1. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? El Camino College May 20, 2008 Larry Rosen, Ph.D CSU Dominguez Hills

2. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? We are in the Midst of Three Vastly Different Generations Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) Generation X (born 1965-1979) Net Generation (born after 1979)

3. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? According to the Kaiser Family Foundation 2005 National Study  Children Spend 6 Hours and 21 Minutes PER DAY using digital media or 44 hours PER WEEK  Accounting for Multitasking, this increases to 8 Hours 33 Minutes PER DAY or 60 HOURS PER WEEK

4. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? STUDY 1 OVERVIEW Online Anonymous Survey - September 2007 Issues Addressed: Daily Technology Use Multitasking Ease or Difficulty Instant Messaging Text Messaging Cell Phone Use Use of Textisms and English Literacy Preferred Communication Modalities Shyness and Honesty Online, Offline & Phone Self Esteem and Depression

5. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? GROUP SAMPLE SIZE MALES FEMALES AsianBlackWhiteLatino/a Net Generation (1980 +) Under 29 67842% -- 58%22%17%27%35% Generation X (1965-1979) 29 to 43 32943% -- 57%17%22%33%28% Baby Boomers (1946-1964) 44 to 62 31239% -- 61%7%21%52%21% TOTAL SAMPLE1,31942%--58%17%19%35%30% Sample Demographics

6. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WHAT ARE THEY DOING WITH THEIR MEDIA? Here are data from Study 1

7. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? TECHNOLOGY HOURS/DAY NET GENERATION GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS F-SCORE Online2:311:581:1454.97*** On Computer2:082:321:4111.86*** E-Mail1:261:371:144.93** IM/Chat1:450:360:1490.67*** Telephone2:021:471:384.81** Texting2:201:070:2872.51*** Video Games1:080:310:1343.22*** Music3:332:351:4450.16*** Television2:372:122:255.11** TOTAL DAILY TECHNOLOGY USE 20:3814:557:51 89.88*** HOURS OF DAILY TECHNOLOGY USE (only those who use each technology)

8. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? Don’t these kids ever sleep? Of course they do (although not enough). The key is MULTITASKING

9. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Multitasking With Free Time Number of TasksNumber of Tasks Net Generation Generation X Baby Boomers

10. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? NOT ONLY DO THEY MULTITASK MORE THEY DO IT WITH DIFFERENT TASKS

11. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Multitasking With Free Time Top 5 Activities for Each Generation NET GENERATIONGENERATION XBABY BOOMERS Music (79%)Eating (78%)Eating (80%) Online (75%)Music (72%) TV (67%) Eating (74%)Online (68%)Music (64%) Texting (60%)TV (62%)Telephone (52%) E-Mail (60%)E-Mail (59%) Online (50%)

12. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Has Multitasking Gone Too Far?

13. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Why Do They Multitask so Much? One explanation is the rapid pace of technological change

14. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Years to Reach 50 Million Users The Pace of Technology Change is Dizzying What’s Next?

15. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Another possible explanation is a change in communication style and preferences Net Geners prefer asynchronous communication tools They spend more hours texting than talking on the telephone (2:20 vs. 2:02) ------------------------------ They love to IM and Chat (1:45) ------------------------------ They spend hours on MySpace and Facebook (2:30 at a minimum)

16. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? OVERALL HOURS PER DAY USING ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION TOOLS BY GENERATION (E-Mail, IM, Chat, Text Messaging) Net Generation5:31 Generation X3:20 Baby Boomers1:56 Look at How Much They Use These Asynchronous Tools

17. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Plus, They Text Message Substantially More Than “Older” Generations AVERAGE NUMBER OF TEXT MESSAGES PER MONTH BY GENERATION (only for those who use text messaging) Net Generation511 Generation X232 Baby Boomers24

18. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? One of their favorite online activities is spending time on MySpace, Facebook, or other social networking websites

19. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? What’s so Special About MySpace? Fastest Growing Website in History More Traffic than ANY Other Website 110 MILLION Unique Visitors a Month 5 th Largest Country in the World 80% of 12- to 17-year-olds use MySpace Weekly!

20. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? What Do They Do on MySpace? Collect “Friends” Provide Personal Information Display Photos Play Music Create Blogs Get Public Comments from “friends” IM/Chat with “Friends”

21. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? FOR MANY PRE-TEENS, TEENS, AND YOUNG ADULTS MYSPACE IS THEIR SOCIAL LIFE

22. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? So, How are Net Geners Unique? They were born into a world replete with technology ------------------------------- Technology is all-consuming in their lives ------------------------------- MySpace is central to their social lives ------------------------------- They use technology for making friends and staying connected to them ------------------------------- They use MySpace for trying on different identities

23. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different?

24. Overall the generations clearly differ in: The amount of technology they use on a daily basis The types of technology they use How much they multitask with these technologies

25. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? We live in world where rapid change is the norm. For many, it is stressful. For Net Geners, it is the only way they know how to live their lives.

26. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? To Discover More About These Similarities and Differences Between the Net Generation and Their Predecessors we Performed a Second Study.

27. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? STUDY 2: FEBRUARY 2008 To assess how individuals within each generation multitask under three conditions: –During Free Time –While Studying for a Final Exam the Next Day –While Preparing an Important Business Report that is Due the Next Day To assess whether the multiple tasks that are performed by the generations are similar or different in these three conditions.

28. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Study 2 Demographics GROUP SAMPLE SIZE MALES FEMALES AsianBlackWhiteLatino/a Net Generation (1980 +) Under 29 53444% - 56%11%17%30%41% Generation X (1965-1979) 29 to 43 33944% - 56%7%21%34%38% Baby Boomers (1946-1964) 44 to 62 32841% - 59%9%23%36%32% TOTAL1,20143% - 57%9%20%33%38%

29. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Daily Technology Use Among Generations TECHNOLOGY HOURS/DAY NET GENERATION GENERATION X BABY BOOMERS F-Score Online2:372:041:2041.62*** On Computer2:372:251:4412.76*** E-Mail1:411:561:284.84*** IM/Chat1:510:390:1874.14*** Telephone1:561:531:334.17* Texting2:491:230:2994.80*** Video Games1:010:330:1333.53*** Music3:562:281:4278.51*** Television2:322:202:382.01 TOTAL DAILY TECHNOLOGY USE 21:0115:4111:26 85.28***

30. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? MULTITASKING UNDER THREE CONDITIONS

31. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? NET GENERATIONGENERATION XBABY BOOMERS Music (79%) Eating (78%) Eating (80%) Online (75%) Music (72%)TV (67%) Eating (74%)Online (68%) Music (64%) Texting (60%)TV (62%)Telephone (52%) E-Mail (60%)E-Mail (59%) Online (50%) TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING WITH FREE TIME

32. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING WHILE STUDYING FOR A FINAL EXAM NET GENERATION (N=392) GENERATION X (N=80) BABY BOOMERS (N=28) Music (57%) Eating (78%)Music (43%) Eating (52%) Music (36%) Computer (32%) Texting (38%) Computer(29%)Eating(29%) Computer (35%) Texting (16%)Online(18%) Online (30%)E-Mail (15%)E-Mail (18%)

33. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? TOP 5 TASKS MULTITASKING BY AN EMPLOYEE WRITING AN IMPORTANT REPORT NET GENERATION (N=345) GENERATION X (N=284) BABY BOOMERS (N=254) Music (52%)Music (42%)Music (34%) Eating (40%)Eating (33%)Eating (26%) Online (35%)Online (25%)Computer (21%) Texting (32%) Computer (25%) E-Mail (21%) Computer (28%) E-Mail (23%)Telephone (19%)

34. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WE ALSO ASKED EACH PERSON TO TELL US WHETHER IT WAS “EASY” OR “DIFFICULT” TO MULTITASK WITH EACH COMBINATION OF TASKS For example, “Is it easy or difficult to be online while you are playing a video game?”

35. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? THE NEXT SET OF SLIDES INDICATE FOR EACH OF THE 66 TASK COMBINATIONS THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO FOUND IT DIFFICULT, MODERATELY DIFFICULT, OR EASY TO MULTITASK WITH THAT COMBINATION

36. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Baby Boomers Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy

37. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Gen Xers Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy

38. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Net Geners Who Found it Difficult, Moderately Difficult, or Easy

39. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? SUMMARY & IMPLICATIONS Clearly, tasks that require more working memory allow less multitasking. ----------------------------------------------- Even with tasks that require more working memory, however, all groups multitask, just with a reduced number of tasks. ----------------------------------------------- Multitasking was directly related to generation with the Net Generation multitasking more than Gen X who in turn multitasked more than Baby Boomers.

40. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? EVEN MORE IMPLICATIONS Each generation had similar and different tasks chosen for multitasking which are most likely related to their differential use of media (e.g., Net Generation kids use text messaging more than any other generation so that is one of their top 5 choices for multitasking). ------------------------------------------------ Net Geners found it easier to multitask with more combinations of tasks than Gen Xers who found it easier than Baby Boomers.

41. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? A DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUE According to research by Luciana et al. (2005), the maturation of the prefrontal cortex – the part of the brain that controls executive control including multitasking – is not complete until 18 years of age.

42. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? DEVELOPMENT OF THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX AND MULTITASKING A separate analysis of 62 subjects under 18 showed an average of 6.47 tasks during free time compared to 6.23 for 472 young adults (18-29). Although this difference is not significant, it is of interest that the youngest subjects multitasked the most in spite of an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex.

43. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? LIMITATIONS These studies did not measure multitasking performance, only self-reported multitasking under different conditions. Another study is being done to measure actual multitasking performance. A pilot study, replicating the dichotic listening studies by Cherry (1953) showed small, but consistent evidence of multitasking performance among 18-25 year olds and is being replicated and expanded to include subjects younger than 18.

44. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? SO …. HOW ARE THESE GENERATIONS DIFFERENT IN THE WAY THEY VIEW THE WORLD?

45. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Baby Boomers Single Lifetime Job Fiercely Loyal to Company Work is Life/Personally Fulfilling Avoid Making Waves Everyone has a Voice – Boss Sets the Rules Team Player – Loves Meetings

46. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Baby Boomers (continued) Routines are Important Process vs. Product Face-to-Face or Telephone Communication Learned Technology After School Motivated by Being “Valued”

47. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Generation X Multiple Jobs to Find a “Career” Self-Reliant: Set Own Time Plan Work to Have More Fun in Life Challenge Authority: Ask Why Motivated by Rewards at the End of Every Project

48. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Generation X (continued) Grew Up With Technology Prefer Cell Phone or E-Mail Communication Want Immediate Access to Bosses Good Multitaskers Product vs. Process: They Hate Meetings

49. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Net Generation Build a Career Through Skill Acquisition Balance Between Life and Work Goal Oriented But Collegiality Important Want Meaningful Work – Not Boredom Motivated by Working with Bright/Creative People and Learning New Skills

50. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? WORK VALUES: Net Generation (continued) Need Constant, Instantaneous Feedback Communicate via IM, Chat, Texting Grew Up With Everything Technological Multitaskers to the Nth Degree

51. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? PERSONAL VALUES Baby Boomers Optimistic and Self-Confident Beginnings of Fractured Family Structure Politically Active Buy Now, Pay Later

52. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? PERSONAL VALUES Generation X Skeptical and Low Trust of Authority Latchkey Kids Political Apathy Monetarily Conservative: Save Save Save

53. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? PERSONAL VALUES Net Generation Realistic World View – Trust Authority Blended Families – Strong Family Bonds Political and Community Action Earn to Spend

54. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Clearly these three generations are different on many dimensions.

55. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? Process vs. Product In-Person vs. Online Meetings Communication Modalities Work Schedules: Rigid vs. Flex Motivational Tools Reinforcements and Rewards Collegiality Work vs. Play (Time Off) Career Expectations

56. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different? I ALWAYS FEEL THAT COMIC STRIPS REALLY PORTRAY SOCIETY IN A WAY THAT MAKES POINTS WHILE POKING FUN. TAKE A LOOK AND SEE IF YOU AGREE

57. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different?

61. YOU MAY SEE THE NET GENERATION REFERED TO AS “GENERATION Y.” SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS BECAUSE “Y” FOLLOWS “X” WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ALWAYS ASKING “WHY?” PERHAPS THIS COMIC SHOWS THE REAL REASON ……

62. The Net Generation: Are They Really THAT Different?

63. Using Net Gen Language: Thk u vry mch 4 ur time. NE q’s 4 me?