV, more and more kids are logging on to their computer and chatting with
their buddies from as far away as the other side of world and as close
as next door(p.56)." In a sense, this brings
the world they live in, a closer and more personal one. They have
more and better chances to find another kid that has similar interests
as they do. No matter where they are, as long as they have a connection
to the Web, they have the opportunity to broaden their own world.
The time of the N-Generation
is now. Unfortunately, not all have equal access to the Web.
Not having access equals a gap or a digital divide. This divide grows
into the haves and have nots. If this gap is allowed to grow, we
will find many non-users not connected, thus viewed as socially inept
in technology and the Web. Tapscott reflects, "
By the time-if ever- the 'free market' catches up to the nots, they will
no longer be children. Denied the opportunity to assimilate the new
media in their youth, they will, instead, have to adapt to it. They
will be on the wrong end of the generation lap-lapped by those of their
own generation. Moreover, their
employment prospects in a knowledge economy, their potential income levels,
their prospects for stable families, and their potential for a fulfilling
life will be greatly diminished. This is a downward spiral.
Poverty causes digital impoverishment, which in turn
contributes to continued povertization (p.257). "
A question may be is that
why is technology and the Web such main components to change in this generation?
It is more powerful than that of TV which was brought out in the 1950's
for one main reason, interactivity. The Web is there for the user.
And the user has the control when they