Millennials, Generation Y, Net Generation and Nextsters are all terms used to describe the generation that has grown up with computers and the internet (Frand 2000, Thomas & McDonald 2005, Oblinger 2003, Zemke 2001). The ‘Information Age Mindset’ is a set of characteristics and beliefs that define this generation of students, employees, and library users.
The basic elements of these mindsets were originally postulated by Frand (2000) as:
- Internet is better than TV
- Reality is no longer real
- Doing rather than knowing
- Trial and Error problem solving
- Multitasking as way of life
- Typing over handwriting
- Staying connected
- Zero tolerance for delays
- Consumer and Creator blurring
‘Millennials’ therefore view computer and technology use as standard operating procedure, and will generally seek answers from the internet rather than traditional media (Thomas & McDonald 2005). Out of this strong familiarity with and heavy use of computers, the internet, and multi media come greater expectations in regards to service delivery and adoption of newly evolving technologies in all areas (Thomas & McDonald 2005, Zemke 2001). Given their upbringing with the internet, the line between creator and consumer is blurring. Web publishing, communication, file sharing, and the ‘cut and past’ nature of the internet has developed lack of understanding of the issue of copyright and intellectual property rights within this demographic. Consumers can publish on the web.
Moreover, due to the ability to alter digital images to create ‘unreal’ images, and the ability to falsify information on or sent over the internet by a variety of means, what you see, and indeed reality can no longer be accepted unquestionably as real. One of the problems with this is that despite their fluency in internet use, ‘millennials’ often don’t have the skills to find reliable and trustworthy information on the internet (Thomas & McDonald 2005). This leads into the next point of their problem solving strategies. Given the preference for independent and trial and error problem solving, they are less likely to take the time to learn how to use finding tools on the internet, nor wish to learn from a ‘manual’.
The mindset of ‘doing rather than knowing’ can be seen as similar to trial and error problem solving. Frand (2000) discusses the short life span of information today, itself a product of the internet and instant publishing, as creating a mentality of its not what you know, but what you can do.
Collaboration is a big issue for millennials (Zemke 2001), who stay connected to peers via internet services such as email, chat facilities, online social networks and blogs, in addition to telephones. Team work and sharing, and a team mentality also play a big part in the mindset millennials, and is facilitated by collaboration and communication (Zemke 2001, Oblinger 2003).
Multitasking is pretty much the norm in most aspects of our lives today. For everyone in the workforce multitasking has become a way of life. Indeed it is expected of us in today’s environment. The literature discusses the multitasking of ‘millennials’ primarily as using multiple forms of communication at once (Frand 2000).
This posting is based on the paper:
‘Millennial Net Value(s): Disconnects between Libraries and the Information Age Mindset’ by Chuck Thomas and Robert H.McDonald, 2005, available at http://dscholarship.lib.fsu.edu/general/4
Frand, JL 2000, ‘The Information Age Mindset: Changes in students and implications for higher education’, Educause Review, Sep-Oct 2000, available at http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm00/articles005/erm0051.pdf
Article Comments: This article is more focused on ‘Millenials’ in the workplace, though it is still relevant for general characteristics of the Information age Mindset in broad terms.
Lippincott, JK 2005, ‘Net generation students and Libraries’, Educause Review, Vol.40, available at http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm0523.asp
2 comments:
Hi, Emma. I am one of your classmate who does the same course and Uni with you. I am very impressed by your well-presented work. Thanks for the good work and effort you have put into it. You gave me some ideas about how to do my work. Well done.
Hi Emma, nice post. Just stumbled across it whilst randomly scouting the web as i do...yep, finding reliable info on the web is certainly challenging, there's a lot of garbage out there (and we're all more than welcome to add to it) and that poses challenges to those who are beginning their search or lack any foundation knowledge of the search topic. And your right, not every one is aware of the powerful search capabilities of different search engines despite their intuitive affinity with new technologies. For example, each has engine its own special feature, different ways of indexing the web and certain engines are better suited to different search types. very few people are skilled in deep web search, or even know about the hidden web (pages you won't find in a standard 2 -3 search string).
and when it come to multi tasking, its getting pretty natural for all of us, i can be working on a data anallysis, whilst talking to a work mate across the room, whilst listning to an online radio station whilst chatting to a friend from overseas via SKYPE whilst updating my blog and downloading a new freeware application...my boss loves it ;-)
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