The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? El Camino College May 20, 2008 Larry Rosen, Ph.D...

The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different?


El Camino CollegeMay 20, 2008

Larry Rosen, Ph.D

CSU Dominguez Hills


We are in the Midst of Three Vastly Different Generations

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964)

Generation X (born 1965-1979)

Net Generation (born after 1979)


According to the Kaiser Family Foundation 2005 National Study

Children Spend 6 Hours and 21 Minutes PER DAY using digital media or 44 hours PER WEEK

Accounting for Multitasking, this increases to 8 Hours 33 Minutes PER DAY or 60 HOURS PER WEEK


STUDY 1 OVERVIEW• Online Anonymous Survey - September 2007• Issues Addressed:

• Daily Technology Use• Multitasking Ease or Difficulty• Instant Messaging• Text Messaging• Cell Phone Use• Use of Textisms and English Literacy• Preferred Communication Modalities• Shyness and Honesty Online, Offline & Phone• Self Esteem and Depression


GROUPSAMPLE

SIZEMALES

FEMALESAsian Black White Latino/a

Net Generation(1980 +)Under 29

678 42% -- 58% 22% 17% 27% 35%

Generation X(1965-1979)

29 to 43 329 43% -- 57% 17% 22% 33% 28%

Baby Boomers(1946-1964)

44 to 62312 39% -- 61% 7% 21% 52% 21%

TOTAL SAMPLE 1,319 42%--58% 17% 19% 35% 30%

Sample Demographics


WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THEIR MEDIA?

Here are data from Study 1


TECHNOLOGYHOURS/DAY

NET GENERATION

GENERATION X

BABY BOOMERS

F-SCORE

Online 2:31 1:58 1:14 54.97***

On Computer 2:08 2:32 1:41 11.86***

E-Mail 1:26 1:37 1:14 4.93**

IM/Chat 1:45 0:36 0:14 90.67***

Telephone 2:02 1:47 1:38 4.81**

Texting 2:20 1:07 0:28 72.51***

Video Games 1:08 0:31 0:13 43.22***

Music 3:33 2:35 1:44 50.16***

Television 2:37 2:12 2:25 5.11**

TOTAL DAILY TECHNOLOGY

USE20:38 14:55 7:51 89.88***

HOURS OF DAILY TECHNOLOGY USE(only those who use each technology)


HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?

Don’t these kids ever sleep?

Of course they do (although not

enough).The key is

MULTITASKING


Multitasking With Free TimeNumber of Tasks

Net Generation Generation X Baby Boomers


NOT ONLY DO THEY MULTITASK MORE THEY DO IT WITH DIFFERENT

TASKS


Multitasking With Free TimeTop 5 Activities for Each Generation

NET GENERATION GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

Music (79%) Eating (78%) Eating (80%)

Online (75%) Music (72%) TV (67%)

Eating (74%) Online (68%) Music (64%)

Texting (60%) TV (62%) Telephone (52%)

E-Mail (60%) E-Mail (59%) Online (50%)


Has Multitasking Gone Too Far?


Why Do They Multitask so Much?

One explanation is the rapid pace of technological change


Years to Reach 50 Million Users

The Pace of Technology Change is Dizzying

What’s Next?


Another possible explanation is a change in communication style and preferences

• Net Geners prefer asynchronous communication tools

• They spend more hours texting than talking on the telephone (2:20 vs. 2:02)

------------------------------• They love to IM and Chat (1:45)

------------------------------• They spend hours on MySpace and Facebook (2:30 at a minimum)


OVERALL HOURS PER DAY USING ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION

TOOLS BY GENERATION(E-Mail, IM, Chat, Text Messaging)

Net Generation 5:31

Generation X 3:20

Baby Boomers 1:56

Look at How Much They Use These Asynchronous Tools


Plus, They Text Message Substantially More Than “Older” Generations

AVERAGE NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES PER MONTH BY

GENERATION(only for those who use text messaging)

Net Generation 511

Generation X 232

Baby Boomers 24


One of their favorite online activities is spending time on

MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking websites


What’s so Special About MySpace?

• Fastest Growing Website in History• More Traffic than ANY Other Website• 110 MILLION Unique Visitors a Month• 5th Largest Country in the World

• 80% of 12- to 17-year-olds use MySpace Weekly!


What Do They Do on MySpace?

