Y Not GenM?
Generation Y has a new name according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, they have now been dubbed Generation M (see Time article The Multitasking Generation, 10 April 2006). With the advances of technology young people are becoming adept at doing many things at once. Whilst doing their homework, they are chatting online with friends, downloading music, listening to music, eating dinner, text messaging and a myriad of other activities. They are cramming more and more into their lives. The question is are young people really multitasking and is it even possible? According to decades of research the quality of one’s output and depth of thought deteriorates as one attends to ever more tasks (2006). This means serious implications for the quality of work that is being produced by students at home. They are not fully concentrated on the task at hand and are therefore not working to their full potential and are not even aware of their full potential. A lot of pressure is put on Gen Ms to keep up with this fast-paced world but it should not be at the cost of quality work. While students should not be discouraged from using technology, teachers need to ensure that students are aware of what a healthy study environment is and there should be collaboration with parents to ensure that they are monitoring this at home.
