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Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World
SELECTED AS A 2008 BEST BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST
The Net Generation Has Arrived.
Are you ready for it?
Chances are you know a person between the ages of 11 and 30. You've seen them doing five things at once: texting friends, downloading music, uploading videos, watching a movie on a two-inch screen, and doing who-knows-what on Facebook or MySpace. They're the first generation to have literally grown up digital - and they're part of a global cultural phenomenon that's here to stay.
The bottom line is this: If you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future.
If you're a Baby Boomer or Gen-Xer: This is your field guide.
A fascinating inside look at the Net Generation, Grown Up Digital is inspired by a $4 million private research study. New York Times bestselling author Don Tapscott has surveyed more than 11,000 young people. Instead of a bunch of spoiled "screenagers" with short attention spans and zero social skills, he discovered a remarkably bright community which has developed revolutionary new ways of thinking, interacting, working, and socializing.
Grown Up Digital reveals:
- How the brain of the Net Generation processes information
- Seven ways to attract and engage young talent in the workforce
- Seven guidelines for educators to tap the Net Gen potential
- Parenting 2.0: There's no place like the new home
- Citizen Net: How young people and the Internet are transforming democracy
Today's young people are using technology in ways you could never imagine. Instead of passively watching television, the "Net Geners" are actively participating in the distribution of entertainment and information. For the first time in history, youth are the authorities on something really important. And they're changing every aspect of our society-from the workplace to the marketplace, from the classroom to the living room, from the voting booth to the Oval Office.
The Digital Age is here. The Net Generation has arrived. Meet the future.
The Net Generation Has Arrived.
Are you ready for it?
Chances are you know a person between the ages of 11 and 30. You've seen them doing five things at once: texting friends, downloading music, uploading videos, watching a movie on a two-inch screen, and doing who-knows-what on Facebook or MySpace. They're the first generation to have literally grown up digital - and they're part of a global cultural phenomenon that's here to stay.
The bottom line is this: If you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future.
If you're a Baby Boomer or Gen-Xer: This is your field guide.
A fascinating inside look at the Net Generation, Grown Up Digital is inspired by a $4 million private research study. New York Times bestselling author Don Tapscott has surveyed more than 11,000 young people. Instead of a bunch of spoiled "screenagers" with short attention spans and zero social skills, he discovered a remarkably bright community which has developed revolutionary new ways of thinking, interacting, working, and socializing.
Grown Up Digital reveals:
- How the brain of the Net Generation processes information
- Seven ways to attract and engage young talent in the workforce
- Seven guidelines for educators to tap the Net Gen potential
- Parenting 2.0: There's no place like the new home
- Citizen Net: How young people and the Internet are transforming democracy
Today's young people are using technology in ways you could never imagine. Instead of passively watching television, the "Net Geners" are actively participating in the distribution of entertainment and information. For the first time in history, youth are the authorities on something really important. And they're changing every aspect of our society-from the workplace to the marketplace, from the classroom to the living room, from the voting booth to the Oval Office.
The Digital Age is here. The Net Generation has arrived. Meet the future.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 2008
69 people are currently reading
1181 people want to read
About the author
Don Tapscott
89Ìýbooks182ÌýfollowersDon is one of the world’s leading authorities on innovation, media, and the economic and social impact of technology and advises business and government leaders around the world.
In 2011 Don was named one of the world's most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. He has authored or co-authored 14 widely read books including the 1992 best seller Paradigm Shift. His 1995 hit Digital Economychanged thinking around the world about the transformational nature of the Internet and two years later he defined the Net Generation and the “digital divide� in Growing Up Digital.
His 2000 work, Digital Capital, introduced seminal ideas like “the business web� and was described by BusinessWeek as “pure enlightenment." Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything was the best selling management book in 2007 and translated into over 25 languages.
The Economist called his newest work Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet a “Schumpeter-ian story of creative destruction� and the Huffington Post said the book is “nothing less than a game plan to fix a broken world.�
Over 30 years he has introduced many ground-breaking concepts that are part of contemporary understanding. His work continues as a the Chairman of Moxie Insight, a member of , Adjunct Professor of Management for the at the and .
