Generation Dumbstein

By Dick Swart on 30 September 2009

By now, most of us reasonable people have figured out that ‘Generation Einstein’ is just a silly term invented by elderly people who were impressed by the apparent agility with computers and other gadgets of their ‘kidz’. It turns out that they aren’t multitasking at all but just constantly distracted, and only the more sensible kidz are capable to turn off their distractions when they have something important to do like studying for a test or listen to a teacher (he said grinding his teeth).

So what’s the deal then? Is it an addiction? Are they hooked on mindless communication between their peers? It seems so because that’s all they do apparently. Eckart Witzen (BSO) said years ago in respect to this matter that people don’t want to listen, they want to talk. I think he was right. That’s why all these social media sites are such a big hit until the audience has left in search for other places to talk (themselves). I guess that 90% of the content in social media has been made because people want to say it anyway and not because they think others want to read it.

I think there are other issues involved concerning this addiction and that is insecurity and peer pressure. Kids are terrifyingly insecure; we all remember our own insecurity standing before our closet not knowing what to wear (yes, boys do that too). For an adolescent there is no greater horror then being excluded, snuffed at or publicly embarrassed. And there is only one remedy for that and that’s constant feedback from their friends. Unfortunately this feedback leads all too often to peer pressure witch calls for more reassuring feedback from other friends and that explains why they spend over 100 Euro a month on sentences like ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘Would you like to do too?’ Not to mention the incredible stupid opening line “Where are you?”

Will all this ‘multitasking’ during adolescence lead to flexible people trained in doing numerous tasks in a short period? This could well be the case, because although they do it for the wrong reasons, the effect in the end could be good, not? But I doubt it. I read once that there is a clear connection between social success and the ability to postpone rewards. And the current generation kidz never ever have to postpone rewards anymore. “First I’ll do my homework than I’ll go to my friends“ has changed in “I’ll do my homework while I’m chatting online”. And if they are really smart they let their friends do their homework.

tagged with: netgeneration, social media

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