Interesting commentary from Martha Irvine at Associated Press this morning: Kids labeled 'generation next' before they grow up. Ms Irvine takes on the cultural propensity to put people—whole "generations" of them—in boxes and leave them there.At a loss for something more original, many call them Generation Z, because they follow Generations X and Y.
They've also been referred to as Generation Net or "iGen," since they've never known a world without the Internet.
That's the one point most everyone can agree on -- that they are the tech-savviest generation of all time, so much so that even toddlers can maneuver their way through YouTube and some first-graders are able to put together a PowerPoint presentation for class.
But beyond that, who are they, really?
Most people agree it's just too early to know for sure. But that hasn't stopped marketers from trying to figure out this young crowd of consumers. Or employers from attempting to prepare for them in the workplace.
Is there a difference between understanding the times and painting everyone under the age of 12 with the same brush? Or everyone born between 1961 and 1984 for that matter...or everyone born under the same flag...or in a culture dominated by the same economic, political or religious influence...or with the same hair textures and skin tones...
What do we owe people—and cohorts of people—in terms of nurture, encouragement and respect for who they are and who they are becoming, even if it doesn't fit convenient narratives about who we expect them to be?
Creative Commons photo by casschin
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