In 2011 Don was named one of the world's most influential management thinkers by Thinkers50. He has authored or co-authored 14 widely read books including the 1992 best seller Paradigm Shift. His 1995 hit Digital Economychanged thinking around the world about the transformational nature of the Internet and two years later he defined the Net Generation and the “digital divide� in Growing Up Digital.
His 2000 work, Digital Capital, introduced seminal ideas like “the business web� and was described by BusinessWeek as “pure enlightenment." Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything was the best selling management book in 2007 and translated into over 25 languages.
The Economist called his newest work Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet a “Schumpeter-ian story of creative destruction� and the Huffington Post said the book is “nothing less than a game plan to fix a broken world.�
Over 30 years he has introduced many ground-breaking concepts that are part of contemporary understanding. His work continues as a the Chairman of Moxie Insight, a member of , Adjunct Professor of Management for the at the and .
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January 5, 2016
A Net Genner on the Net Generation
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I’ll admit, I didn’t read this book cover to cover. I spent about 3 hours reading it, which probably means that I ‘read� about half and skimmed the rest. This speaks both to the book’s strengths and its weaknesses. On one hand, the book is clearly organized, with three levels of subtitles within the book making skimming much more efficient. On the other hand as a member of the generation that Tapscott is trying to describe, at least 60% of the information is intuitive to the point of banality.
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What Tapscott does bring to the table, however, is a quantitative approach to how the Net Generation is truly different from those preceding it, with some concrete information deeper than our ubiquitously cited ability to multitask or our improved hand eye coordination. His chapter on “The Net-generation Brain� contained some interesting statistics. For example, he discusses how 10,000 hours of video games and 20,000 hours of internet before age 20, have a positive effect on our ability to process visual information in rapid and complex ways. Additionally, like the Economist review that introduced me to the book, I believe the chapter on ‘Obama, Social Networks, and Digital engagement� is the primary selling point for the book with interesting anecdotes and a broad view picture of its effectiveness, although the book was published too early to claim it was the reason for his victory.
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In the end, there’s not enough new information contained in this book for a blanket recommendation. It is has enough to interest genre hacks willing to wade through the banalities, or those who have not yet been exposed to Net Gen ideas. I guess that means I should recommend this book to my mother.
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I’ll admit, I didn’t read this book cover to cover. I spent about 3 hours reading it, which probably means that I ‘read� about half and skimmed the rest. This speaks both to the book’s strengths and its weaknesses. On one hand, the book is clearly organized, with three levels of subtitles within the book making skimming much more efficient. On the other hand as a member of the generation that Tapscott is trying to describe, at least 60% of the information is intuitive to the point of banality.
.
What Tapscott does bring to the table, however, is a quantitative approach to how the Net Generation is truly different from those preceding it, with some concrete information deeper than our ubiquitously cited ability to multitask or our improved hand eye coordination. His chapter on “The Net-generation Brain� contained some interesting statistics. For example, he discusses how 10,000 hours of video games and 20,000 hours of internet before age 20, have a positive effect on our ability to process visual information in rapid and complex ways. Additionally, like the Economist review that introduced me to the book, I believe the chapter on ‘Obama, Social Networks, and Digital engagement� is the primary selling point for the book with interesting anecdotes and a broad view picture of its effectiveness, although the book was published too early to claim it was the reason for his victory.
.
In the end, there’s not enough new information contained in this book for a blanket recommendation. It is has enough to interest genre hacks willing to wade through the banalities, or those who have not yet been exposed to Net Gen ideas. I guess that means I should recommend this book to my mother.
June 16, 2013
I'm so glad that Don Tapscott is Canadian. Knowing that he's a local expert and is so prescient in his thinking made this book an even more enjoyable read. I actually listened to it on audiobook through Audible.com.
This is one of those books that caught my attention 4 years ago when it first came out (2009) but I was only ready to read it now. Tapscott calls the current generation of students in high school “The Net Generation� and describes them as valuing these eight norms: freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed and innovation (p. 74). As such education is experiencing a massive paradigm shift and is moving towards inquiry-based learning, where students direct their own studies. Tapscott describes school’s new dominant role as one to “encourage students to discover for themselves, and learn a process of discovery and critical thinking instead of just memorizing the teacher’s information� (p. 130). School libraries need to morph to extend this role as well, creating flexible spaces where student innovation can happen. This book has a lot to do with the transformation that I'm pushing for from school library to learning commons.
