Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott - Essay Example

Grown Up Digital Information The book functions as an up to an earlier book written by Don Tapscott d Growing Up Digital (1997) thatexamined the affect the rise of the world wide web had on the current generation. Tapscott is one of the leading experts on business strategy and information technology and is the author of over thirteen books. His most famous book is called Wikinomics, which was a bestseller and has been translated into twenty-two languages. His is the head of nGenera Insight, a strategic business firm that researches innovations in technology. He is also an adjunct Professor at the J.L. Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. Foundational Assumptions Don Tapscott’s Grown Up Digital (2009) examines the life of people who have grown up in the digital age. Tapscott’s idea for the book initially arose in the 1990s after viewing the rise of internet technology within his own family. He realized that the current generation is demonstrating proficiency with the internet and digital technology which the past generations can’t keep up with and this is making them notably different from these past generations. As a strategic business analyst he realized that it would be important to gain an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon, so he commissioned a large scale study to investigate the issue; the book is comprised from information the study found and personal insights from the author. One of the foundational assumptions of the book is that the defining characteristic of the post-Generation X generation is the overwhelming influence the world-wide-web has had on their lives. In characterizing this influence, the author deems this generation the Net Generation (refusing to settle on the often used Generation Y moniker because it ignores the highly individual characteristics of this new generation). According to Tapscott, the Net Generation spans from 1977 to 1997, including even more births than the Baby Boomers. Indeed, they have been deemed the Echo Generation in response to the Baby Boomers’ initial post-war explosion. One of the major tenants of the research is that because of the current explosion of the internet, the world has become a much more integrated place. Since globalization has progressed to this degree the research necessarily focused on international elements as well as those within the United States. John Geraci, the project manager of the research, stated, “For the first time ever, we can speak of a worldwide youth generation” (Tapscott, pg. 23). As a result, the research included twelve countries, where participants adequately affected by digital culture were studied for statistical insight. Purpose of the Book The author’s intentions in constructing the book was to determine if the rise of such technology is having a beneficial or an adverse affect on this population. As the research was funded by private industry (nearly $4 million dollars was spent on the research, making it one of the most in-depth studies into the Net Generation ever compiled) much of the information naturally reflects insights gleaned for business purposes. Furthermore, it seems a tacit purpose of the book is to refute criticisms that the widespread adoption of internet technology has somehow perverted or disrupted the intellectual and emotional development of youth. Indeed, much of the book functions to dispel misconceptions that the current youth culture is lazy; the book also offers advice for how members of the Net Generation can overcome these stereotypes, and how businesses can reach out to this generation. Was the Book Convincing? While the extent that Grown up Digital offers valuable insights to the nature and habits of the Net Generation is undeniable, at times it seems that the information has been presented in such a manner as to present an overriding narrative that is positive. Even as the author references the negative perspectives of commentators, it is also as a rebuttal to his perspective that everything that has to do with the internet and digital culture is ‘amazing’ and ‘wondrous’. Throughout the book he implies that members of the Net Generation are somehow more mentally efficient to deal with multi-tasking, when contemporary research shows this to be a misconception. Indeed, at times the book seems to function more as a propaganda piece for the value of internet use rather than a critical account of this technology. Another unconvincing element was that while the book takes pains to include international research and argues that the world-wide-web has demonstrated considerable trends towards globalization, the book doesn’t seem to adequately address the ways the world has truly united at such rapid speeds. Most of the research analysis is structured so that qualitative and quantitative insights are developed by comparing the current generation to the Baby Boomer generation. While this is relevant for the United States, it excludes countries such as Japan and those in Eastern Europe who didn’t experience a similar population boom. Such research analysis is clearly biased by the author’s perspective as a member of the Baby Boomer generation. Such a perspective reduces the overall objectivity of the book, at times reducing its viability to a handbook for middle-aged Americans to understand the younger generation. The book would undoubtedly benefit from more international analysis. When considering the book’s insights into the ‘customization’ trends of youth culture the author compares Baby Boomer’s use of technology to that of the Net Generation. The author argues that past generations were content with merely accepting technology at face value, where the current generation must customize the technology to their desires. This particular characterization of the Net Generation seems unconvincing as it seems to the reader that such trends are more indicative of the increased options that modern technology and employment allows and not a fundamental paradigm shift. At times it seems that in many regards one of the weaknesses of the book is that it attempts to make these grand assertions of the Net Generation which demonstrate that they have fundamentally changed, when in truth they