From the renowned social researcher who brought us Generation Me, Twenge once again hits the mark with her pin-point accuracy of the social and emotional characterics of today's young adults and adolecents.
Just ten years removed from when I read Generation Me (review here) it hardly seems possible that the differences between the two generations can be so stark in such a short span of time. If the Millenials were known for their confidence and high-levels of as-of-yet warranted self-esteem, iGen will go down as the generation of self-doubt, delayed social development, and, in common terms, "failure to launch." Although iGen is statistically the "play-it-safe" generation through their high school and teen years (lower levels of alcohol abuse, smoking, sexual experiementation, drug use, teen pregnacy, car accidents, gun violence, etc.), it is just this delayed development that seems to have placed them in a more tenuous position both physcially and emotionally once they hit their first foray into adulthood...college. Having not dabbled in the more risky behaviors while they were home in the relative safety of their parents as prior generations did, they are waiting until college to experiement with may risky behaviors. With less of a safety net when they fall, their falls seems to be harder, resulting in a emotional fragility not before seen and evidenced in the much higher rates of depression and suicide this generation is exhibiting.
Twenge points to one invention as the major culprit in this stark shift between Millenials and the current generation of young adults: the smart phone. The constant deluge of online activity with the inability to escape from the24/7 barbs and bullying that can accompany social media in the hands of socially inept young adults has created an environment wherein teens and young adults are unable to differentiate between life online and life off-line. Words in writing are as real and hurtful to them as actual actions, thoughts and ideas as dangerous as if the concepts they present actually occur. The line between real-life and imaginary seems to have been blurred to the point of no return. This is evidenced in the starting statistic relating to the idea of government prohibiting "hate speech" as 40% of iGen suggests it's okay for government to dictate speech, whereas only 27% of Baby Boomers agree, and a mere 12% of the Silent Generation would see government control of speech as acceptable. Thoughts, words, and ideas are more important and real than actions to today's teens and young adults.
The ways iGen has been influenced and changed by never knowing life without smartphones or online access goes far beyond social norms, deep into other arenas such as how they learn. Colleges professors are grappling with how to translate to this generation's nuances. As of yet, the chasm between common practice and iGen's unique learning style seems to still be too wide to cross.
I highy recommend any parent, educator, or manager to read this book in order to gain insight into today's teens and young adults. They are what we have created and they are the generation of the future.
Just ten years removed from when I read Generation Me (review here) it hardly seems possible that the differences between the two generations can be so stark in such a short span of time. If the Millenials were known for their confidence and high-levels of as-of-yet warranted self-esteem, iGen will go down as the generation of self-doubt, delayed social development, and, in common terms, "failure to launch." Although iGen is statistically the "play-it-safe" generation through their high school and teen years (lower levels of alcohol abuse, smoking, sexual experiementation, drug use, teen pregnacy, car accidents, gun violence, etc.), it is just this delayed development that seems to have placed them in a more tenuous position both physcially and emotionally once they hit their first foray into adulthood...college. Having not dabbled in the more risky behaviors while they were home in the relative safety of their parents as prior generations did, they are waiting until college to experiement with may risky behaviors. With less of a safety net when they fall, their falls seems to be harder, resulting in a emotional fragility not before seen and evidenced in the much higher rates of depression and suicide this generation is exhibiting.
Twenge points to one invention as the major culprit in this stark shift between Millenials and the current generation of young adults: the smart phone. The constant deluge of online activity with the inability to escape from the24/7 barbs and bullying that can accompany social media in the hands of socially inept young adults has created an environment wherein teens and young adults are unable to differentiate between life online and life off-line. Words in writing are as real and hurtful to them as actual actions, thoughts and ideas as dangerous as if the concepts they present actually occur. The line between real-life and imaginary seems to have been blurred to the point of no return. This is evidenced in the starting statistic relating to the idea of government prohibiting "hate speech" as 40% of iGen suggests it's okay for government to dictate speech, whereas only 27% of Baby Boomers agree, and a mere 12% of the Silent Generation would see government control of speech as acceptable. Thoughts, words, and ideas are more important and real than actions to today's teens and young adults.
The ways iGen has been influenced and changed by never knowing life without smartphones or online access goes far beyond social norms, deep into other arenas such as how they learn. Colleges professors are grappling with how to translate to this generation's nuances. As of yet, the chasm between common practice and iGen's unique learning style seems to still be too wide to cross.
I highy recommend any parent, educator, or manager to read this book in order to gain insight into today's teens and young adults. They are what we have created and they are the generation of the future.