This is one of those books that caught my attention 4 years ago when it first came out (2009) but I was only ready to read it now. Tapscott calls the current generation of students in high school “The Net Generation� and describes them as valuing these eight norms: freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed and innovation (p. 74). As such education is experiencing a massive paradigm shift and is moving towards inquiry-based learning, where students direct their own studies. Tapscott describes school’s new dominant role as one to “encourage students to discover for themselves, and learn a process of discovery and critical thinking instead of just memorizing the teacher’s information� (p. 130). School libraries need to morph to extend this role as well, creating flexible spaces where student innovation can happen. This book has a lot to do with the transformation that I'm pushing for from school library to learning commons.
December 21, 2009
It was ok for a while. Not really what I was looking for. I felt the author used too many personal ancedotes to emphasize his points. While they were good, it felt like a parent bragging on his children once too often.
This book didn't offer me any information that I had not already read on my own. It would be good for someone who is clueless about today's kids and is willing to learn from it.
This book didn't offer me any information that I had not already read on my own. It would be good for someone who is clueless about today's kids and is willing to learn from it.
February 3, 2009
Very lengthy. This book is packed with all sorts of good info (stats, graphs, etc) from a multi-million-dollar survey � but is clearly lacking something. The premise of the book is good - the 8 defining characteristic of the Net Generation � but it sometimes gets a little too repetitive. Summary: Fun facts and stats � but nothing all that new is presented.
April 29, 2009
There is some interesting social analysis of how the Internet has affected the way of life for younger generations as compared to older generations who are more distant from the Internet.
December 10, 2010
This book gives me a good insight of how using web 2.0 to enable lots of new activities and trends. It also explicitly states that web 2.0 has changing the world we are living.
August 24, 2017
Muy recomendable, pero lamentablemente ya se encuentra muy desactualizado cuando constantemente se hace referencia a plataformas como MySpace o Blackberry. De ahà en más, muy interesante y educativo.
January 21, 2020
Outdated, written for a non-NetGener audience, and book starts out interesting but around the halfway point just begins to ramble on and on. Easy to start reading, hard to finish.
Read
June 29, 2020For the final month of book club, I read “Grown Up Digital,� by Don Tapscott. This book is intended to be a sequel of sorts to his book “Growing Up Digital,� published in the late 1990s. “Grown Up Digital� was published in 2009, a time in which he states that the Net Generation has “come of age.� To give an idea of who constitutes the Net Generation, he says that in 2008, the youngest of the generation turned 11 and the oldest turned 31 (p. 3). So hooray for most of us. We are the Net Generation (or Generation Y, Millennials, etc. They’ve all been used interchangeably).
Tapscott identifies eight norms of net generation, or attitudinal and behavioral characteristics - freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed, and innovation. He examines what these norms mean for technology and what they mean for jobs, education, family dynamics, and the future. For example, because Net Geners have grown up with constant access to technology, this means we have learned to find answers, and we expect quick results. We don’t spend hours going through encyclopedias at the library like past generations. We have Google. This has also encouraged learning to be a more interactive experience. We don’t respond as well to the traditional lecture/absorb information model that most schools still use. We want to have a direct role in our education. We want to find and evaluate information. We want to create things. Net Geners have also learned to be skeptical of information on the Internet. We don’t trust a source right away until we’ve done some further digging. Conversely, we value transparency in companies, educational institutions, etc.
I was intrigued by how optimistic Tapscott seemed to be about the Net Generation. I feel that the general view has been that the Net Generation is lazier than past generations or that they are entitled. Tapscott doesn’t see the norms of the Net Generation as hindrances, but as opportunities. He recognizes that Net Geners are the future, so we might as well take advantage of their strengths.
As a member of the Net Generation, I found this book insightful. Though I felt it was more geared toward older generations, but especially after serving for a year, seeing how a non-profit works, and venturing out into the job market, it’s nice to know how current employers are looking at my generation. Additionally, the book helped me to understand how I personally might take advantage of the new developments happening in jobs, education, etc.
