Gen X on Gen M

Family dinners were pretty much a non-negotiable daily commitment when I was growing up. During dinner, we weren't allowed to answer the phone. If it rang, one of two things happened. One, we had to just let it ring. Mind you, we didn't have an answering machine and caller ID didn't exist, so we had no way of knowing who had called. Or, two, my mom would tell my dad to answer it and, "Get rid of 'em." It wasn't that my parents were dictatorial, rather, they believed that dinner was a time for us to sit down as a family and talk to one another, without distractions. I believe there is value in that. I believe in undivided attention.

This is why I'm not sure if I'm impressed or appalled by the "multitasking" of Gen M. It amazes me that anyone can have earbuds in, text someone, talk in person to someone else, update their facebook status, and tweet, all within the same minute. I can't divide my attention in that way (Refer to my earlier post about the webinar). I can barely listen to music and walk at the same time without stumbling into oncoming traffic. I think it becomes an issue of quantity versus quality.

Towards the end of our reading for class, Linda Stone says that Gen M is in a state of "continuous partial attention." She says that this is different from multitasking because it doesn't mean multiple tasks are actually being accomplished. Instead, when a person is connected to so much media, he or she is scanning for what is most important or interesting at that moment. I suppose we all do this to some extent--I know I've sat around on a Saturday night, unwilling to commit to any plans until I know all of my options. Still, I don't do my scanning while I'm already having dinner with one of my friends.

The other part of the reading that really struck me was this new notion of privacy. The authors discussed the fact that teenagers want "control over their audience." It reminded me of the first time I learned about blogs. I was working at a boarding school and one of my students came to me in tears. She was upset because some of the other students were giving her a hard time about something she had written in her blog. I had no idea what a blog was so she told me it was a "public diary." Huh? Isn't that an oxymoron? I had to keep asking for clarification. I thought I had to be missing something. You share your innermost thoughts and publish them in a place where pretty much anyone can see them. She couldn't see why I found this completely illogical. Even more, I had a hard time consoling her because my initial reaction was, "What did you think would happen?"

On one hand I think it's frightening that kids aren't all that concerned about their privacy. But on the other hand, it's admirable that they are willing to share so much of themselves. It might be a way for them to work through issues that would otherwise be buried. I also think it's great that they feel so comfortable sharing their "creations" on the internet. A student might be embarrassed to share a poem in front of her English class, but feel fine about publishing it online. There is this perceived anonymity that somehow makes it easier.

My lingering question is this: Does Gen M represent the natural progression of our society, and if so, should I work on changing my own thinking? Should I try to get better at this type of multitasking, or be even more leery of it? I don't want to find myself completely out of touch, nor do I want to be swept up in this rampant communication. As for now, I'll listen to my mom and I won't answer the phone during dinner, not even if it's her.