Breeding a Nation of Techsoomers
As we progress further and further into the “digital age,” the separation from the “analog generation” becomes more and more apparent. A huge generational divide exists between these two classes, and it appears as though this gap will only continue to grow. It’s pretty simple…you’re either “connected” or you’re “disconnected.” There’s really no middle ground.
We are at the forefront of this digital age, a truly historic period that is pervasive in nearly all aspects of daily life. I guess, in many ways, we can compare this era to the late 18th, early 19th century Industrial Revolution. Just like the Industrial Revolution, this digital age has marked a transformation in human society through major technological advances. It’s so impressive how in such a short time, certain advances in technology can literally transform a world and its individuals so dramatically.
The start of this digital age began at the inception of the internet. It was during this time, in the 1990’s, that everything would begin to change. A nation of techsoomers were being bred, and the world would quickly become “connected.” It was during these times, when we were exposed to computers and the evolution of interconnectivity over the internet, that we slowly began to realize the enormous opportunity that had just been created. Caught up in the middle of this digital revolution, exposed to this emerging technology at an early age, was the first-generation of techsoomers.
I do consider myself a first-generation techsoomer, that is, one who was exposed to technology at an early age and witnessed this growth in technology first-hand, while growing up. I can also see how being born just a few years earlier could have drastically changed this outcome. The first-gen techsoomers were exposed to computers in elementary school, learning how to navigate an operating system (however basic) with a mouse, practicing typing and utilizing word processors, many never having even used a typewriter. Having a computer at home was most definitely a luxury at this time, and kids rarely had them. Come middle/high school, these first-gen techsoomers took their computer-savvy to the next level on more powerful machines and applications. They were exposed to the internet in their teens and witnessed the switch from a disconnected world to connected one. Computers at home went mainstream at this time. And while the world saw opportunity in the internet and blew up the tech bubble in early 2000s, we were sitting in class, taking algebra tests.
A second generation of techsoomers has emerged with the popularization of the “social web,” or Web 2.0. This generation has grown up using social web apps. These kids are used to instantaneous feeds, updates, and content streams, something that the first generation had to wait for. They have never had to use a dial-up connection. They get most of, if not all of their news in a feed format. They blog, tweet, text, email, chat, update, and share simultaneously, without thinking twice. They have essentially been born into the connected digital age and don’t know anything else. These guys scare me a bit.
If there is anyone who will lead us into new paths and bigger discoveries, it will likely be this generation. It will be interesting to see how their “birth into technology” will affect the big picture. When the second-generation Zuckerberg speaks, my only hope is that I have the chance to listen.