Tapscott identifies eight norms of net generation, or attitudinal and behavioral characteristics - freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed, and innovation. He examines what these norms mean for technology and what they mean for jobs, education, family dynamics, and the future. For example, because Net Geners have grown up with constant access to technology, this means we have learned to find answers, and we expect quick results. We don’t spend hours going through encyclopedias at the library like past generations. We have Google. This has also encouraged learning to be a more interactive experience. We don’t respond as well to the traditional lecture/absorb information model that most schools still use. We want to have a direct role in our education. We want to find and evaluate information. We want to create things. Net Geners have also learned to be skeptical of information on the Internet. We don’t trust a source right away until we’ve done some further digging. Conversely, we value transparency in companies, educational institutions, etc.
I was intrigued by how optimistic Tapscott seemed to be about the Net Generation. I feel that the general view has been that the Net Generation is lazier than past generations or that they are entitled. Tapscott doesn’t see the norms of the Net Generation as hindrances, but as opportunities. He recognizes that Net Geners are the future, so we might as well take advantage of their strengths.
As a member of the Net Generation, I found this book insightful. Though I felt it was more geared toward older generations, but especially after serving for a year, seeing how a non-profit works, and venturing out into the job market, it’s nice to know how current employers are looking at my generation. Additionally, the book helped me to understand how I personally might take advantage of the new developments happening in jobs, education, etc.
September 1, 2019
Anytime you write a book about the internet, you risk it becoming outdated in a matter of days. There was a lot of really interesting stuff in here, but also a lot of things I laughed out loud at because they were outdated already! Still, an interesting read if you work with this generation and want a better way to understand where we are coming from!
February 9, 2018
Good follow up book to “Growing Up Digital�
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September 6, 2019ملخص الكتاب :
October 18, 2016
This book is really easy and fun to read and offers a broad overview of technological and economical impact of the Net generation (author's wording), meaning the young people born from the mid 80's and later who grew up with regular usage of digital media e.g. the internet. It is illustrated with quite a number of interesting graphics and charts plotting media-related statistics. So this book may gives new insights to people who were born before the 80's.
I read the book more than half now and I don't feel that it's pointing to some goal or that things are getting clearer to me than they were after the first 20 pages. The author is listing many examples of similar significance which is making the reading a little monotone to me.
Although in the first chapter the author is quoting people giving counter-arguments to his point of view, namely that digital media might do harm especially to young people, he hardly seems to screen these standpoints but destroys them all by referring to enhanced multitasking ans quick visual processing speed of the young people. I would have liked a more diverse discussion on the topic.
I also wonder if the selected group of persons he was interviewing for many of the statistics are representative for a whole generation consisting of maybe a billion people world-wide. He especially often takes his son and his daughte as source for examples, although they absolutely seem to be above the average when it comes to digital media usage and knowledge.
I found lots of advertisement of many different companies like Apple, YouTube, Facebook in this book. Those companies were mentioned repeatedly throughout the book. However the examples given, with reference to those companies were often poor. Did anyone else have the impression that there were many company names mentioned way too often?
If you are thinking in purchasing this book rather expect a point of view on the digital media influenced by the authors own surroundings and job than a critical analysis. Maybe a critical analysis was too much expectation from my side (if you look at the title of the book), but still the author could have scrutinized far more.
I read the book more than half now and I don't feel that it's pointing to some goal or that things are getting clearer to me than they were after the first 20 pages. The author is listing many examples of similar significance which is making the reading a little monotone to me.
Although in the first chapter the author is quoting people giving counter-arguments to his point of view, namely that digital media might do harm especially to young people, he hardly seems to screen these standpoints but destroys them all by referring to enhanced multitasking ans quick visual processing speed of the young people. I would have liked a more diverse discussion on the topic.
I also wonder if the selected group of persons he was interviewing for many of the statistics are representative for a whole generation consisting of maybe a billion people world-wide. He especially often takes his son and his daughte as source for examples, although they absolutely seem to be above the average when it comes to digital media usage and knowledge.
I found lots of advertisement of many different companies like Apple, YouTube, Facebook in this book. Those companies were mentioned repeatedly throughout the book. However the examples given, with reference to those companies were often poor. Did anyone else have the impression that there were many company names mentioned way too often?
If you are thinking in purchasing this book rather expect a point of view on the digital media influenced by the authors own surroundings and job than a critical analysis. Maybe a critical analysis was too much expectation from my side (if you look at the title of the book), but still the author could have scrutinized far more.
