Are we currently witnessing a major milestone in human evolution?
Are Post Millennials and their future offspring “newly evolved beings” (
Gene Hall, President, Gartner)?
Are we at a transformative moment in human evolution as profound as the dawn of abstract thinking and syntax?
Marc Prensky, renowned writer & lecturer, suggests that having grown up with the tools and toys of the Digital Age, ie: Video Games, young, post millennial kids may have physically different brains!
“Children raised with the computer
think differently from the rest of us.
They develop hypertext minds. They
leap around as if the cognitive structures
were parallel, not sequential” (M. Prensky)
As Charles Darwin may have observed 150 years ago “Is natural selection underway?”
Are the “Digital Haves” of the First World evolving differently from the “Digital Have Nots” of the third world?
Or is Humanity so connected that the point is moot?
Too much science fiction? O.K. Let’s take a few steps back and check into what we architects and designers, observe through our clients. Fred Rieber, MTP Architects, first heard the term “Digital Native, Digital Immigrant”, while attending a Gartner ITEXPO Symposium in Cannes, France, 2006. The intent of the invitation was to translate the IT affects of the new digital world to the more human nature of design and architecture: our homes, offices and communities. Drawing insight from the ITEXPO, we explored how IT insights translate into architectural vision, impacting all aspects of our modern lives.
Based on what we have read, heard, observed and experienced, our definitions of generational patterns take on a slightly different tone from Prensky’s in that our Digital Natives are post millennial (born after 2000 AD) and we introduce a third generational type: Digital Hybrid.
Our HUMAN PARADIGMS are as follows:
“
DIGITAL NATIVES” are the truly native speakers of the digital language and the genesis of its culture. We observe them as youthful multi taskers, intuitively digital and fearless in their approach to life. They also possess a need for mentoring and context but only respond to those who speak their “language”.
“
DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS” must learn the new language but will always retain their “accent”(M. Prensky). We observe them as being born in the analogue world, facing fear in our digital one but always offering the wisdom of rich experiences and context.
“
DIGITAL NATIVE / IMMIGRANT HYBRID” is our definition of a transitional paradigm describing Generation Y / Millennials. They were not born in the digital world but with youthful bravado, thoroughly embrace it. We observe them as transitional generations employing transitional technologies, clearing the way for the “natives”.
We differentiate DIGITAL HYBRIDS from DIGITAL NATIVES, our youngest children because, for them the promise of emerging technologies is more and more intuitive and less linear. This parallels the cognitive nature of their evolving young brains resulting in a perceived inert ability to embrace it. It’s almost as if they are born with this ability!
Early use of digital technology required a left-brain, linear and analytical approach to “commanding” the computer, effectively shutting down right brain participation. A digital immigrant would refer to the intuitive nature of conversation, writing, sketching… natural syntax. But as digital technology evolves, the right brain is more and more engaged. Syntax is occurring between man and machine! Both analytical thinking and intuition result in imaginative, innovative paradigm shifts. It’s often the artist who envisions the future. In employing digital tools to create his innovative photographic collages, artist Michael Davidson invites our subconscious participation in seeing our reality in fresh new ways. Let the right and left-brain dance!
As Gartner observed at ITEXPO Cannes 2006, it is the intersection of the intuitive tool employed by intuitive Man that will profoundly affect every aspect of our lives.
Next Discussion:
THE INFORMATION TSUNAMI
Credits: Oct 28, 2006 Economist, back cover; Feb 27, 2010 Economist; Feb 27, 2010 Economist, Fred Rieber, The Economist - Oct 7th pg 76, Oct 28th back cover, Nov. 18th pg 12, Metropolis Nov.2006 pg 65