Generational Fragmentation
I had an interesting conversation with a friend today about the growing communication gap between generations. He recently asked some teens what they thought the reason was for this, and their response was their use of modern technology. So we were discussing why this might be.
Youths today are linked in to continuous communication with a large, extended group of their peers via text messaging and Internet chatting and social networks like MySpace and Facebook. While the demographics are changing to include the older generation, for the most part these sites are populated by people under the age of 25. This instant, continuous communication has created a culture which is almost exclusive to youths, as the "grownups" are struggling to keep up with all the latest in technology.
Not that long ago, pre-Internet, pre-texting, you either had to physically meet up with your friends or use the telephone. One's peer circle was therefore more limited, both in size and in time spent together. Youths were exposed to more time and conversation with adults than they typically are now.
What I see happening is a loss of what I call generational wisdom. Those little bits of life stories, experiences, and knowledge passed from one generation to the next through daily mundane conversations. The modern lifestyle has family members all going separate ways, having dinner together without the TV on is almost unheard of, and meanwhile the kids are chatting and texting non-stop with their peers.
On the other hand, we see the unprecedented success of President Obama's campaign in reaching out to the younger generation by utilizing all the different "tech-tools." Not only did he have a web site, but he blogged, put videos on YouTube, and texted, just to mention a few, and the results are obvious.
There is a balance to be struck. For my part, I'm learning new things every day to reduce my "techno-dummy" status. And at the same time, I am putting forth an effort to reach out to the youths I know and engage them in some good old-fashioned conversation. We each have something to give, and to learn from, the other, and isn't that what communication is all about?
My heart to yours,
Karen
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Youths today are linked in to continuous communication with a large, extended group of their peers via text messaging and Internet chatting and social networks like MySpace and Facebook. While the demographics are changing to include the older generation, for the most part these sites are populated by people under the age of 25. This instant, continuous communication has created a culture which is almost exclusive to youths, as the "grownups" are struggling to keep up with all the latest in technology.
Not that long ago, pre-Internet, pre-texting, you either had to physically meet up with your friends or use the telephone. One's peer circle was therefore more limited, both in size and in time spent together. Youths were exposed to more time and conversation with adults than they typically are now.
What I see happening is a loss of what I call generational wisdom. Those little bits of life stories, experiences, and knowledge passed from one generation to the next through daily mundane conversations. The modern lifestyle has family members all going separate ways, having dinner together without the TV on is almost unheard of, and meanwhile the kids are chatting and texting non-stop with their peers.
On the other hand, we see the unprecedented success of President Obama's campaign in reaching out to the younger generation by utilizing all the different "tech-tools." Not only did he have a web site, but he blogged, put videos on YouTube, and texted, just to mention a few, and the results are obvious.
There is a balance to be struck. For my part, I'm learning new things every day to reduce my "techno-dummy" status. And at the same time, I am putting forth an effort to reach out to the youths I know and engage them in some good old-fashioned conversation. We each have something to give, and to learn from, the other, and isn't that what communication is all about?
My heart to yours,
Karen
Would you like your own personal cheerleader? Contact me for details.
Have you reserved your hug yet?
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