June 26, 2009
I picked up this book on a recommendation at a conference, and it has been both thoroughly enjoyable and informative.
Tapscott talks about the generation of people born between about 1978 and 1997 as the "Net Generation" because they were the first to have many of the technologies that are a way of life from their earliest memories. Heavily supplemented with research, the book came across as a guide to the Net Generation's behaviors, motivations and frames of reference.
The book is split into three sections that introduce the demongraphics and personal qualities that distinguish the generation, and separately looks at the ways they already have and will continue to transform institutions and society, respectively.
Tapscott dispels myths about the Net Generation as lazy, coddled and anti-social. He replaces these labels with connected, collaborative and socially active.
An important read, in my opinion, for anyone who plans to work with young people in the next few decades. It has certainly influenced my own impressions of a generation I would ironically be considered a member.
Tapscott talks about the generation of people born between about 1978 and 1997 as the "Net Generation" because they were the first to have many of the technologies that are a way of life from their earliest memories. Heavily supplemented with research, the book came across as a guide to the Net Generation's behaviors, motivations and frames of reference.
The book is split into three sections that introduce the demongraphics and personal qualities that distinguish the generation, and separately looks at the ways they already have and will continue to transform institutions and society, respectively.
Tapscott dispels myths about the Net Generation as lazy, coddled and anti-social. He replaces these labels with connected, collaborative and socially active.
An important read, in my opinion, for anyone who plans to work with young people in the next few decades. It has certainly influenced my own impressions of a generation I would ironically be considered a member.
April 13, 2010
I find what I have read of Tapscott's writing (part of Wikinomics and this entire book) overly expository. He seems to go into minute detail about topics and state things over and over again.
In this book, he explains who the net generation (millenials) are, what their lives are like, what they care about, and how they will change the world.
Since I am on the upper end of the net generation, I am well aware of most of these points, and reading them over and over again in this book seems almost like a circle-jerk. Still, it is a confirmation of some of the things which I have felt about the generation.
This book may be very useful for those not in the net generation. I ran across a post on LinkedIn from someone complaining about the net generation's propensity to engage in social networking during work hours. I attempted to explain to him the changing face of the workplace and the role social networking plays in this generation. My comments fell on deaf ears. A book like this may be more clear to those of other generations having problems coming to terms with the net generation and its effects on the world.
In this book, he explains who the net generation (millenials) are, what their lives are like, what they care about, and how they will change the world.
Since I am on the upper end of the net generation, I am well aware of most of these points, and reading them over and over again in this book seems almost like a circle-jerk. Still, it is a confirmation of some of the things which I have felt about the generation.
This book may be very useful for those not in the net generation. I ran across a post on LinkedIn from someone complaining about the net generation's propensity to engage in social networking during work hours. I attempted to explain to him the changing face of the workplace and the role social networking plays in this generation. My comments fell on deaf ears. A book like this may be more clear to those of other generations having problems coming to terms with the net generation and its effects on the world.
June 29, 2009
Thoughtful decoding of the Net Generation
In 1997, Don Tapscott wrote Growing Up Digital, an extensively researched inquiry into how growing up immersed in digital technology changed a generation. Now, he returns to this question, exploring what has happened as that generation and its technology have matured. Tapscott addresses numerous concerns and delves into accusations commonly voiced about this “New Generation.� He generally finds that the insults are without merit. In fact, he is almost a cheerleader for the digital generation (or “Net Gen,� as he calls it). The book reads quickly, especially considering that it is based on a $4 million, multiyear research project including nearly 10,000 interviews. Where Tapscott shows his supportive research, he is highly persuasive. When he wanders into personal positions, his reasoning is less compelling. getAbstract suggests his comprehensive report to a wide range of readers: all marketers and futurists, anyone interested in cyber-culture and any human resources professionals who wonder how to integrate Net Gen into the workforce.
In 1997, Don Tapscott wrote Growing Up Digital, an extensively researched inquiry into how growing up immersed in digital technology changed a generation. Now, he returns to this question, exploring what has happened as that generation and its technology have matured. Tapscott addresses numerous concerns and delves into accusations commonly voiced about this “New Generation.� He generally finds that the insults are without merit. In fact, he is almost a cheerleader for the digital generation (or “Net Gen,� as he calls it). The book reads quickly, especially considering that it is based on a $4 million, multiyear research project including nearly 10,000 interviews. Where Tapscott shows his supportive research, he is highly persuasive. When he wanders into personal positions, his reasoning is less compelling. getAbstract suggests his comprehensive report to a wide range of readers: all marketers and futurists, anyone interested in cyber-culture and any human resources professionals who wonder how to integrate Net Gen into the workforce.
