These are 8 Differentiating Characteristics the Net
Generation (1977 – 1997) Norms. Each “Norm” is a cluster of attitudes and behaviours
that define the generation. These norms are central to understanding how this
generation – my generation – is changing work, markets, learning, the family,
and society. I, as staffworker in Student Ministry, personally think that these
characteristics are very important and helpful for me (and you) to understand
the Net Generation Christians and youth in general today. You can read about
them thoroughly in Don Tapscott’s Grown Up Digital in which I quotes
at length here. I highly recommend this book!
#1: The Net Generation want freedom in everything they do, from freedom of choice to
freedom of expression. We all love
freedom, but not like this generation. Choice is like oxygen to them. While older
generations feel overwhelmed by the proliferation of sales channels, product
types, and brands, the Net Gen takes it for granted. Net Geners leverage technology
to cut through the clutter and find the marketing message that fits their needs.
They also expect to choose where and when they work. They use technology to
escape traditional office constraints and integrate their work lives with their
home and social lives. Net Geners seek the freedom to change jobs, freedom to
take their own path, and to express themselves.
#2: They love to customize,
personalize. When I was a kid, I
never got to customize The Mickey Mouse
Club. Today’s youth can change the media world around them – their desktop,
Web site, ring tone, handle, screen saver, news sources, and entertainment.
They have grown up getting what media they want, when they want it, and being
able to change it. Millions around the world don’t just access the Web, they
are creating it by creating online content. Now the need to customize is
extending beyond the digital world to just about everything they touch. Forget
standard job descriptions and only one variety of product. As for government
portals, they want “my government” customized online.
#3: They are the new scrutinizers.
When I was young, a picture was a picture. No more. Transparency, namely stakeholder
access to pertinent information about companies and their offerings, just seems
natural to the Net Gen. While older generations marvel at the consumer research
available on the Internet, the Net Gen expects it. As they grow older, their
online engagement increases. Businesses targeting the Net Gen should expect and
welcome intense scrutiny of its products, promotional efforts, and corporate
practices. The Net Gen knows that their market power allows them to demand more
of companies, which goes for employers as well.
#4: They look for corporate integrity and openness when deciding what
to buy and where to work. The
Internet, and other information and communication technologies, strip away the
barriers between companies and their various constituencies, including
consumers, activists, and shareholders. Whether consumers are exposing a flawed
viral marketing campaign or researching a future employer, Net Geners make sure
company values align with their own.
#5: The Net Gen wants entertainment and play in their work, education, and
social life. This generation brings a
playful mentality to work. From their experience in the latest video game, they
know that there’s always more than one way to achieve a goal. This
outside-the-box thinking results from 82 percent of American children aged 2 to
17 having regular access to video games. It’s a fast-growing industry: in the
United States, video game sales were $8.4 billion in 2005, with worldwide sales
expected to hit $46.5 billion by 2010. This is a generation that has been bred on
interactive experiences. Brand recognition alone is no longer enough, something
leading companies recognize.
#6: They are the collaboration and
relationship generation. Today,
youth collaborate on Facebook, play
multiuser video games; text each other incessantly; and share files for school,
work, or just for fun. As evidenced by sites such as Yub.com, they also engage in relationship-oriented purchasing. Nine
out of ten young people we interviewed said that if a best friend recommends a
product, they are likely to buy it. They influence each other through what we
call N-fluence Networks – online networks of Net Geners who, among other
things, discuss brands, companies, products, and services.
#7: The Net Gen has a need for speed – and not just in video games. In a world where speed characterizes the flow of information
among vast networks of people, communication with friends, colleagues, and
superiors takes place faster than ever. And marketers and employees should
realize that Net Geners expect the same quick communication from others – every
instant message should draw an instant response.
#8: They are the innovators. When I was young, the pace of innovation was glacial.
Today it’s on hyperdrive. A twentysomething in the workforce wants the new
BlackBerry, Palm, or iPhone not because the old one is no longer cool, but
because the new one does so much more. They seek innovative companies as
employers and are constantly looking for innovative ways to collaborate,
entertain themselves, learn and work.
*Quote without permission
from Don Tapscott’s Grown Up Digital: How
the Generation is Changing Your World (McGraw-Hill: New York, 2009), 35-36
Freedom. Customization. Scrutiny. Integrity.
Collaboration. Entertainment. Speed. Innovation.
THINK BIG.
START SMALL. GO DEEP.
