Gen Y: Taking 2 steps forward or 4 steps backward?

LAF Note: This From: {Young Minds} post was written by Christa Marzan.

Have you ever listened to the song “Generation” by Emerson Hart?

We are the wind of change coming/We take a stand where so many never go/We will shout it out to let you know/This is my generation

This song randomly came on my iTunes recently, and I think it describes the Millennials (otherwise known as Gen Y) perfectly. Each generation hopes to do something great, something to make them stand out from all others. As a community, Gen Y continues to push the envelope further and further, defying social norms and creating new ones in every way imaginable. We do this especially well in the forms of communication and community building.

Social networking creates new ways for us to connect with one another in our personal and professional lives. Our families, friends, co-workers, and social networks form different communities for us, all to fit different needs. A multinational survey produced by Deloitte states that 73 percent of Millennials engage in online socialization in some way. With the invention of laptops, webcams, smart phones, instant messaging and email, this generation is able to always be connected to someone at any given time.

Yet could communication at our fingertips be driving us apart, rather than together?

Teenagers are especially connected, even more so than when I was that age. A PEW study cites that in early 2008, 71 percent of teens (age 12-17) have a cell phone. That number has grown 45 percent since 2004, and will continue to grow exponentially with the coming generations.

As a generation, we are certainly taking a stand in the way we communicate with each other. The question- is it propelling us forward or holding us back?

Image from: http://www.pink-world.co.uk/

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Beth Oppenheim

This is such a true question. I think that part of this always comes into my mind as I make friends online and think about what our friendships will be like translated to "real life." In my instance, I have a way of doing too many things online and I have to get better about it. I've started this by writing birthdays down and not relying on Facebook for them - a start!
Great ideas and a thought-provoking study. Pew has a lot of those.
Christa Marzan

Thanks for stopping by, Beth!

Glad you liked the post! PEW had an OVERWHELMING amount of info on this topic haha. I have those same thoughts also, but looks like you're on track to not rely on the Internet so much!
Paul

Christa:

Nice post.

You make thought provoking ideas here. I have on many occasions taken my cell phone on 10 mile runs!

Lately though, I leave it at home when running unless I am expecting a truly important call during the run--but home is where it should be.....like your leaving your phone in your car during gym work outs,
I believe the generation you speak of (today's 11 year olds) can handle today's technology unless they have 500 facebook friends and are semi-addicted to it. Those who wish to aviod the addiction / temptation can limit their exposure to it if they are focused. You also had your phone at a young age, right? How did you do?
From You know who!
Christa Marzan

Thanks!

I agree, though the addiction is what I'm afraid of. These kids have grown up with computers and cell phones, where as my age group didn't have these things until later on in life. I got my first cell phone when I was 15 or 16, so a little older than the 3rd graders who have them now haha. Didn't have a "family computer" until I was about 12 or so. Today's 11 year old group have been on these machines since they could semi-understand what it was. I think they can handle what's coming also, I just don't want them to be so consumed with technology that they forget a) how to effectively communicate face to face, and b) how important that interaction is.
Alexia Harris

Nice post, Christa.

I love this quote by Tom O'Keefe: "I guess the important thing for us (and this goes farther than just Gen-Y) is to be able to know when to truly concentrate on a conversation or relationship, whether it's face-to-face or through digital communication."

You can't ignore the value of face-to-face communication. It adds to the relationship and conversation. Skype and gChat allow you to mix digital and F2F but there's nothing like communicating while sitting next to someone. The chemistry and emotion can add to the conversation, which is priceless.

I see many Millennials who would rather communicate through text, DMs or FB statuses. My 19-year-old sister is a perfect example. She'll text my mother novels but say nothing when they're together. It boggles my mind.

With that being said, I love the options we have to digitally communicate. But after being on my iPhone and computer all day, it's nice to sit down and have a conversation with someone. It's a much needed balance.

-Alexia
@alexiaharris
Christa Marzan

Thanks Alexia!

Tom did bring up an excellent point with that quote. And I love your point about face to face communication. I have an iPhone also and now I'm always connected to EVERYONE and EVERYTHING, which is wonderful in some ways, not so wonderful in others. I know what you mean about having a sitdown conversation with someone after being with this technology all day and I agree 100%. Great insight!
Scott Hale

Christa,

You've got some really solid thoughts here - In my opinion, I think GenY has the ability to make the world smaller and larger with technology. In the sense of the social web, we use tech to communicate with people from all over the world (far and near).

The part much less focused on is the ability of the social web to make our small community seem much larger. I can find people near me with similar interests that I never knew about before new tech. An early example is a tweetup - meet up with people you met through the social web. Simple, but the connection is a step forward.

As long as we use technology to connect with physical experience, we're moving forward. If we take technology as the new communication and it ends there...we're in trouble. We've also got issues if we allow tech to diminish the quality of physical relationships.

Thanks for the post.
Christa Marzan

Thanks for the comment Scott!