July 29, 2009
Tapscott continues his unshamed boosterism of those damn kids who are going to use their technogical and social skills to outcompete my generation into oblivion. We should be happy about this???
Seriously, I am awed (and sometimes a little scared) at what people five or more years younger than me can do. I'm lucky, I was born into the beginning of the personal computer revolution to parents who saw the future coming, and I'm still running hard trying to keep up. That's a little daunting -- but it's also amazing to see the creative destruction the Net Generation is wreaking on business and the social order. I agree with Tapscott that there is a high probability that the world they make will be better; it will certainly be different.
I've also got some ideas for opening up Warstorm and making it more collaborative. I've been wanting to do this since reading Wikinomics, and I may finally have some workable ideas how to do it. We'll see what happens when I get back from vacation.
Seriously, I am awed (and sometimes a little scared) at what people five or more years younger than me can do. I'm lucky, I was born into the beginning of the personal computer revolution to parents who saw the future coming, and I'm still running hard trying to keep up. That's a little daunting -- but it's also amazing to see the creative destruction the Net Generation is wreaking on business and the social order. I agree with Tapscott that there is a high probability that the world they make will be better; it will certainly be different.
I've also got some ideas for opening up Warstorm and making it more collaborative. I've been wanting to do this since reading Wikinomics, and I may finally have some workable ideas how to do it. We'll see what happens when I get back from vacation.
September 6, 2022
Loved this book!
This is Don Tapscott's 2009 follow up to his 1997 'Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation', which for me means I don't have to read the earlier book.
Tapscott offers fantastic insights into the psyche of the Net Generation (otherwise known as Generation Y). I can totally relate to everything he has written here and I exhibit the 8 Net Gen norms [1-Freedom 2-Customization 3-Scrutiny 4-Integrity 5-Collaboration 6-Entertainment 7-Speed 8-Innovation] so I must be a Net Gener in mind and spirit!
He says that there is strong evidence that Net Gen is the smartest generation ever and I cannot help but to wonder, "Will Generation Z do better?"
Pre-Internet principles such as Dunbar's Number, six degree of separation, even the 4 P's of Marketing are all obsolete. Tapscott's most amusing example in this respect, in my opinion, was the one about marketers wanting to tap the Net Gen market ... "Forget the 4 P's of Marketing and apply the ABCDE of marketing rules instead." And if you want to know what ABCDE stands for ... read the book!
This is Don Tapscott's 2009 follow up to his 1997 'Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation', which for me means I don't have to read the earlier book.
Tapscott offers fantastic insights into the psyche of the Net Generation (otherwise known as Generation Y). I can totally relate to everything he has written here and I exhibit the 8 Net Gen norms [1-Freedom 2-Customization 3-Scrutiny 4-Integrity 5-Collaboration 6-Entertainment 7-Speed 8-Innovation] so I must be a Net Gener in mind and spirit!
He says that there is strong evidence that Net Gen is the smartest generation ever and I cannot help but to wonder, "Will Generation Z do better?"
Pre-Internet principles such as Dunbar's Number, six degree of separation, even the 4 P's of Marketing are all obsolete. Tapscott's most amusing example in this respect, in my opinion, was the one about marketers wanting to tap the Net Gen market ... "Forget the 4 P's of Marketing and apply the ABCDE of marketing rules instead." And if you want to know what ABCDE stands for ... read the book!
February 15, 2016
Interesting book - well written and interesting, provocative ideas and anecdotes. I think, however - especially after conducting a pilot research project and reading many other studies - that Tapscott (and others, such as Marc Prensky) oversimplify the situation. Yes, many members of the Net Gen have grown up with technology and use it for many things in their day to day life, but so do many 'older' people - many who actually invented the technology that Net Geners use. Study after study show that Net Gener's use of technology is often superficial - ie, just because they use technology often, does not mean they use it well. In short, for many people, what Tapscott says is true - but for many others, it is not.
