[WEB4LIB] "Generation shifts" and technology

[Dobbs, Aaron]

Great points, Bernie, I would take the "generational shift" concept and
step to the side a bit with it.

Each suceeding generation is presented with more, and more advanced,
technology earlier than those before; the "early adopter" segment (or
perhaps the decendants of "early adopters," I suppose) will seem more
adept and (hypothetically) have a higher tolerance / acceptance rate for
future new technologies - especially when the newer technologies are
demonstrably easier to use (note that I do not say "better") than those
existing current or older technologies.  Having early adopter parents
does not necessarily mean all the kids will be technophiles, apparently.

Just to toss this back into the WEB4LIB baliwick, in case we've strayed
in some eyes, my personal take on this phenominon is that a Google style
search is all that is desired by most casual users, until it doesn't
"work" i.e. doesn't get them what they want or expect.  *Then* our
(libraryland's) more intricate tools will be explored (and, one might
hope, become the preferred environment?) and utilized to get to the
data/information desired.  

Interestingly, we (librarians) want people to be able to access "stuff"
(preferably "our stuff") from where they are, but to me we don't seem
comfortable actually letting them go -- it almost seems like
empty-nester syndrome.  (yes, I've been talking to my mom who teases me
about looking forward to empty-nesting in ~15 years)

-Aaron
:-)'

"There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the
notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the
public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged
with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the
face of changing circumstances and contrary public interest. This
strange doctrine is not supported by statute nor common law. Neither
individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask
that the clock of history be stopped or turned back, for their private
benefit." 
-Robert Heinlien


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Sloan, Bernie
Sent: Wednesday, January 05, 2005 4:54 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] "Generation shifts" and technology

In the earlier "Wikipedia" thread, Bill Drew seemed a little skeptical
about the "generation shift" concept.

It's been discussed a lot recently, e.g., the Abram/Luther "Born with
the Chip" piece in the May 1 issue of Library Journal.

Maybe it's just me, but I'm not sure I buy into the "generation shift"
concept entirely. The idea seems to revolve around each new human
generation being more technologically adept, or integrating technology
into their lives more completely, than the preceding generations. But I
see evidence that this isn't so cut and dried. 

I have two kids in their early twenties, and the degree in which they
each have integrated technology into their lives varies remarkably. One
is really wired (or "unwired" in the case of using wireless
technologies). The other recently was without Internet access for at
least six months, and it didn't seem to bother him a bit. On my
generational level, I have a brother who told me over the holidays that
he checks his e-mail about every nine months on the average (this is not
an exaggeration), while another runs some really cool digital media
classes for high school kids. On the next generational level, my mother
worked at a newspaper that was one of the early pioneers in automating
newspaper production, and she's been an avid home computer user since
the days of the Apple IIe (and maybe earlier than that...my memory fails
me a bit here). She's almost 80 years old.

I guess my point is that every generation has members who take to
technology like a duck to water, and every generation has members who
aren't particularly technologically adept, and who couldn't care less
that they aren't.

Bernie Sloan
Senior Library Information Systems Consultant, ILCSO University of
Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
Champaign, IL  61820

Phone: (217) 333-4895
Fax:   (217) 265-0454
E-mail: bernies at uillinois.edu