Grown Up Digital – How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World

Citation

Cattell, A. (2009), "Grown Up Digital – How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 41 No. 2, pp. 106-107. https://doi.org/10.1108/00197850910939162

Don Tapscott is the author of Growing Up Digital (1997) and Wikinomics (2006). He is Chair of the nGenera Innovation Network and an adjunct professor of management at the University of Toronto. This book represents research carried out world‐wide to determine the key attributes of what the author terms the Net Generation. The text is of interest to anyone interested in the differentiated approach that this generation brings to the worlds of education, work and leisure and the impact that they will have in the future. As such readership is likely to be very eclectic but could include prospective employers, managers, HRM and HRD staff as well as parents, retailers and politicians.

The aim of the book is to dispel myths about the Net Geners and to identify and expand on what they can bring to bear now and in the future and how to use their skills and abilities to the full. For the purposes of this review the impact on work and education will be the focus.

Tapscott identifies eight key “norms” which are expected by Net Geners, namely choice, customization, transparency, integrity, collaboration, fun, speed and innovation. He paints a picture of a world in which ability to multi task and to use web based social networks and technology for information, communication and collaboration are key to maintaining the interest and motivation of the Net Generation.

As regards learning, the key messages to educators in seeking to understand the Net Geners include:

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  Changing the relationship between teachers and students in the learning process and using technology to create a student focused, customized and collaborative learning environment.

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  Cutting back on lecturing. Ask students questions and listen to the answers. Listen to the questions asked by students. Let them discover the answer.

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  Empowering students to collaborate and to access the subject matter expertise increasingly available on the web.

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  Focusing on lifelong learning and how to learn‐not what to know.

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  Using technology to get to know each student in building self paced, customized learning environments with them.

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  Designing educational initiatives taking account of the eight “norms”. Build on the strengths of Net Gen culture and preferences for project‐based learning.

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  Reinventing yourself as a teacher or educator by collaborating with students and involving them, rather than talking at them.

The author also highlights the potential of the student becoming the teacher when it comes to sharing their advanced knowledge of technology and its potential and future uses.

Within the workplace key messages to employers and managers are:

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  Rethinking authority by being a good leader; coach; mentor; facilitate or enabler.

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  Net Genres need plenty of regular and quality driven feedback. False praise does not work.

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  Use social networks to recruit talent and initiate relationships.

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  Strengthen the learning component within jobs rather than rely on traditional training.

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  Do not ban social networks such as Facebook – consider how you can harness them. Consider also how you can useful facilitate the use of blogs,wiki's tags and collaborative filtering to enhance high performance working.

The content of the book is covered in three Parts. The first is entitled Meet the Net Gen which examines the demographic profiles of post‐war generations and places the thinking and socialization processes and eight norms of the Net Geners within a context. Part Two, Transforming Institutions examines the Net Generation as learners, within the workforce, as consumers, and within the family. Part Three majors on the political and social implications and impact of the Net Generation currently and in the future.

Many of the anecdotes and social contexts within the book have a distinctly North American flavour. However, these are well used to provide contrasts and similarities with and between Net Geners in other parts of the world. The author also provides family based anecdotes which are stimulation for the reader to compare experiences within their own family. As the reviewer I found myself doing this and also using examples of new approaches and technology to carry out an audit of my own knowledge and capability. The presentation style of the text is good and provides, statistics, tables, diagrams and a large number of anecdotes and examples to reinforce text content and author observations.

The Notes and Bibliography are extensive and provide the reader with plenty of information for further research into the subject matter. The subject coverage finds an easy relationship between the practical and the academic and provides the reader with a resource which can be picked up and put down without interrupting or losing the flow of the text or interest in content. The topic matter is very current and up to date but the long term shelf life of the book may be limited by the very speed of changing technology and mindsets that the text covers. The price of the book considering it is hardback represents good value for money. Overall an intriguing look at a demographic situation that affects all of us.