I would definitely recommend this book - but read it with a critical mind, don't accept everything at face value. It provides much food for thought. Like some others, I would recommend this book to educators (which I am) - technology does have the potential to engage students, open up new possibilities and to transform education.
I would definitely recommend this book - but read it with a critical mind, don't accept everything at face value. It provides much food for thought. Like some others, I would recommend this book to educators (which I am) - technology does have the potential to engage students, open up new possibilities and to transform education.
June 12, 2016
This is the sequel to Tapscott's Growing Up Digital. He is an academic so you can trust that he did some work on statistics. Unfortunately, this book is old in technological terms. Still it has great value in explaining the current generation "those nasty entitled kids" to the boomers who are still in charge. Bottom line--they think differently and if you want to get full value from them it is you who will probably do the most changing. They are collaborators not competitors..They love to innovate but have to be given room to do it. They care about the value and ethics of the product and company. If you don't meet their standards, they will leave. I don't know if Tapscott has written or is in the process of writing another book. Unless you are a digital native or Net geners you would be wise to read this book. Even if computers are easy for you, it's highly likely that you don't understand the culture of young workers today--and you must. Tapscott is the easy way to learn. Trial and error won't get you anything.
Read
February 7, 2016Another excellent book by Don Tapscott. Book discuss how Net Generation (or Generation Y) changes education, marketing, recruiting, management and even family balance. Changes happen with help of Internet, mobile devices, web 2.0 sites and social computing. Especially, because new generation of users are not focused on technology, but on collaboration. Technology is just an enabler, not interesting per se.
This quote from the book may summarize the message:'Eight characteristics or norm, describe typical Net Gener and differentiate them from their [Baby] Boomer parents. They prize freedom and freedom of choice. They want to customize things, make them their own. They're natural collaborators, who enjoy conversation, not lecture. They'll scrutinize you and your organization. They insist on integrity. They want to have fun, even at work and at school. Speed is normal. Innovation is part of life.'
This quote from the book may summarize the message:'Eight characteristics or norm, describe typical Net Gener and differentiate them from their [Baby] Boomer parents. They prize freedom and freedom of choice. They want to customize things, make them their own. They're natural collaborators, who enjoy conversation, not lecture. They'll scrutinize you and your organization. They insist on integrity. They want to have fun, even at work and at school. Speed is normal. Innovation is part of life.'
August 11, 2009
What I learned from this book: I learned that the net generation is smarter than we've been led to believe. I learned that parents are now leaning on their children for digital and social media education therefore changing family dynamics unlike never before. I learned that if you are 30 years old or younger you have been raised in digital age, and therefore never subscribed to a newspaper. Don Tapscott showed me
how the brain of the Net Generation processes information, the seven ways to attract and engage young talent in the workforce, the seven guidelines for educators to tap the Net Gen potential and how young people and the Internet are transforming democracy. The next time someone tells you that young people are members of the dumbest generation just hand him this book and it will blow his mind.
how the brain of the Net Generation processes information, the seven ways to attract and engage young talent in the workforce, the seven guidelines for educators to tap the Net Gen potential and how young people and the Internet are transforming democracy. The next time someone tells you that young people are members of the dumbest generation just hand him this book and it will blow his mind.
October 6, 2009
I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. Even though I already knew a lot about the info in the book, I did still pick up some interesting new stuff!
I didn't grow up with computers and video games. My childhood was mostly spent outside, playing with my friends. How times have changed. Tapscott calls the parents of today "helicopter parents" as they hover over their children and are afraid to let them go outside to play. So, rather than wanting to get out of the nest asap, the kids have been able to find their independence inside their parents homes via the net. Most of those parents have no clue what their kids are actually doing while they are online. Many will call them stupid, as they are not sitting around reading the classics and the like, but I totally disagree. I think the new generation has a lot more smarts than anyone wants to give them credit for....
I didn't grow up with computers and video games. My childhood was mostly spent outside, playing with my friends. How times have changed. Tapscott calls the parents of today "helicopter parents" as they hover over their children and are afraid to let them go outside to play. So, rather than wanting to get out of the nest asap, the kids have been able to find their independence inside their parents homes via the net. Most of those parents have no clue what their kids are actually doing while they are online. Many will call them stupid, as they are not sitting around reading the classics and the like, but I totally disagree. I think the new generation has a lot more smarts than anyone wants to give them credit for....