• Collect “Friends” • Provide Personal Information• Display Photos• Play Music• Create Blogs• Get Public Comments from “friends”• IM/Chat with “Friends”


FOR MANY PRE-TEENS, TEENS, AND YOUNG ADULTS

MYSPACE IS THEIR SOCIAL LIFE


So, How are Net Geners Unique?• They were born into a world replete with technology

-------------------------------• Technology is all-consuming in their lives

-------------------------------• MySpace is central to their social lives

-------------------------------• They use technology for making friends and staying connected to them

-------------------------------• They use MySpace for trying on different identities


Overall the generations clearly differ in:

• The amount of technology they use on a daily basis

• The types of technology they use

• How much they multitask with these technologies


We live in world where rapid change is the norm. For

many, it is stressful. For Net Geners, it is the only way they know how to live their lives.


To Discover More About These Similarities and Differences Between the Net Generation and Their Predecessors we Performed a Second Study.


STUDY 2: FEBRUARY 2008• To assess how individuals within each generation

multitask under three conditions:

– During Free Time– While Studying for a Final Exam the Next Day– While Preparing an Important Business Report

that is Due the Next Day

• To assess whether the multiple tasks that are performed by the generations are similar or different in these three conditions.


Study 2 Demographics

GROUPSAMPLE

SIZEMALES

FEMALESAsian Black White Latino/a

Net Generation(1980 +)Under 29

534 44% - 56% 11% 17% 30% 41%

Generation X(1965-1979)

29 to 43 339 44% - 56% 7% 21% 34% 38%

Baby Boomers(1946-1964)

44 to 62328 41% - 59% 9% 23% 36% 32%

TOTAL 1,201 43% - 57% 9% 20% 33% 38%


Daily Technology Use Among Generations

TECHNOLOGYHOURS/DAY

NET GENERATION

GENERATION XBABY

BOOMERSF-Score

Online 2:37 2:04 1:20 41.62***

On Computer 2:37 2:25 1:44 12.76***

E-Mail 1:41 1:56 1:28 4.84***

IM/Chat 1:51 0:39 0:18 74.14***

Telephone 1:56 1:53 1:33 4.17*

Texting 2:49 1:23 0:29 94.80***

Video Games 1:01 0:33 0:13 33.53***

Music 3:56 2:28 1:42 78.51***

Television 2:32 2:20 2:38 2.01

TOTAL DAILY TECHNOLOGY

USE21:01 15:41 11:26 85.28***


MULTITASKING UNDER THREE CONDITIONS


NET GENERATION GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS

Music (79%) Eating (78%) Eating (80%)

Online (75%) Music (72%) TV (67%)

Eating (74%) Online (68%) Music (64%)

Texting (60%) TV (62%) Telephone (52%)

E-Mail (60%) E-Mail (59%) Online (50%)

TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING WITH FREE TIME


TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING WHILE STUDYING FOR A FINAL EXAM

NET GENERATION(N=392)

GENERATION X(N=80)

BABY BOOMERS(N=28)

Music (57%) Eating (78%) Music (43%)

Eating (52%) Music (36%) Computer (32%)

Texting (38%) Computer(29%) Eating(29%)

Computer (35%) Texting (16%) Online(18%)

Online (30%) E-Mail (15%) E-Mail (18%)


TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING BY AN EMPLOYEE WRITING AN IMPORTANT

REPORT

NET GENERATION(N=345)

GENERATION X(N=284)

BABY BOOMERS(N=254)

Music (52%) Music (42%) Music (34%)

Eating (40%) Eating (33%) Eating (26%)

Online (35%) Online (25%) Computer (21%)

Texting (32%) Computer (25%) E-Mail (21%)

Computer (28%) E-Mail (23%) Telephone (19%)


WE ALSO ASKED EACH PERSON TO TELL US WHETHER IT WAS

“EASY” OR “DIFFICULT” TO MULTITASK WITH EACH

COMBINATION OF TASKS

For example, “Is it easy or difficult to be online while you are playing a

video game?”


THE NEXT SET OF SLIDES INDICATE FOR EACH OF THE 66

TASK COMBINATIONS THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO

FOUND IT DIFFICULT, MODERATELY DIFFICULT, OR

EASY TO MULTITASK WITH THAT COMBINATION


Baby Boomers Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy


Gen Xers Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy


Net Geners Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy


SUMMARY & IMPLICATIONS• Clearly, tasks that require more working memory allow

less multitasking. -----------------------------------------------

• Even with tasks that require more working memory, however, all groups multitask, just with a reduced number of tasks.

