Not so native after all

From an article in this weeks Information World Review, "The idea that the Google generation is the most web-literate is a myth." This from research commissioned by the British Library and JISC.

I have become increasingly sceptical about the hype created over Generation Y, and pointed to it in my Online Information 2007 reportback. I do not doubt that there are differences between the generations. I do not claim that there is nothing to consider. However, the new generation will bring as many challenges as it will address issues.

It may be that GenY'ers adapt to and adopt more easily new technology. It may be that they are more able to work in an environment that pulls attention in several different directions at once - they may be better jugglers. However, they will need to learn how to plan, to analyse and draw their own conclusion, and they will need to learn how to fail.

To tie, as some do, Enterprise 2.0 technology to this generation is nonsensical. For me it cheapens the value argument for Enterprise 2.0. The fact than GenY'ers will be more comfortable working with these tools does not mean they will add that much more value. However, it does suggest that they will participate, which many of my generation and beyond are not prone to do.

The natural conclusion is that Enterprise 2.0 is only valuable if it has the participation of the older generations; otherwise these will be spaces that perpetuate the faults of GenY'ers rather than integrates and matures them.