May 29, 2009
NetGeners (Generation Y) get a bad rap. They're actually poised to change the world for the better. Their social behavior brings transparency to corporate dealings and forces them to develop better products and services. In their personal lives, they are very attached to their parents because they've been raised as family partners and respected for their opinions as opposed to previous generations' hierarchical family structures. For this reason, most are very comfortable moving back home after graduating college. Lastly, they are very active volunteers and for the right motives. Tapscott suggests that what they have done for corporate transparency, they are also doing for democracy and government.
December 18, 2009
Book covers the digital generation, defined as anyone under 30, and the perceptions about them and their perceptions about the world around them. Interesting point of view, though at times the auther takes a position and doesn’t let the data speak for itself. In some cases he even contradicts the available data and uses his children’s experience as a way to make a counter point. At it’s best the book raises important points (eductaion system failures, exacerbation of the have/have nots in society, a perception of entitlement in the Net Generation, etc). At it’s worst it lets these points sit idle without discussing solutions (though he delves into the surface of the education failures and does offer some interesting solutions).
July 27, 2010
Tapscott provides fascinating insights to the world of NetGeners. The book is hard to put down. I see faces when I read his descriptions of various generations. I see my parents learning how to navigate on Facebook; I see my sister and best friends texting on their smartphones, oblivious to everyone else, during dinner; I see my 15yo brother and the fluid ease with which he plays online games, chats on Skype with friends across country, and upload his own gaming cheat-sheet videos on YouTube all at the same time. I even see myself in one of the profiles - I see my typical day schedule with ubiquitous technology use. Perhaps the reason why I find this fascinating is that it reads like a page out of my own life!
July 29, 2011
Very interesting book if you are older than 31 to help you understand the reasons why the Net Generation is always connected and online. Full of positive opinions about the generation now 11 - 31 years old and the powerful voices they are developing to use Web 2.0 to influence companies, governments, schools and institutions to be transparent, forthright, accountable and demonstrate a concern for people and the world. Held my interest and helped me understand, as an individual just older than this group, the perspective of many in this age group. I would suggest that not all children, teens and young adults are as attached to the internet, creating information, and holding organizations accountable, but there is a large number who are. Great read!
December 15, 2015
The premise of this book is good. The author presents some salient points and a clear view of the net generation.
However the execution of this book, the actual writing, is extremely tedious. The book is almost 400 pages. Eleven chapters and an introduction. The introduction raises a dozen (or so) points that the author will explore in later sections of the book.
In each chapter he pick a half dozen or so points and discusses them. This means that the author in needlessly (and endlessly) repetitive. Each chapter he is covering material (AGAIN!) that he has already covered. two or four times before.
This book would have been an very good book if someone had proofread and properly edited it down to 200 or so pages.
However the execution of this book, the actual writing, is extremely tedious. The book is almost 400 pages. Eleven chapters and an introduction. The introduction raises a dozen (or so) points that the author will explore in later sections of the book.
In each chapter he pick a half dozen or so points and discusses them. This means that the author in needlessly (and endlessly) repetitive. Each chapter he is covering material (AGAIN!) that he has already covered. two or four times before.
This book would have been an very good book if someone had proofread and properly edited it down to 200 or so pages.
October 17, 2010
Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World by Don Tapscott is based on the findings of a $4 million private research study of 8,000 young people in 12 countries. Tapscott characterizes tech savvy youth born between 1978 and 1994 by the strengths inherent in their collaborative, connected, passionate approach to life. Cautioning baby boomers and gen-Xers to think twice before condemning behavior that appears distracted or immature, he explains the work habits of the net generation can be highly productive, their civic engagement and volunteerism is exemplary, and by every traditional measure, they are as intelligent, if not more so, than their elders.
March 13, 2011
great insight on how digital space is shaping net gen psyche, its impact on their surrounding environment and some tips on how to unleash the potential of these so called slackers. loved the sections on how the family dynamics are changing with the net geners playing a more central role breaking down old world thinking parents always know best on everything. not to mention role reversal in schools where students are the new yodas. the author did get a bit tedious and repetitive forcing me to skip overall several sections especially towards the end, not to mention this driving need to 'coin a phrase' for any changing net gen movement.
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