UB Libraries 2007

Born to Be Wired: Technology, Communication and the Millennial Generation

UB Library Summit – January 11, 2007

Presentation Materials

Contact Information

Mark Greenfield
Director of Web Services
Mail Drop: 109 Norton Hall
Office Location: 454 Porter Hall
State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, N.Y. 14260
Phone: (716)645-2811
Fax: (716)645-7761
Email: markgr@buffalo.edu
Web: webservices.buffalo.edu

Abstract

The ongoing communications revolution combined with the coming of the Millennial generation and their love of technology will have a profound impact on college campuses. For the Millennial generation, the Internet is now the hub for all their activities which will increase the importance of university Web sites. Millennial students (and their parents) are behaving as customers who actively compare programs and services to make choices on their college education. Their expectation is a 24/7 service culture – always on, always connected – anytime, anywhere.

Part economics, part sociology, and part IT, this presentation will provide historical context for the communications revolution, an overview of the characteristics and traits of the Millennial generation, and a review of the communication technologies that appeal to Millennials including IM, Blogs, RSS, Podcasting and text messaging.

Recommended Books

  • Cairncross, Frances. The Death of Distance. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2001

  • Covey, Stephen. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York, NY: Free Press, 2004
  • Fogg, B.J. Persuasive Technology. San Francisco, CA: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 2003
  • Friedman, Thomas. The World is Flat. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
  • Godin, Seth. All Marketers Are Liars. New York, NY: Penquin Group, 2005
  • Howe, Neil and Strauss, William. Millennials Go to College. 2003
  • Howe, Neil and Strauss, William. Millennials Rising. New York, NY: Vantage Books, 2000
  • Levine, Rick and others. The Cluetrain Manifesto. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2001
  • Morville, Peter. Ambient Findability. Sebastopol, CA: O’Reilly Media, 2005
  • Rheingold, Howard. Smart Mobs. Cambridge, MA: Perseus Publishing, 2002
  • Trippi, Joe. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. New York NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 2004
  • Scoble, Robert and Israel, Shel. Naked Conversations. New York NY: Wiley, John & Sons
  • Shapiro, Andrew. The Control Revolution. New York, NY: Century Foundation, 1999
  • Surowiecki, James. The Wisdom of Crowds. New York, NY: Random House, 2004

Web Resources

The World is Flat

The Millennial Generation

  • Educating the Net Generation (from Educause)
  • Teens and Technology (PDF – from Pew/Internet)
  • The Internet at School (from Pew/Internet)
  • The Digital Disconnect: The widening gap between Internet-savvy students and their schools (from Pew/Internet)
  • The Net Generation and the School
  • Teen Content Creators and Consumers (from Pew/Internet)
  • The Information Age Mindset (PDF)
  • State Legislators as Co-Pilots (From the Chronicle – subscription required)
  • Putting Parents in their Place: Outside Class (From the Washington Post)
  • The Key to Competitiveness: Understanding the Next Generation Learner (From Educause)
  • The State of Our Nation’s Youth 2003-2004 (PDF – From the Horatio Alger Association)
  • The Beloit College Mindset List for the Class of 2009
  • Generation Give and give and give (from USA Today)
  • The Multitasking Generation (Cover story from Time Magazine – March 27, 2006)

Millennials in the Workplace

Millennials and Libraries

Technology

Instant Messaging

Text Messaging (SMS & MMS)

RSS

Blogs

Blogs supported by Web Services (See the RSS page for a complete list of feeds)

Podcasting

Wikis

Social Networking

3G Mobile Phones

Vlogs