gen y - Blogs - DPG Community2024-03-29T10:05:54Zhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/feed/tag/gen%2ByDispelling Myths, Fake News and the role of Critical Thinkinghttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/the-myth-of-the-digital-native2017-08-10T12:34:17.000Z2017-08-10T12:34:17.000ZMike Collinshttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/MikeCollins<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2217359?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><p>Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/alCEnNmzhPE?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Michail Sapiton</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></p>
<p>Let’s face it, we (the human race) are rather good at labels. We label everything and we excel at making general assumptions, generalisations and branding individuals or groups depending on their likes, dislikes, looks, race, sex, music choice, clothes with perhaps the biggest label of all (although this is subjective) being date of birth.</p>
<p>In fact, age is probably where the most interesting of labels has been taking shape with the different generations being labelled as far back as the 1920’s when Karl Mannheim wrote the ‘<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_generations">Theory of Generations’.</a></p>
<p><i>“According to Mannheim, people are significantly influenced by the socio-historical environment (notable events that involve them actively) of their youth; giving rise, based on shared experience, to social cohorts that in their turn influence events that shape future generations.”</i></p>
<p>I’ll make my own assumption that at some point you have seen the different generations as described below:</p>
<ul>
<li>Baby Boomers – Born 1946 to 1964</li>
<li>Generation X - Born 1965 to 1976</li>
<li>Generation Y (Millenials) - Born 1977 to 1995.</li>
<li>Generation Z (iGen) - Born 1996 and later.</li>
</ul>
<p>There have been countless articles and research on the characteristics each of these generations has, how they behave, how they communicate, how they want to be managed, how they want to work, how they use technology..... etc</p>
<p>I’ve been caught up in the generation generalisation myself and I am certain that most HR and L&D teams will be having the ‘How do we manage/meet the needs of 4 different generations in the workplace’ conversation at some point. It may be that your recruitment, on-boarding, training offering, performance management approach and working environments are all under scrutiny to meet the needs of the tech savvy digital natives entering our work forces. Sound familiar?</p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_native">Digital natives</a> are those who have been born in the era of technology and high speed internet. Dubbed the ‘Always-On’ generation, what these young and fresh faced individuals want and expect from work is vastly different to previous generations.</p>
<p>Or so 'they' say.....but who says 'it'? Thorough research, people’s experience or the voice of the digital natives themselves? Is it anecdotal or actual evidence that is presented as factual evidence? Fake news is nothing new and depending on the source or how often you hear the same thing or similar it can become ‘fact’ very quickly – it doesn’t make it right though.</p>
<p>What we hear through the media and through our social channels & connections can feel right because we can see the logic and so because it makes sense to us we believe it. Why wouldn’t those born in an era of technology have different characteristics, desires and needs to those who were born in an era of the type writer and dial up internet?</p>
<p>There are lots of examples where fake news influences how we think and what we believe, take learning styles as an example. We all learn differently and depending on our preferences we might (according to <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/honey-and-mumford-learning-styles-a-simple-picture">Honey & Mumford</a>) be an activitist, reflector, pragmatist or a theorist. Despite there being no shred of scientific evidence that learning styles are real they have become a big part of education and learning design. Learning styles are in the fabric of what many in L&D believe to be true, despite there being no facts or evidence to support it.</p>
<p>Another more recent example was the treatment of Justin Gatlin at the World Championships in London. Gatlin was booed at every opportunity and has been branded as a ‘two times drug cheat’ by the media and has become the pantomime baddy vs the golden boy that is Usain Bolt. Has anyone checked the facts or is it another example of us believing what we see in the media and assuming it must be correct as it has been published? We develop beliefs, take actions and exhibit behaviours on what we see and hear, without often questioning why. Dig deeper or take the time to explore a wider range of sources and what you find may throw a very different light on the ‘facts’ presented. <a href="http://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/demonising-justin-gatlin/" target="_blank">Read an alternative article on Justin Gatlin's 'drug cheating' here.</a></p>
<p>Information is served up to all of us at an exponential rate as a <a href="https://www.tech21century.com/the-human-brain-is-loaded-daily-with-34-gb-of-information/">recent study</a> has shown. <i>“The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California-San Diego, under Roger Bon, according to the British “Times of London” and “Telegraph”, believes that people are every day inundated with the equivalent amount of 34 Gb (gigabytes) of information, a sufficient quantity to overload a laptop within a week.”</i></p>
<p>The scary thing is that most of this information is filtered (by ourselves or through machine algorithms) and presented in our own personal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_chamber_(media)">echo chambers</a>. In other words, as social beings we surround ourselves with people who share similar beliefs and opinions. Take more notice of your Facebook feed over the next few days. What you see will be based on what you have liked, what you comment on and what you have shared. When you start delving deeper in to the social stream and what information you see and consume it can be quite eye-opening. It’s important we are aware of this and do not accept what we see and hear blindly.</p>
<p>Returning to the case in point.</p>
<p>Digital natives are....</p>
<ul>
<li>-        different in the way they use technology</li>
<li>-        able to multi-task</li>
<li>-        in need of different things as employees</li>
<li>-        in need of being managed differently</li>
<li>-        used to games & gaming so we’ve got to gamify everything</li>
<li>-        using smart phones so we’ve got to create a mobile app or design for mobile.</li>
</ul>
<p>These may be a few of the things you’ve heard or read over the last few months and even years. The smart phone debate is another one  to take note of, and whilst they can be used in such a positive way there is a much darker side to smart phone use in children and mental health as this very interesting read shows - <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/" target="_blank">have smart phones destroyed a generation?</a></p>
