Communicating with the new "Digital Natives"

Communicating with the old "Digital Natives" or Gen Y, is easy. They want to be communicated with. They go out of their way to get feedback and work in teams. They are the ones who have spent their entire lives using computers, playing videogames, listening to digital music players, uploading video from their phones onto YouTube and keeping up with their friends through Facebook. And mostly all at the same time. So communicating with them is simply a matter of tapping into those channels.

The new "Digital Natives" are different. They process information at a speed which is enough to make the old "Digital Natives" feel more than a little inadequate. 15-year old Mathew Robson caused a stir in July when he reported how teenagers view media.

They don't listen to the radio, except for music, which they usually listen to through free online music stations. They barely watch TV unless it's something they want (unless they've already downloaded it from the internet). They use the internet as their primary source of information. The Yellow Pages is useless when you have Google! While this is true for both generations, it's a lot more pronounced in Generation Z. And unlike the previous "Digital Natives", who are noted for their co-operative spirit, they don't like to work in teams. They're self-directed and independent.

So, what do we know about communicating with both 'Digital Native' generations?

• They are used to receiving and sorting information very rapidly.
• They like to parallel process and multi-task.
• They prefer graphics to text, or at the very least, graphics before text.
• They thrive on instant gratification, feedback and frequent rewards.
• They prefer games to "serious" work.

What does all this mean for trainers (and come to that for school teachers and university lecturers)? Particularly important for the new "Digital Natives" will be e-learning, where everything is accessed online. They already view the internet as their primary souce of information, and are not fazed by technology such as videoconferencing, since they use programmes like Skype or XBox (gaming) consoles (which allow free peer-to-peer calls) to stay in touch.

Another option is Digital Game Based Learning. As Mark Prensky puts it: "When you think of computer games, there's lots of engagement but little content. Business has lots of content, but no engagement. Put the two together and you have a way to learn the business through computers that makes sense for this generation." Lots of short phrases in Powerpoint, concepts presented as interactive images and games, and videos are all ways to communicate concepts to the 'Digital Natives'. Just understand they'll also be constantly texting or instant-messaging each other the entire time. It's part of the information processing.

(For fun: What generation are you part of really? Take this test.)