Preview
I spent some time reviewing and browsing the table of contents and skimming through the book and bibliography, and I'm excited! I thought the whole book would be mainly what youth could possibly offer and their potential for being in the net generation, but it looks like he's going to be describing them and their characteristics in detail and then not only how they can change society, but institutions as well, such as families, education, the workforce, and being consumers. I'm curious to read such specific and concentrated information on each of these areas.
Early Social Proof
No one commented on any of my social media feeds of announcing this research and book reading!! Not yet, at least. Instead I turned to my husband and my dad. My husband said that some of the smartest people he knows are ones who were hermit crabs that stayed home on their computers all the time. We talked about how a lot of the workplace is now becoming less about how much education you obtain and more of what you can actually do, skill-wise. Other than that, he said, he disagrees with youth being really present in the digital world. All my dad said was that he has always thought that digital culture will rot children's brains and it's all too addicting for youth, despite all the benefits that come from the net. He still has my youngest three siblings at home and they are all more in tune with digital culture than I am, so he told me he's actually curious to read my findings on the matter, since this is a common issue at our house. Whether or not the kids are being harmed by the digital age, or if they are being benefited.
Similar Books
In browsing the recommended books on Amazon and Google Books, I found some books that were suggested more than once. Evidently, Don Tapscott is an expert on this subject, so a lot of his own works were suggested. Here are three of the most common similar books suggested:
1. Growing Up Digital, by Don Tapscott
The predecessor before Grown Up Digital. In this book, Tapscott really announced the net generation. This is a great help and companion to my current book.
2. Macrowikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World, by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams
Tapscott and Williams dive in to how mass collaboration is changing the world of business in the marketplace. This is great and relatable, because Tapscott spend time in Grown Up Digital about the workplace and how the net generation is affecting it.
3. Digital Divide: Arguments for and Against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the Age of Social Networking, by Mark Bauerlein
A compilation and commentary on the pros and cons, successes and dangers of social networking. Social networking is one of the top sources where youth are engaging in, so this could be another great addition to read with my current book.
Who Cares?
Twitter provided a major feed and following of Don Tapscott's Grown Up Digital. First I tried searching for #grownupdigital. The results were impressive! It was encouraging to see many other peers of mine getting involved in this subject matter as well. It was really popular amongst those considered to be among the net generation, happily posting their gratitude to Tapscott for writing about their group's potential. It also seemed that there was a good handful of students whose teachers asked them to study it. I also went onto my newly found curation tool, Springpad, and it lead me to a great post that someone made referencing Tapscott's encouragement to educators to let go of the traditional way of lecturing in the classroom. Google+ produced a lot of results for multimedia, particularly many videos of Tapscott discussing the net generation.
Formal Reviews
Using Google, I found a great review by Roger Trapp in 2009. He recounts the great enthusiasm Tapscott has for the younger generation and explains how too often the net generation is looked down upon. He applauds Tapscott for his open mindedness to a younger generation, especially because Tapscott is an early one of the baby boomers.
Informal Reviews
I first started my search for informal reviews with Google, where I came across Dr. Curt Bonk's blog. What a great find! This blog is by an educator who really valued the education chapters within the book. He gives a great overarching synopsis of Tapscott's message and gives great reasons as to why we should read this book. Something that was perfect for my research, was that he listed specific page numbers with brief noted content and why these passages stood out to him. By the end of the blog, Dr. Bonk provides a list of names of people who are referenced in the bibliography who are also referenced in a book he wrote, called, "The World is Open." I followed the link to Bonk's book and it is about technology and the web are revolutionizing education, which supports many of Tapscott's points he makes with education.
Courses Using My Book
I found through a Google search that the University of Massachusetts has a sociology course that focuses on internet and society, and they read my book as part of their curriculum. Regent University also reads the book in their Organizational Communications course. I found that a lot of colleges and universities study Don Tapscott books, particularly "Growing Up Digital", which is really similar, but different."
Multimedia
In this video, Tapscott goes through the introduction of the book where he sets up his argument and lays to rest any idea of the net generation being stupid. In the video below, it is a really great interview with Tapscott that is more candid and is asked to address several concerns and issue that could arise with his book, such as is he just being optimistic about the generation, or does the data really prove his theory?
First Impressions of the Book
After reading parts of the book for an hour, I find myself most interested in chapter 5: The Net Generation as Learners, chapter 6: The Net Generation and the Family, and chapter 10: Making the World a Better Place at Ground Level. Wow. I honestly really enjoyed reading from this book, especially these chapters. He does a great job in addressing the common problems we often associate with youth being immersed in the digital age. These three chapters specifically I wanted to focus on, because of its emphasis on the mentality and behavior of the net generation instead of just solely what they can offer. Our digital culture course has made me very aware of new methods of learning and to actually do it in the most tailored effective way, rather than solely in any traditional way. With a lot of human behavior developing in the home, It was important for me to see how the family and home life was being changed through the net generation to adapt.
My Thinking So Far
Overall, I got a sense of optimism for the future as I read- that the net generation isn't a damper in the world, but something that will help us become more efficient in every day duties and life. I felt very proud of the advances of the net generation and it was refreshing to look at the issue in a different light. For further research with this book, I anticipate to read the remaining chapters to get a wider scope of how the net generation is affecting not only the home and learning, but businesses and other fields as well.
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