-----------------------------------------------• Multitasking was directly related to generation with the

Net Generation multitasking more than Gen X who in turn multitasked more than Baby Boomers.


EVEN MORE IMPLICATIONS• Each generation had similar and different tasks chosen

for multitasking which are most likely related to their differential use of media (e.g., Net Generation kids use text messaging more than any other generation so that is one of their top 5 choices for multitasking).

------------------------------------------------

• Net Geners found it easier to multitask with more combinations of tasks than Gen Xers who found it easier than Baby Boomers.


A DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUE

According to research by Luciana et al. (2005), the maturation of the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that controls executive control including multitasking – is not complete until 18 years of age.


DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND MULTITASKING

A separate analysis of 62 subjects under 18 showed an average of 6.47 tasks during free time compared to 6.23 for 472 young adults (18-29). Although this difference is not significant, it is of interest that the youngest subjects multitasked the most in spite of an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.


LIMITATIONS• These studies did not measure multitasking performance,

only self-reported multitasking under different conditions.• Another study is being done to measure actual multitasking

performance.• A pilot study, replicating the dichotic listening studies by

Cherry (1953) showed small, but consistent evidence of multitasking performance among 18-25 year olds and is being replicated and expanded to include subjects younger than 18.


SO …. HOW ARE THESE GENERATIONS DIFFERENT IN

THE WAY THEY VIEW THE WORLD?


WORK VALUES: Baby BoomersSingle Lifetime Job

Fiercely Loyal to Company

Work is Life/Personally Fulfilling

Avoid Making Waves

Everyone has a Voice – Boss Sets the Rules

Team Player – Loves Meetings


WORK VALUES: Baby Boomers(continued)

Routines are Important

Process vs. Product

Face-to-Face or Telephone Communication

Learned Technology After School

Motivated by Being “Valued”


WORK VALUES: Generation X

Multiple Jobs to Find a “Career”

Self-Reliant: Set Own Time Plan

Work to Have More Fun in Life

Challenge Authority: Ask Why

Motivated by Rewards at the End of Every Project


WORK VALUES: Generation X(continued)

Grew Up With Technology

Prefer Cell Phone or E-Mail Communication

Want Immediate Access to Bosses

Good Multitaskers

Product vs. Process: They Hate Meetings


WORK VALUES: Net Generation

Build a Career Through Skill Acquisition

Balance Between Life and Work

Goal Oriented But Collegiality Important

Want Meaningful Work – Not Boredom

Motivated by Working with Bright/Creative People and Learning New Skills


WORK VALUES: Net Generation

(continued) Need Constant, Instantaneous Feedback

Communicate via IM, Chat, Texting

Grew Up With Everything Technological

Multitaskers to the Nth Degree


PERSONAL VALUES Baby Boomers

Optimistic and Self-Confident

Beginnings of Fractured Family Structure

Politically Active

Buy Now, Pay Later


PERSONAL VALUESGeneration X

Skeptical and Low Trust of Authority

Latchkey Kids

Political Apathy

Monetarily Conservative: Save Save Save


PERSONAL VALUESNet Generation

Realistic World View – Trust Authority

Blended Families – Strong Family Bonds

Political and Community Action

Earn to Spend


Clearly these three generations are different

on many dimensions.


• Process vs. Product• In-Person vs. Online Meetings• Communication Modalities• Work Schedules: Rigid vs. Flex• Motivational Tools• Reinforcements and Rewards• Collegiality• Work vs. Play (Time Off)• Career Expectations


I ALWAYS FEEL THAT COMIC STRIPS REALLY PORTRAY SOCIETY IN A WAY THAT

MAKES POINTS WHILE POKING FUN.

TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF YOU AGREE


YOU MAY SEE THE NET GENERATION REFERED TO AS “GENERATION Y.”

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS BECAUSE “Y” FOLLOWS “X” WHILE

OTHERS BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS ASKING “WHY?”

PERHAPS THIS COMIC SHOWS THE REAL REASON ……


Using Net Gen Language:

Thk u vry mch 4 ur time.NE q’s 4 me?

The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? El Camino College May 20, 2008 Larry Rosen, Ph.D...

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