Global Generation

On page 31, Tapscott begins the bottom paragraph by saying, "Family is a big deal for today's youth," and ends it with, "most young people and their parents get along well." This paragraph struck me because, from what I've seen, it seems fairly inaccurate. By observing the actions and words of friends, family may be a big deal for today's youth, but kids don't "get along" so well with their parents. A lot of people I know have mastered the art of manipulating and pleasing their parents, determined to get what they want, when they want it. They talk bad about their parents, and often encourage each other to lie in order to get their way. This may not be something new, and it is natural for everyone to have a desire to get along with their parents, but it seems to me that families today are not as picture-perfect as Tapscott portrays.


On page 21, Tapscott introduces the idea of a global generation. He says that, "today's youth inhabit a flattening world" (23). I find this to be very true. Even ten or twenty years ago, it was probably a lot harder for people to communicate on a global scale. Now all we have to do is get on the computer, and communication is instantaneous, no matter where the people are located. On this website, which is called, "Management-Issues; the heart of a changing workplace," a blog from 2008 discussed the topic of a global generation.
It points out that such instant communication is changing the workplace. An article published in Harvard's Business Review suggested "that geography, culture and communication are now so interwoven into the very life fabric of today's business leaders that they are, in effect, a "global generation." However, the author of the blog points out that in order for the technology to be effective, the people must know how to use it, and therefore, business schools must switch from a local to global mindset.