Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Internet impact, 8 April 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
To produce `Grown Up Digital' author Don Tapscott gathered contributions from numerous researchers, consultants, coordinators, administrators etc. with inputs from academia, business, politics etc. He even relied on his own children and their friends, and he created his own version of `Facebook' to collect information and to test assumptions. All this results in a very interesting, informative and thought provoking assessment of `Net Geners' (11 to 30 year olds) and their influence in changing the world. Tapscott identifies and repeatedly relates his narrative to eight characteristics of the `Net Generation' - freedom, customization, scrutiny, integrity, collaboration, entertainment, speed and innovation. In doing so insights are provided to how these are changing the nature of family, consumerism, education, work, government etc. with a culture of control replaced by a culture of enablement. Supporting his solid scientific text-book approach Tapscott's easily readable style and readily understandable parables exemplify and explain his fact finding studies, his examination and analysis, and his results and conclusions. Tapscott states "if you understand the `Net Generation' you will understand the future". `Grown Up Digital' will certainly help - but it is not a panacea.
Most of today's parents and grandparents are amazed and pleased at how, immersed in digital technology and without any inhibitions, their offspring intuitively deal with videos, computers, games consoles, cell-phones etc. Don Tapscott's adoration and exaltation is at a much higher level. Everyone recognises that internet capabilities and complementary technological advances are proceeding at an exponential rate, yet many of the characteristics identified for `Net Geners' may be accounted for via generational evolution. Tapscott appears to invest too deeply into his own studies, and though he warns of cyber bullying, on-line predators, internet plagiarism etc. he avoids confrontation with a possible opinion on the young as a self-destruction generation embracing drugs, violence etc. Other examples with alternative perspectives include viewing political participation as a citizenship issue; or job decision-making as an attitude of mind - instead of linking everything to the internet. There needs to be a better balance. Tapscott's view is not of a truly representative cross-section of society but seems too narrowly focused on a privileged level of the population in an affluent part of the world where all `Net Geners' appear professional and largely restricted to the service sector of the economy. Without doubt Don Tapscott is sincere but he has become too emotionally involved, and he is determined to see only virtue in `Net Geners' and he gives credit for too much power. He claims to show readers how the `Net Generation' is changing the entire world - but more accurately it shows how `Net Geners' are changing their own part of it.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating but flawed, 27 Jun 2009
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)
A fascinating and very relevant topic, particularly as electronic publishing is becoming more mainstream (since the publication of this book, Arnold Schwarzneger has "terminated the textbook" apparently, in favour of e-texts for this very generation!).
My view on this book comes from two perspectives - first of all, a member of this so-called 'net generation'. And secondly, as a publisher thinking about how people want to buy and use content. So I read it while thinking 'is this me?' and also thinking 'what can I make of this commercially?'. The answer, unfortunately, was - not a lot. With that said, I felt that it would be a very interesting introduction to the topic for somebody who didn't know much about how people use digital media.
I found the topic very interesting, and a lot of the content is fascinating - but I was rather put off by the preponderance of anecdotal evidence. I found myself a bit irritated by being lumped in with this '11-30' age bracket, when personally I find there is a huge difference even between my own habits (I am 26) and those of my younger sister, who is 23 - totally driven by the technologies she's grown up with. I'm not convinced by this book, particularly 9 months on from publication when I think it's already sounding dated. Interesting - but I will hold out for a better book on the topic that offers a more nuanced view. Or perhaps what I am looking for is more likely to be found on blogs and web pages... who knows.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Don Does, 25 Jun 2009
With the publication of Don Tapscott's new book on the Net Generation ("Grown up Digital"), I could write "Go and read this book", but it might end up as a quote on the Dutch edition of this book (which I don't aspire!), while leaving out the second part of the quote "...because it is flawed in so many ways that it serves as a good textbook on how NOT to present your arguments in a (scientific) debate."
Tapscott's book is one of many books that tries to capture the essence of the current generation by stressing the impact of the technological developments on these youngster, especially Internet and popular applications such as Google, FaceBook, YouTube and others. This leads to a host of exclusive names such as `digital natives', `net generation', `Millennials', `Screenagers' and `generation Einstein'. Currently more research is becoming available that questions many assertions of these authors. What is more, one can seriously question the added value of speaking of generations. For instance, evidence points in the direction that differences in a generation can be as profound as differences between generations. I will write more elaborate about this in the upcoming publication `Wijs met Media' (`Medialiteracy'). Here, let me shortly zoom in on just one aspect: methodology.
If you want to make a statement on the use and experience of transportation: would you ask only car owners? And would you invite members of the Fiat 500 fan club to contribute anecdotes on how they experience going for point A to point B? If the answer is no, would you then gather data on the current generation by asking only internet users on the influence of technology and new media on their behaviour and would you use a FaceBook community as a way to tap into the experience of a whole generation. Do you? Well, Don Does.
Would you disqualify scientific research with the remark that laboratory research cannot capture the complexity of reality and replace this with your personal observations of your own children? Would you leave out data on other generations, preventing any comparison among generations? Would you step over any data that is contrary to your point with the remark "anyway"? And would you beforehand disqualify any counterargument by stating that those arguments are based on fear, fear for the new? Well, Don does.
Would you ask the CEO of Google whether he thinks his employees represent the `dumbest generation', and take its denial as part of the proof that the Net Generation is media smart, and are full-fledged communication professionals? Would you criticise other research for using surveys and base your own research on...surveys? And would you spend four million dollar on research on the Net Generation and present as recurring `evidence' the behaviour and quotes of your own two children Niki and Alex? Well, Don does.
Tapscott disqualifies the current educational praxis as a hundred year old monster that needs a fundamental shake-up. Less `broadcasting' more interaction. Certainly a point of discussion but not with the arguments Tapscott brings to the table. But I'll give him one point, as a `student of methodology' (p. 305) Tappscott hasn't picked up fundamental principles of doing research while in a `traditional' class. Maybe he should have attended classes more or `interacted' with someone knowledgeable... But Don didn't.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by Henry Jenkins
by Don Tapscott
by Jeff Jarvis
by Tamara Erickson