are merely a product of increased options. This isn’t always the case however, and one of the convincing elements of the book is the discussion on brain functioning. The book discusses a number of instances where video game playing has been shown to have a beneficial effect on cognitive functioning. It extends this argument into the real where it pertains to surgeons too, who may be able to harness this digital technology through electronic training methods to become better surgeons. Another such convincing example given concerning the way members of the Net Generation versus Baby Boomers process visual information. The author shows a screen image of a website and states that Baby Boomers will begin analyzing the information by reading from the upper left hand corner, whereas members of the Net Generation will scan the site for relevant material. One can easily envision one’s parents or older individuals attempting to access information while you sit by patiently wondering why it is taking them so long. It’s a very convincing insight that one can immediately relate to by considering their interactions with parents. Main Problems Addressed One of the first issues that the book addressed was the extent to which the internet and digital culture has promoted and caused globalization. While other researchers argue that this phenomenon has been exaggerated, the book takes a firm stand that “the technical culture is rapidly shrinking the world” (Tapscott, pg. 23). A major function of the book is the characterization of the Net Generation – both as a means of intellectual understanding, and as a means of quantifying this generation so that businesses and corporations can better market and incorporate these consumers and employees into the marketplace. In characterizing the generation Tapscott offers eight key norms that he claims underline the generation’s behavior patterns: freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed, and innovation. The freedom issue is frequently demonstrated throughout qualitative and quantitative insights throughout the book. One such incarnation is the form of education students are more open to, with past ‘industrial era’ techniques falling short of contemporary standards. Another element of freedom is that recent graduates are now less likely to commit long-term to jobs. Whereas the Baby Boomer generation is characterized, when they graduated from college, as seeking long-term employment, the average span of employment at a company of a member of the Net Generation is 2.6 years. The book also gives examples of freedom within the workplace, citing Best Buy which has instituted a policy where employees are able to choose when they will complete the work, as long as it gets done. Furthermore, the members of this generation are said to seek freedom of choice within their choice of media and consumerism. Examples such as listening to music on iPods instead of the radio are given, or using Tivo. Another issue addressed is that because of digital culture the brain is undergoing fundamental changes. The author gives an anecdotal example where two students who played a video game all night consistently participated in a study that tested motor skills. The test revealed that they scored 50% percent better than the rest of the population, demonstrating that video games can have a positive effect on reaction time. The book offers a number of other instances where such an effect is occurring; however most of the insights in this realm rely heavily on Tapscott’s own qualitative insights, and lack for substantial scientific knowledge. One of the central themes of Growing Up Digital (2009) is that the digital explosion has resulted in further the democratic process. The author gives an anecdote where Chris Hughes, a former roommate of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at Harvard, left a high paying job to work for the Barack Obama campaign. Working for the campaign he developed a method of uniting Obama’s supporters and gaining new supporters over the internet. The implication is that such advances in campaign efforts fundamentally altered the outcome of the last presidential election. Another thematic occurrence of the advances of democracy relates to the way information is gathered and processed. Tapscott writes, One way they are doing this is by creating content – in the form of their own blogs, or in combination with other people’s content. In this way the Net Generation is democratizing the creation of content and this new paradigm of communication will have a revolutionary impact on everything it touches – from music and movies, to political life, business, and education. (Tapscott, pg. 40) When considering consumerism the book applies the thematic eight characteristics of the Net Generation, arguing that they demonstrate the changing perspectives of consumer culture among this group. The fundamental shifts in consumerism also reflect the book’s theme of increased democratization of society. It argues for concepts such as the ‘discovery of price’ where contemporary consumers now have a much more accurate reflection of the market price of goods, as they can locate them on the internet. Due to the generation’s having grown up with the use of savvy marketing ploys, the Net Generation has largely become immune to traditional marketing concepts and as a result companies are held to hire states of scrutiny and integrity than in the past. In addressing the purchasing trends of the Net Generation the book coins the term N-Fluence. This term refers to current trends that indicate that Net Generation consumers have derided common forms of marketing and now their main influences are their network of friends and internet connections. Tapscott writes, “When they think about what to buy, Net Geners go to online social networks to see what their friends are buying – 32 percent of teens says they ‘buy things my friends have.’ When they lack experience with a product, 29 percent ask their friends for advice” (Tapscott, pg. 192) Author’s Opinion of Issues Addressed Many instances throughout the book the reader, particularly if a member of the ‘Net Generation,’ might find the author’s perspective slightly naïve. For instance, throughout the book he constantly expresses wonderment at the ability of youth to use the internet, watch television, and talk on the phone or listen to music. Perhaps Tapscott uses this merely as a voice, to which his statistical research functions as a counterpoint, as indeed the sure force of the research adds considerable insights. After one such digression by Tapscott on his amazement at the youth culture, he discusses statistical insights that show that the use of television watching among the Net Generation has greatly decreased to be less than the Baby Boomers; furthermore, when given a choice between getting rid of television or the internet most Net Geners chose to keep the internet. The book is filled with interesting insights such as these. Even as the book is in great part a handbook to understand youth culture, Tapscott has concerns over some of the ways that today’s youth are so completely free with the ways they have expressed themselves over the internet. The author makes frequent reference to his fear that such occurrences will hurt these members of the Net Generation later in life when they attempt to find jobs in senior management or similar high responsibility positions. Throughout the book he urges members of the Net Generation to make certain they guard their privacy and be aware that having unflattering pictures could harm them later in life. The author believes that despite other formulations, such as Mark Bauerlein’s book the Dumbest Generation, the current generation cares deeply about political issues and social concerns. The author argues that this generation has seemed particularly apathetic as they have been cautious about trusting the various political institutions and options available to them. However, the recent election of President Barack Obama demonstrated large voter turn-out among this generation. Furthermore, they demonstrated considerable concern and participation in the wake of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center. View of the Future The book has a well-articulated view of the future. It believes that the Net Generation is in a position to revolutionize every social institution for the better. As previously mentioned the book spends a considerable amount of time refuting claims that the Net Generation is lazy and other misconceptions; the book argues that individuals who fear of a future society dominated by Net Geners are experiencing an age-old form of fear of the new. Instead the book has a highly optimistic view of the future of this generation. Growing Up Digital (2009) argues that the current educational norms – what they term industrial revolution norms – will no longer be relevant means of educating in the future. These educational foundations rely too heavily on direct instruction from the teacher, requiring the students to sit still for too long. Education needs to change to reflect the new technology and teachers should function as mentors now more than lecturers. Members of the Net Generation are forecasted as not wanting to assume the role of the traditional voter. Tapscott defines the traditional voter as “involves (ing) putting in an appearance at the local voting booth and perhaps contributing some money, and then sitting quietly doing nothing until the next campaign two or four years away” (Tapscott, pg. 308). Instead, the book argues that Net Geners will want to contribute more directly to the government process. The nature of the internet and information flow will give Net Geners more direct information and will lead them to feel that they deserve to have more direct insight into the political process. Tapscott believes this will usher in a new and fuller version of the democratic process. This doesn’t necessarily mean that society will tend towards flattening and the disappearance of hierarchical structures in society. Indeed, society will still need hierarchical structures in many venues, including health care and law enforcement. However, the book implies that as the Net Generation progresses the trend on social organization will veer away from strict hierarchical structures. Rather, the world will begin to exhibit higher efforts of collaboration and networking within corporate, government, and social organizations will become a necessity. The book offers an anecdote to demonstrate this trend. It mentions how when Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg was in college he had not studied for an art history examination and a few days before the test created a platform which contained the art so students could comment on paintings. The collaborative effort resulted in the entire class passing the examination and demonstrated that the Net Generation is capable of higher order methods of organization and collaboration. Personal Opinions of the Book It’s fitting that a book who makes a serious attempt at characterizing an entire generation who be based on corporate funded research into the nature of digital technology. While a more cynical interpretation of this fact might note that today it is corporate marketing and business that determines our culture, another interpretation stresses the profound impact has had on the lives of youth culture such that the world-wide-web and this generation are inseparable. The book is generally an interesting read, as it balances anecdotal stories with the statistical research. Author Don Tapscott interweaves a number of interesting insights into every chapter. For instance, he discusses one study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University where they tried to determine if Marshall McLuhan’s famous statement ‘the medium is the message’ was accurate. The study affirmed his statement showing that information digested visually functioned by leaving different memories than information digested through auditory processes. While the book is founded on statistical research it is ultimately an element of the author’s qualitative insight on the nature of the Net Generation which drives the narrative. In the end the book offers an extremely positive account of generation, and going far to refute a substantial body of literature that has criticized the generation as victims of its own technology. References Tapscott, Don. (2009) Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World. McGraw Hill Read More