Your point about using technology to connect with experience is key. That is how advancing forms of communication will keep relationships intimate and meaningful. Tweetups and the like are excellent examples of what you're talking about!
Catherine Patterson

Nice post Christa! You bring up a great point. To sort of piggyback on what Christina said, we are constantly multitasking, and I think it's making us have shorter attention spans. We're used to reading 140-character Tweets and responding to quick bbms and 160-character texts, and doing tons of things at once. What sort of effect will this have on young professionals when they enter the workforce and are expected to operate on a more thorough level?

The language is also a big thing that worries me. The language young people use to communicate with their friends is obviously more casual, and it's not always the way you'd want to convey something professionally. There's a fine line, and hopefully people recognize that early.
Christa Marzan

Thank you Catherine (my middle name!).

Your point on short attention spans in the workplace is especially interesting. I know it's been an adjustment for me to be in the work place, since it's not appropriate for me to constantly check my Facebook, Twitter, personal email, etc. That is something we have to deal with and work through though.

I also love your point on language. That worries me also, how teenagers/GenY-ers use text/short hand in school, which is terrible. Personally, I hate using short language and write everything out in texts, Tweets, and emails, but I know not everyone does that. I agree- hopefully that is something that's addressed early!
Tom O'Keefe

Great post, Christa!

I see both sides of this. On one hand, I find myself continually multitasking and sometimes that can get in the way of giving my fullest attention to someone or some thing which can potentially damage relationships.

On the other hand, I have definitely been able to strengthen some relationships and keep others going where they may have gone by the wayside before. I am able to shoot a quick e-mail, Facebook message, or gChat someone's way to catch up and I can still be aware of the goings-on in my friends lives through status updates on Facebook and Twitter.

I guess the important thing for us (and this goes farther than just Gen-Y) is to be able to know when to truly concentrate on a conversation or relationship, whether it's face-to-face or through digital communication.

Thanks and great topic! Communication methods and its implications fascinate me!

-Tom
@TomOKeefe1
Christa Marzan

Thanks Tom!

I agree with you on all accounts, especially about focusing on the conversation and relationship. A lot of my relationships have been formed (and strengthened) through SM, email, etc. and it is a good way to keep in touch. I have found that, like Christina mentioned, doing more than one thing when trying to catch up with a friend on the phone (which happens rarely) and I hope I can change that soon!

I think that making time for the face to face communication in the relationships that mean the most to you is the best way to deal with all the Comm opportunities and maintaining those meaningful relationships. It'll definitely be an adjustment for GenY and beyond!
Christina K

Christa I really enjoyed this post.

Two things I've noticed with communication being literally at our fingertips:

1. We don't really listen to each other anymore because we're constantly multitasking. I'm not saying this is all the time, I'd be a horrible friend if that was the case. But sometimes when I'm listening to a friends story over the phone, I'll put them on speaker and be bbming someone else at the same time. Am I really communicating with either of those people efficiently? No.

2. I'm starting to feel that too much communication is holding us back from learning who we are as individuals. I try to spend a few hours a week cut off from my crackberry/computer and honestly read. Or watch a good movie. Just have some alone time. Get lost in my own thoughts without outside noise. Maybe we're forgetting what it's like to actually be w/o contact.
Christa Marzan

Thanks Christina!

I agree with you on both points. That's why I actually wrote this post. I have found myself trying to "multitask" while talking to my friends, just because all of these communication outlets are available ALL THE TIME. It makes me feel horrible.

Your second point is especially interesting and worries me the most about future generations. My 11 year old brother has grown up with the computer at his fingertips (he's literally been playing on the comp since he could walk/read) and he's had a cell for almost a year. How will kids his age learn to live without those things? I do the same- leave my phone and computer upstairs and watch a movie with my family, or leave in the in car when I'm at the gym so I can have some me time. But I don't know how younger kids who had these things all of their live will be able to do that.

Thanks for commenting!
Ross Simmonds

Great post Christa and great comment Christina ("Chris" Overload).

I don't think that multi-talking is exactly taking 4 steps back. Sure were not listening to the person on the phone as intently as we would if we weren't sending out a tweet or bbm. But these different channels are allowing us to manage more relationships more frequently. We can now chat with our friend from down the street and our cousin in Spain at the same time - I think its great!

With that said, there will never be a stronger conversation than one that takes place in person. I think that face to face contact has become more valuable than ever, mainly attributed to the rise of social media and tech. Face to face conversations are becoming as rare as a Celebrity without baggage. As a result the value of a face to face meeting is becoming increasingly important for maintaining a strong relationship.

So, I don't know if all this technology has made us better listeners or better pretenders - Haven't seen any research. But I'd assume the latter is true. Yet, I still don't see that as taking 4 steps back. I guess we won't know until the divorce rates come out in a few decades. Until then, I agree, take time for yourself and time to create meaningful relationships. The rest will fall into place...
Christa Marzan

Thanks! And yes, definite CHRIS overload haha.

I think you make valid points for both arguments. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. I think we'll just have to wait it out and see some studies about how this abundance of communication outlets affects the younger generations. I especially like your point about face to face communication and I agree 100%. It makes me wonder why people don't use Skype more!

The inspriation for this post came from comparing what I saw when I was a teenager to what I see in my 11 year old brother and his friends, and I find it extremely fascinating. I am very interested to see what happens in the coming years.

Thanks again for sharing with us!