TORONTO - Today's youth are plugged into the world in more ways than one, according to the author of a new book that explores the so-called Internet generation.
Don Tapscott says those weaned on the Internet -- people born roughly between 1977 and 1997 -- are more politically savvy, socially engaged and family-centred than society gives them credit for.
"They are a generation with really strong values of integrity," he said of the group, the members of which are between about 11 and 30 years of age.
With the eldest of this group making their way in the workforce and marketplace, Tapscott says it's essential that politicians, CEOs, educators and marketers understand how Net gen-ers, as he calls them, think, act and feel because "they're an unprecedented force of change."
To that end, the Toronto-based consultant has written "Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World" (McGraw-Hill).
Based on interviews with more than 10,000 young people in 12 countries including Canada and the U.S. done by his nGenera Innovation think tank, the book shows how technology has infiltrated their lives and shapes their decision-making.
He estimates the Internet generation is 81 million people strong in the U.S., or 27 per cent of the country's population. That's nearly double the size of generation X.
"This is the first time in human history when children are an authority about something really important," said Tapscott, author of a dozen books on the use of technology in society including "Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything" and "Paradigm Shift: The New Promise of Information Technology."
"Today, the 11-year-old at the breakfast table is an authority on a digital revolution that's changing every institution in society."
He outlines eight "norms" of this generation, such as prizing freedom of choice and customization -- adapting work stations, cellphones and so on -- at work and play. They are skeptics when presented with information online and elsewhere, and expect speedy responses when buying items on the web.
The book is chock full of anecdotes and case studies, including why Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes decided to join U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's web team.
"The world has changed. The web has changed," Tapscott said, explaining the stimulus for the book, a followup to his 1996 bestseller "Growing Up Digital."
"Back then there was no broadband, no blogging, no social networks, or Twitter, MySpace or Facebook. The web was a very different beast."
Tapscott said his latest research filled him with hope because "Net gen-ers are smarter, quicker and more tolerant of diversity than their predecessors."
Still, he acknowledges there are widespread stereotypes and fears about this group. They've repeatedly been called lazy, unmotivated, dumb and narcissistic, said Tapscott.
"None of this is supported by the data," he said, pointing to IQ scores and college graduation levels to support his thesis.
"We've always been uneasy about young people," but the fact that today they are authorities on all things Internet is "a real formula for disruption, and for challenging many institutions. We fear what we don't understand."
Tapscott hopes the book will inspire people in positions of power to change business and teaching practices to take advantage of this group's strengths.
He fears the opposite is happening. Instead of learning from youth, workplaces fight them and "do things like banning Facebook."
"What happens is (Net gen-ers) bump up against Dilbert Inc. and they don't like what they see," he said, referring to the comic strip about cubicle culture.
"There's a generational firewall that's being created within our companies, and as a result there's real friction and tension and conflict starting to emerge in workplaces all across North America."
And it's not the Internet's fault. Blaming the web is "like blaming the library for ignorance," he said.
