Meet the ‘Digital Natives’ and ‘Google Kids’
Wants, needs, attitudes and social behaviors are changing. The massive adaption of new media has resulted in a new reality at which connectivity and mobility became boundary conditions. Forget the physiological primaire needs of Maslow’s hierarchy, youngsters today only care for WiFi.
After the baby boomers (Generation X: born between 1956 till 1970) and Millennials (Generation Y: born between 1982 till 2001) comes Generation Z also known as the ‘Digital Natives’. The current hyper-connected world results in a fast moving generation that wants to experience, explore and exposure. Ever looked around while sitting in the train, bus or metro? Almost everyone is checking their mobile phone to watch what’s happening in somebody else his life.
And this is just the start. With the launch of Google Glass and several Samsung Gear and Moto360 Smart Watches, people become more and more intertwined with their online presence/life. What impact will these developments have on future generations? How will it effect their attitudes, needs and behavior?
So far, researchers and others who written about Digital Natives have found it difficult to classify the generation precisely. In order to get to know the Digital Natives a little bit better, I’ve highlighted some physiological aspects. Although Digital Natives are the most connected generation yet, they assumable will have social problems in the future.
The Most Isolated Generation To Date
Despite the online behavior and many friends at Social Media, Digital Natives can be considered as the most (social) isolated generation so far. This isolation stems from extreme cultural fragmentation that ironically has the potential to make über-connected Digital Natives (95% are active Facebook users) the most isolated generation as far.
“This isolation stems from extreme cultural fragmentation”
The lack of relatability (rather than from a lack of connectivity) is an important reason for the isolation of Digital Natives.
The Sharing Generation
The Digital Natives love to share their experiences with peers through social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snap Chat and What’s App. This consistent urge to share is likely the most obvious characteristic of Generation Z. Digital Natives life their lives online, and share both the intimate and mundane details of life. This characteristic is evidenced by the many selfies, insta’s and Youtube shares to date.
Although Digital Natives can be considered as ‘native’ users of digital platforms, the next generation is likely to be even smarter and more efficiënt with new technologies. We are talking about the Google Kids who are now at kindergarten but will have an enormous influence in the way we interact and do business. Even now, past generations have troubles with current technological developments. Imagine how huge this gap will be in about twenty years.. I think that ‘Google Kids’ will find programming as easy as composing a document in Microsoft Word.
What the future will hold exactly is an unanswerable question off course. But the assumptions that are made in this article are plausible based on facts and characteristics from various sources:
1. Digital Natives were born in the early to mid 1990s though 2010.
2. Technology, internet, war, terrorism, global warming and social media shape their lives.
3. Their IQ scores are higher than previous generations.
4. They are flexible in nature and expect that also from institutions.
5. 65 percent of grade school students will work in jobs that don’t exist today.
Click here for more interesting characteristics.
What are your thoughts about the impact of new generations? Are they game-changers or will they easily blend in current society? Please leave your opinion in the comments.