<p>HR and L&D specific, you may have heard the above statements at industry shows or more likely through suppliers – many of whom are trying to sell you the next big solution to meet the needs of this tech savvy generation.</p>
<p>As I’m writing this, I can’t help but think that all generations need the ability to critical evaluate the information out there, to be curious in our adventures and to question & challenge what we see and hear. Fundamentally, we need to make up our own opinions and not just accept what we are provided with. The world is rife with propaganda and fake news, more so now than ever before but because it comes through our ‘safe’ social channels or tycoon backed media outlets, it doesn’t feel damaging or wrong. Be wary of what you read and don’t accept it because it feels right or that other people are saying it as well. Constantly challenge and develop those critical thinking skills. Check out this great cheat sheet on <a href="http://community.dpgplc.co.uk/learning-professionals/critical-thinking-cheat-sheet-infographic" target="_blank">Critical Thinking</a>.</p>
<p>So, before you re-design your next employee initiative or develop your next learning intervention to meet the needs of digital natives (or any generation) think it through carefully. Focus on the experience you want to provide and what you want the outcomes to be rather than it being driven by characteristics or a wish list for a generation that is essentially a myth. It’s down to us all to ensure that the myth doesn’t become a reality for all the wrong reasons.</p>
<p>This post was inspired by research I came across in this article <a href="http://www.nature.com/news/the-digital-native-is-a-myth-1.22363e-digital-native-is-a-myth-1.22363">‘The Myth of the Digital Native’</a> and through subsequent conversations with my networks and colleagues here at DPG.</p>
<p>I’d very much appreciate your own views on this topic from fake news, to social echo chambers and our ability to think critically. I’d also welcome your own views on the generations and your own experience of any ‘digital natives’ you know – like your own kids or siblings (if you have them).</p>
<p>Thanks for reading!</p>
</div>The Evolution of Man?https://community.dpgplc.co.uk/blog/a-generational-witch-hunt2013-05-09T10:30:00.000Z2013-05-09T10:30:00.000ZLucy Malleyhttps://community.dpgplc.co.uk/members/LucyMalley<div><p></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357279?profile=original"><img class="align-full" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/1357279?profile=original" width="600"></a></p>
<p>Well, I survived my first blogging experience! A massive thank you to all who read and contributed to the ‘So I’m Part of the Dumbest Generation?’ discussion, I really appreciate your input. There were some great and incredibly thought-provoking points raised, so I want to take some time now to delve a bit deeper into your comments on the Gen-Y debate- and the wider implications that we as individuals, organisations and a society may face as a result.</p>
<p>Let’s start with an excellent point raised by Howard Rose. Howard’s argument was that anti-Gen-Y thinking is really very straightforward, and fundamentally unchangeable; because it comes down to the inherent desire of any given generation to approach the younger one with a certain level of suspicion and disdain, in order to find validation in themselves and the way they were raised. As Howard so succinctly put it, a negative approach is ‘the only way they can justify their own existence’. This response to generational divides is particularly interesting to me because I read an article on <a rel="nofollow" href="http://monitor.icef.com/2013/04/generation-y-poised-to-bring-permanent-change/">Gen-Y- Inspired Change</a> a couple of days ago which really stuck with me- to the point where I started to exhibit the kind of primal ‘my generation’s better than the one to come’ behaviour which I had previously only ever experienced the opposite side of.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if I’m the only one who is slightly concerned that, ‘Among children 2 to 5 years of age who have internet access at home, more know how to play a computer game and use a smartphone than know how to ride a bike or tie their shoelaces.’ Sounds like pretty scary stuff. Or does it?</p>
<p>Before jumping straight to images of a generation of adults stumbling around with untied laces and heads stuck in smartphones, we need to think a bit more about evolution and remove ourselves from the destructive mind-set whereby every other generation is ‘just doing it all wrong’.</p>
<p>Check out this youtube video for a bit more context: is this a horrifying concept, or is a change in internal operating system an amazing and positive leap?</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/aXV-yaFmQNk?rel=0&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>Now: we have two options. We could start a proverbial witch hunt against this generation who will grow up knowing far more about technology than us (and this is regardless of whether the ‘us’ in question is Gen-Y or not!) and potentially will also know more about technology than other things that we currently see as integral parts of the growth process. Or, we could recognise that this is going to happen, to some extent or another; and that the energy expended in the futility of the fight is energy that we could invest, today. We have an opportunity to make real changes and play a part in shaping the future ready for Gen-Z to grow into, a future where we are not quite so challenged by their technological skill-set and way of thinking- because even if we don’t understand quite what makes them tick, we do understand that it’s something we have created.</p>
<p>The key to this? In my mind, it’s as simple as integration. And the great news- it’s already happening!</p>
<p>Dan Walker made a really interesting contribution on my last blog that got me thinking about the fact that some employers, his own included, are already doing some amazing things to engage their new employees. This is especially vital because when you think about it, it’s only logical that the exponential growth of technology within every level of education means that a failure to carry this through to the workplace only serves to disenfranchise Gen-Y employees. There is a massively destructive power in negative labelling and stereotyping, and the fact that some Gen-Y-ers encounter this is concerning. Now this might be a bit of a far-left statement, but it’s interesting to at least consider it as food for thought: going back to the whole idea of generational change, is technology actually becoming a step in our evolution? Are we currently at some mid-stage? And at what point do we draw the line between technology being a part of the world around us… and a part of ourselves? </p>
<p>This inspiring video demonstrates perfectly the extent to which we can merge the body and technology:</p>
<p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/O4g60zB4Un4?rel=0&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>What do you think? I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts on the idea of a ‘technological evolution’, as well as the things you have encountered or would like to see happening in your own workplace to integrate technology and bridge the generation gap.</p></div>