Generation Jones

In 2001 Mark Prensky introduced the terms "digital natives" and "digital immigrants" to describe the startling gap between young people who grew up immersed in computer technology and their parents and grandparents who may or may not have tried to keep up or understand how the world has changed.  By definition, my children were digital natives, and I was a digital immigrant. (Mark gives credit on his blog to those who used the native and immigrant analogies as early as 1994.)

When I was a child, a computer filled most of a large room and was much less powerful than a modern calculator.  Only a scientist or computer engineer could use one.  When I brought an Apple II+ computer home for the first time in 1982, it ran at a speed of 1Mhz, had 64k of memory, and used a 5&1/4 inch floppy disk that held 360k of data.  By 1990 the new office computer was a "Turbo" PC that ran at a blistering 10Mhz and had 640k of RAM, but most impressively, had a hard drive that held 10Mb of data.  This was the year I became one of the pioneers in our school system, getting an email account before most people had heard of such a thing, and using the Internet when it was still all text.  (Do you remember FTPing little programs from White Sands Military Base before most people knew a computer could connect to another computer over the phone?) It's difficult to imagine that most people had not heard of the Internet 18 years ago.  My children, though, grew up with email, the Internet and computers as tools that were ubiquitous, much like radio, television and the telephone were to people of my generation.  (Back then, televisions were black and white, telephones were attached to the wall, and a transistor radio was really cool!)

As a member of the youngest end of the Baby Boom, I have always felt somewhat akin to the older boomers, but always like a little brother "tagging along, " just becoming aware of the action of the 1960s as they ended and the 1970s rolled in.  As it turns out, I'm not alone! A term has been coined for those of us born between 1954 and 1965 - "Generation Jones." 

A recent article on the subject of generations and their comfort with technology is well worth reading.  It includes a quiz for those of us who think we may not fit the typical profile for our generation.  You can give it a try at:

http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/06/25/what-generation-are-you-part-of-really-take-this-test/

Where does this put me in my quest for a new career?  I was quite pleased and somewhat surprised to score in the Generation X range.  I guess my ongoing interest in keeping up with technology has paid off.  Now to find the right organization that is looking for someone with Generation Jones maturity and Generation X techno-savy!