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Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World | 
 enlarge | Author: Don Tapscott
Publisher: McGraw-Hill Professional
Category: Book
List Price: £15.99
Buy New: £10.83
You Save: £5.16 (32%)
New (18) Used (7) from £10.29
Avg. Customer Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 4252
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 384
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.3
ISBN: 0071508635
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.23
EAN: 9780071508636
ASIN: 0071508635
Publication Date: October 1, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW - ***Delivery usually * 3 - 4 * working days - From Aphrohead of SOUTHPORT, Lancs, UK *** . Priority Airmail used Worldwide on International orders. Thanks from all at Aphrohead.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 4 more reviews...
 Interesting and informative January 6, 2009
A very interesting book, with lots of decent research and large populations being interviewed. The author presents a list of the many damning comments about the current teenagers/twenties and sets about demolishing these "myths" - and if he is right, then we have a lot to be happy about.
However, I would suggest that although these results hold well for the population interviewed (i.e. those who are literate, web-savvy, middle-class and reasonably educated), they may not be true for the population as a whole - what about the "under-class" who don't have access to the web, and who don't have the parental backing of most of his interviewees?
For the "older" generation (of which I am one, I suppose, although as a computer scientist, I guess I don't count!) this is a useful introduction into how the latest generation thinks and expects to work - and how to benefit from their competences and knowledge.
 Very interesting perspective January 4, 2009
I'm enjoying this book as it offers an insight into the Generation of people that have grown up with the Internet, mobile phones, mp3 players, playing computer games etc. The latest web 2.0 being a lot more interactive than the previous 1.0 which was more passive with mainly browsing on offer.
As a parent it helps paint a picture of our children's environment and how they view life and multi-task. It talks a lot about the positives of connecting to all generations and all cultures across the world. The Net Gen are much more tolerant and see things in a similar way across cultures. This can only be a positive step towards greater tolerance of different cultures.
I've not read the whole book but the picture painted is very positive. Multi-tasking is seen as a way to speed up the brains processing ability.
However, I don't see much about exercise and working out to keep healthy. Its all about socialising and being active all the time. I personally feel its important to have silence at times and reflect a bit. Relying on external input all the time does not develop one's self-belief, ability to be independent, and personal identity. In fact the author says that more and more young adults are choosing to stay at home as they don't like the idea of living alone. This in today's climate is probably wise. Especially with the cost of living alone.
As a parent I have tried to encourage other activities such as playing a musical instrument. Developing a skill outside of a digital world. I have noticed that there is some natural self-regulation that goes on like reading and exercise. The example of parents is not a dying art just yet.
On a personal level as a person involved in computers since the 80's and being at the birth of the internet, I can see myself as a sort of older net gen. However, as I wasn't brought up on it as a youngster that has some good points and some downsides. One of the downsides is the inability to switch off the internet when I feel I'm just on the web just out of the shear magnetic attraction of it. So without growing up as a multi-tasker its easy to get to hyper-focused on it. On the positive side I devoted a lot of time to sports, self-reflection, personal growth reading using single-minded focus on given subjects.
Overall I'm finding the book useful on a personal level and also as a parent. As this was a funded study there is a lot of statistical information in the book.
Interesting, inspiring but a bit woolly January 3, 2009
Don Tapscott's book looks at what he calls the Net Generation - kids born between 1977 and 1996, who grew up with the changes in technology that make it possible for you to be reading this review. His starting point is the hostility from baby boomers towards this generation (of which supposedly I am part, but more on that later) and the internet. This includes suggestions that we are the dumbest generation, that we are unprepared for work and have unrealistic feelings of entitlement. He then goes on to pooh-pooh these statements, refuting them using research and anecdotal evidence.
From there he looks at what he considers the eight norms of the Net generation: that they expect freedom, integrity and speed that they expect to be able to customise, scrutinize, collaborate and innovate. He then looks at how they bring these attributes to learning, to work, to the workplace, to the family, to the marketplace and to democracy and how these institutions need to bend to engage the average Net generation member. And I think for anyone involved in education, who is looking to motivate their workforce or is looking at social change, should give the book a skim as it will provide interesting ideas and examples of how to branch out or organise their organisation to fit the people who will soon be the main part of the workforce.
It also speaks to the Net generation, in allowing them to see how they are viewed from outside, and how traditional organisations are going to react. But it is also very optimistic and generally boosts the Net generation so that you will come out of it inspired by what our generation should be capable of.
Where it falls down a little is that it is clearly written with an American middle class bias. Much of the anecdotal evidence is taken from Tapscott's family. Similarly Tapscott is clearly a liberal and this informs much of the book's political bias. The idea of the digital divide is mentioned but not dealt with in any particular depth to see how those who are unlucky enough not to be mainlining facebook and myspace etc etc will get on. But that's not really the focus of the book.
The book is very easy to read with many interesting facts and figures, that you are unlikely to not come away with some new idea or thing that you want to try out, unless you're ultra-conservative and have no time for the web.
Highly recommended January 2, 2009
They say that age defines whether we are digital natives or digital immigrants ( are you over or under 30?) and much has been written about the impact of technology on our lives today. But this book offers a more sage and balanced view than most blogs, books and editorials rolled together.
It's an incisive, well-researched and grounded exposition of what it really means to have `grown up digital' with technology being at the centre of your education, workplace, leisure activity and socialising.
The research is mainly US based, and whilst I agree with many of his conclusions and opinions I do differ on his view that access to google and wikipedia etc obviates the need to memorize facts and figures.
So, four stars only I'm afraid.
Otherwise, if you only read one book about the impact of the net on society today make sure it's this one. Nothing else comes close.
Could be an eye opener for some, but perhaps generalises a bit in places December 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The description and conclusions about the Net Generation seem accurate and well researched. The scholarly research background and the significant "sample" numbers help lend some weight to the analyses and summaries, and the style of writing is serious enough and inclusive without patronising. It is also a very interesting read from the perspective of socio-demographics of the last 40-50 years and it does try to take a global view outside of the USA. However it is still in some respects USA-centric with regards to some of its conclusions and assumptions and misses the mark for some countries outside North America. For example it assumes the net effect of the "pop culture" is export from the USA. However as many people know, over the last four decades much of the music pop culture has come out of the UK too. Indeed the Net Geners would themselves be aware of this I would have thought. So you sometimes get the impression that the book was written very much from the perspective of the "golden oldies" [my term] or "baby boomer" [the author's term] generation in mind. So even though I am not exactly a Net Gener myself, I did find some of the narrative rather obvious and made me feel younger than I actually am. Reservations aside, I did still find some ideas and conclusions which give an interesting "angle" on the facts and the development and influence of the Internet on the generations and their reactions and adaptability to it.
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