“Generation M, born after 1982 – mobile, multimedia, multitasking – are already showing their distinctive differences. One of these differences is the advent of the supercommunicator. There is growing evidence that the internet augments physical relationships rather than displaces/replaces them. We do have to worry about the digital divide risk though. It is critical that we focus on inclusiveness as we drive this forward globally.” —JP Rangaswami, chief scientist, British Telecommunications

I love this statement.  I have had a growing frustration with all the people that write articles about how technologies are going to stunt the growth of the next generations.  Let’s see, I have heard:

• They will not be a social because they do not relate face to face as much any more
• They will be dumber because they will rely on the Internet for all their answers
• They will lose their memorization abilities because they have outboard brains and do not need to memorize things any more
• They will be fat because they will sit inside and play games and be on Facebook all day
• They will not be creative anymore because the technology does whatever they tell it so they do not need to use their imagination any more
• They will be such multi-taskers they will not be able to concentrate on any one thing to do it well
• They will all have a complete moral breakdown because they can see pictures of naked people at a young age
• They will sprout little tails, and then implant horns, and become vampires from watching all the shows about the children of Dracula

OK, maybe I went over the edge with the last one…  Why is it that we have such trouble looking back into the past and seeing the patterns that have never proven to be true, and relating them to the future?  Every generation has worried about the efficacy of the next.  Every generation has lived under a unique set of influences, and in every case, the generation has made huge progress in the world.  The drugged out sex crazed hippies grew up and became a powerful generation that is still running the world today.  I predict Generation M will do unbelievable things to move humanity forward.

Why do I say that? Because they will have at their disposal a cadre of powerful technology tools.  They will stand on the shoulders of our generation and will take the knowledge we upload to the Web, and they will extend it.  Because they will learn from the mistakes of the Gen X and Gen Y generations and will use that knowledge to go further faster than any generation before.  It is historically naïve and narrow minded to believe anything else.

I just had two 7-year-old neighbor boys walk through my house to use our trampoline.  They came back in and asked if they could have something to drink.  I make them say please.  They chose a beverage, and then asked me if I would please open them.  They are not my sons, but I love them both because they represent such amazing potential.  I hope I live long enough to see this Generation M and their supercommunicators….

Scott Klososky
Scott@klososky.com