Hi, I’m from Gen-Y

November 2, 2009 by Pearl 

gen_y

In Jerry’s previous blog, you read about a recent Wall Street Journal article titled “When Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Nonverbal Cues.” In it, Mark Bauerlein wrote about “the diffidence, self-absorption and general uncommunicativeness of Generation Y.” To better understand why Bauerlein made such a comment, please travel back in time with me to the beginning of the millennium:

It’s close to midnight in the winter of 2000. While catching up on the day over the phone with her friend, a 14-year old girl swivels in a chair with her legs crossed on top of a desk. To the right lay a pile of graphing paper atop an opened chemistry textbook. To the left of the desktop lay a lemon-scented folder and two binders dressed up with the most recent pictures of all things she loved, including M&M’s®, puppies, and all her close girlfriends. Further to the left is a TV tuned to MTV. Directly in front of her is a computer monitor screen flooded with countless AIM windows. As her eyes flit back and forth between the TV and the computer screen, she is communicating with six people and doing her homework at the same time.

That was a glimpse into my early teenage years. Later in college, I would have conversations with my roommate through instant messaging while sitting 25-feet apart from one another. Gen-Y, as my generation is known, is used to handling multiple communication activities simultaneously.

This habit of multi-tasking may lead to a pattern of continuous partial attention among young adults today. Reading and replying to an email in the middle of having a physical conversation is the norm to them. This hurried lifestyle of being connected 24/7 requires them to quickly defocus and refocus from one activity to another.

However, this Gen-Y world of Facebook updates, Tweets, emails, and text messages involves the exchange of words only. Face-to-face interaction has dwindled to a bare minimum. As a result, the opportunity to experience nonverbal and expressive behavior such as hand gestures and eye contacts has declined.

Mark Bauerlein, in his Wall Street Journal article, found this acceptable:

            The next time they face a twenty-something who doesn’t look them in the eye, who slouches and sighs
            for no apparent reason, who seems distracted and unaware of the rising frustration of the other people
            in the room, and who turns aside to answer a text message with glee and facility, they shouldn’t think,
            “What a rude kid.” Instead, they should show a little compassion…

I disagree with Mr. Bauerlein. Now that I am past those teenage years and in the workplace, I value the importance of face-to-face communication. At Power Presentations, we work with all levels of management, from product managers all the way up to CEOs. None of them can exist on text-only communication; every one of them must communicate interpersonally to succeed.

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Comments

2 Responses to “Hi, I’m from Gen-Y”

  1. lidia on November 5th, 2009 9:17 pm

    I think the presentation about newspaper is interesting and I like that.I hope there are many kinds of subject.thanks

  2. lucie weissman on November 7th, 2009 6:08 pm

    Dear Pearl,
    I just read your very insightful comments on todays life style of the young, and found it extremely interesting, and yet very disturbing at the same time.
    We must instill into this generation the importance of verbal communication.
    Thank you for writing such an excellent piece.
    Lucie

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