Pandit We Are Generation Z

How Identity, Attitudes, And Perspectives Are Shaping Our Future
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61254-880-7
Verlag: Brown Books Publishing Group
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 160 Seiten

Born at the turn of the millennium, the members of Generation Z are no strangers to today's fast-paced, hyperconnected world. They were born in the Digital Age. They grew up online. Their identities, attitudes, and perspectives have all been uniquely integrated with technology. Now, as they stand at the brink of adulthood, it's time for the world to discover: Who is Generation Z ? Vivek Pandit shares an insider's perspective on what it means to be part of this unique generation. By exploring the forces that have shaped him and his peers, he gives insight into how they may go on to shape the world.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Pandit, Vivek

Leseproben

Chapter 1 Technology Domination One summer, I flew to Chicago to visit my grandparents and cousins. I was particularly excited since I would be seeing my then two-year-old baby cousin for the first time in more than six months. On the plane, I envisioned her first glimpse of me, which always turned into a joyous scream and a big, beaming smile. When I walked into my grandparents’ home, I dashed over to her side. She was holding an iPhone, which I instinctively pried from her hands as I knelt down to give her a big hug. Imagine my surprise as she resisted—and then threw a fit because I had taken away her gadget. Flustered and dejected, I returned her iPhone and moved on to greet the rest of the family. For the remainder of my two-week summer trip, I noticed how frequently my two-year-old cousin entertained herself with either an iPad or a smartphone. She was so obsessed with her digital entertainment devices that her verbal communication mostly consisted of “Can I have your pone?” The thought of my little cousin developing a closer relationship with her iPad than with me during our summer bonding trip was somewhat unsettling. Is this the norm, or is she an anomaly? I wondered. So I researched the issue and found two excellent articles that confirmed my suspicions. These sources indicated that others have also observed similar changes in behavior and communication that technology creates in children. The learning of specific communication techniques is in fact being hampered by technology, delaying a toddler’s ability to talk. The first article I reviewed was from the New York Times, called “The Child, the Tablet, and the Developing Mind.”1 Drawing on personal narrative, the author gathers information from various studies and experts in cognitive development. He concludes that babies and young children are talking less due to overuse of technology. Part of talking less means that children are no longer talking to themselves, which is an essential part of identity development. Children who do not talk to themselves are not comfortable with being alone, presumably because they find it more difficult to establish an identity separate from their caregiver. The second article I found offered more of a scientific approach. “The Impact of Background Television on Parent-Child Interaction,” from the journal Child Development, made use of a lab study to investigate the effect of background television noise in parent/child interactions.2 The authors of this article suggest that such disruptive technology not only reduces the quality and quantity of interaction between the child and parent but also that this in turn leads to language delays. In the study, infants who were exposed to background television noise not only interacted less with their parents but had lower-quality interactions as well when compared to infants who did not have the distraction of a television in the background. After reading these articles, I reflected more deeply on my past observations concerning babies and their use of technology. Every time I attended a party where young children were present, I recalled witnessing a child enjoying an adult’s phone or iPad. These kids were so absorbed in the technology that they did not seem to have any desire to run around and play with each other as I fondly remember doing in my childhood. Despite growing up in the era of technology domination, I find it troubling to watch a group of children sitting together on a couch staring at their electronic devices instead of talking and giggling with each other. But infants and young children are not the only ones being affected by the overuse of technology. Technology domination among Gen Z teens is rampant. At the lunch table in my high school, I have noticed a dramatic decline in verbal communication when compared to lunches from my middle school years. Teens are using smartphones for games, texting, browsing the web, etc., and this kind of activity has taken over what used to be quality social time at the lunch table. Playing a game with or against each other, whether it is a video game or a word game, is often the extent of interaction between two students. One of my teachers recently shared with me that she has to confiscate cell phones at an exponential rate compared to just a few years ago. According to her, student addiction to smartphones and other portable technology such as tablet PCs and smartwatches is becoming a major distraction for both teachers and students. Students, for instance, are “tuning out” the lessons, and teachers are subsequently focused on catching students who are looking at their phones. Teachers, she stated, feel that the concepts they are teaching have to compete for attention with the latest updates on social media. From her perspective, addiction to technology is almost as detrimental to learning as addiction to drugs, when the bodily craving becomes unquenchable. The mental distractions caused by technology parallel the physical distractions caused by drugs. Because of this pervasive use of technology in my generation, I have often heard it said that we are going to become a generation of idiots. Some are concerned that dependence on technology will impact our ability to acquire life skills that play an important part in the development of our identities and our understanding of where we fit within society. According to this argument, skills such as using a map, basic math, how to address someone with a conflicting viewpoint, or knowing how to generate excitement or enthusiasm are skills that are losing ground in my generation. Here is a rebuttal perspective from my peers and others who subscribe to the new-world thinking: Why should we consider living life without technology’s enhancements? Sure, we are giving up certain skills, just as our ancestors once gave up horseback riding in order to learn how to drive a car. So instead of merely being concerned about skills that are lost, should we not also consider alternative skills that we will develop? Take math skills, for instance: If a calculator can solve an equation for us, does that not free up our minds to ponder new and different methods of mathematical thinking? If we can use an astronomy phone app to identify all the current constellation positions, could that not free up our minds to inquire into what lies beyond in the universe? After all, it is the human mind and generations of hard work that led to today’s technological inventions. Why should we assume we will become lazy and no longer progress technologically? Both of these perspectives seem to be extreme ends of the same spectrum—the technology spectrum. And in such cases, the answer often lies somewhere in the middle. We must acknowledge that the pace of technological advancement has continued to accelerate over the span of generations. So it would be foolish not to take advantage of these advancements to improve the quality of our lives, just as we take advantage of medical enhancements to improve our health. For instance, it would be absurd to use a Rolodex to retrieve a phone number instead of storing such information in our smartphones. Similarly, it would be illogical to avoid using a calculator for a math problem if the calculator can perform the task. But, on the other hand, it should be used only after an individual has proven his ability in performing that same math problem on paper, and thereby demonstrated his ability at acquiring the critical processing necessary for such a task. In other words, with the adoption of new technology, we often become so blinded by the positive enhancements that we do not always bother to consider the unintended consequences, whether to our own lives or to others. For example, our dependence on digital games for recreation and the influence of social media on our identity are unlike anything that previous generations have encountered. In shifting certain social, communication, and life skills to our digital devices, we are losing certain abilities that form the basis of who we are, what we think, what we perceive, how we make the decisions we make, and ultimately the actions we carry out. Even toddlers are exhibiting delayed speech and an inability to relate to themselves, which form the basis for identity development. These trends could impart language and relationship barriers upon future generations that will undoubtedly affect society as a whole. Moreover, while one’s personal identity can evolve over time, one’s online persona often does not, or at least not within the individual’s control. This can lead to a divergence between our real identity and our online persona; such a divergence is often the basis for a full-blown identity crisis. In resolving the crisis, many seek to remove or modify their online information. Yet we are learning that what exists online today may exist online forever. To illustrate, one of my good friends recently had a job interview at a local pizzeria. She was confident that she would get the job. During the interview, the store manager relayed his negative experience with previous employees, citing examples of former workers who would give away free pizza to their friends or who would show up late to work. I’m not like those workers, she thought. I’ll get this job and prove just how good I am. As she was about to share her thoughts, the store manager pulled up her online social media pictures, tags, and other postings. Suddenly my friend realized that she had been judged before she had even met the manager in person. The manager had seen pictures of her playing pranks on her friends, complaining...