Product Description

SELECTED AS A 2008 BEST BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE ECONOMIST

The Net Generation Has Arrived.
Are you ready for it?

Chances are you know a person between the ages of 11 and 30. You've seen them doing five things at once: texting friends, downloading music, uploading videos, watching a movie on a two-inch screen, and doing who-knows-what on Facebook or MySpace. They're the first generation to have literally grown up digital--and they're part of a global cultural phenomenon that's here to stay.

The bottom line is this: If you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future.

If you're a Baby Boomer or Gen-Xer: This is your field guide.

A fascinating inside look at the Net Generation, Grown Up Digital is inspired by a $4 million private research study. New York Times bestselling author Don Tapscott has surveyed more than 11,000 young people. Instead of a bunch of spoiled “screenagers” with short attention spans and zero social skills, he discovered a remarkably bright community which has developed revolutionary new ways of thinking, interacting, working, and socializing.

Grown Up Digital reveals:

• How the brain of the Net Generation processes information
• Seven ways to attract and engage young talent in the workforce
• Seven guidelines for educators to tap the Net Gen potential
• Parenting 2.0: There's no place like the new home
• Citizen Net: How young people and the Internet are transforming democracy

Today's young people are using technology in ways you could never imagine. Instead of passively watching television, the “Net Geners” are actively participating in the distribution of entertainment and information. For the first time in history, youth are the authorities on something really important. And they're changing every aspect of our society-from the workplace to the marketplace, from the classroom to the living room, from the voting booth to the Oval Office.

The Digital Age is here. The Net Generation has arrived. Meet the future.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10048 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 384 pages

From the Back Cover

"A MUST READ...if you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future."--The New York Times

"A fascinating look at how young people are transforming our culture. The bottom line: An insightful, data-rich analysis with broad implications for managers, marketers, and politicians." -BusinessWeek

"A thoughtful antithesis to entrenched and sometimes alarmist managerial opposition to internet-influenced behaviours."--The Financial Times

"Demonstrates the world-changing power of the Net Generation."--Eric Schmidt Chairman & CEO, Google

"In the past two years, Don Tapscott has overseen a $4.5m study of nearly 8,000 people in 12 countries born between 1978 and 1994. In Grown Up Digital he uses the results to paint a portrait of this generation that is entertaining, optimistic, and convincing."-The Economist

"Grown Up Digital paints a generally encouraging picture . . . an optimistic view of how humans are evolving to engage with technology. Literally evolving: Mr. Tapscott cites scientific research that people who use digital media from a young age have different brain development than those who don't. . . . Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals alike, can draw lessons about the expectations of young people raised on real-time access to deep layers of information." -The Wall Street Journal

MEET THE NET GENERATION.

“No one has been a more informed commentator on the transformative impact of the digital age than Don Tapscott.”
—Brad Anderson, Chairman & CEO, Best Buy

“Don Tapscott provides an exciting roadmap to surviving and thriving in the Connected Era.”
—Michael S. Dell, Chairman & CEO, Dell

“Don Tapscott nails it. A must read.”
—Richard Florida, author, Who’s Your City? and The Rise of the Creative Class

“For anyone leading a talent-based organization, Grown Up Digital is an essential read.”
—William D. Green, Chairman & CEO, Accenture

“The first guide to the land of the Net Generation that should be read both by visitors and residents alike.”
—Nicholas Negroponte, Founder & Chairman, One Laptop Per Child

“In Grown Up Digital, Tapscott uniquely shows how to harvest the big contributions this Net Generation has to offer.”
—Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President & CEO, FedEx

“Don Tapscott is one of the world's leading cyber gurus.”
—Al Gore

About the Author

Don Tapscott is Chairman of the nGenera Innovation Network and an adjunct professor of management at the Joseph L. Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He is an international bestselling author or coauthor of eleven books, including Wikinomics, Paradigm Shift, and The Digital Economy. Link in with the net generation at grownupdigital.com.

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Customer Reviews

The Agents of Digital Change?
This book is an updated study of what has happened to Generation Y over the last fifteen to twenty years. From what Tapscott believes, this group has, for the most part, formed the Net-Gen culture which has, apparently, begun to revolutionize the world in terms of its capacity to think digitally. As an old baby boomer/Luddite from a long way back who has been gradually digitalized over the years, I would not quarrel with Tapscott's assumption that computer technology is changing the way we live, work and interact. After all, our two very enlightened sons are the living epitome of a world digitally transformed. However, I am not convinced, even with the author's impressive array of statistics that portray Generation Y as collaborators and innovators, in the pursuit of design and application, that it has yet shown itself capable of taking the digital revolution beyond the dream stage to make it become a phenomenal reality that truly changes the way we function as humans. Yes, the potential is there for them to move in the right direction but, besides connecting more with themselves, Generation Y needs to reciprocate in kind with the baby boomer generation before bringing them along on the adventure. After all, it is my generation's indulging kindness that has helped, in large part, to bank-roll Generation Y's insatiable appetite for computers. Now, to Generation Y, I would say, show us where you want to take us with all this power at your finger tips because we might be interested in tagging along. Great read with lots of thought-provoking ideas.

A well-researched account of today's youth
For starters, I would say this book is somewhat more accessible than Don's previous book Wikinomics (with Anthony Williams - also a great read by the way), especially in terms of its mass appeal. Everyone knows some young people, so I thing everyone can relate. If you are a parent and you have Internet-addicted kids, this book will help you better understand where they're coming from. If you're an employer and you are looking for bright young talent, this book will help you attract and retain them. If you are a marketer and you are trying to sell to young people, this book will definitely help you do so more effectively. If you're an educator trying to reach young people in the classroom, the book provides a few suggestions on how to get through to them. Finally, if you're a young person yourself, the book provides a good introspective look at why you are the way you are.

It's definitely an interesting time to be writing about this topic. I think Grown up Digital provides a solid argument against those that suggest the Internet and video games are rotting the minds of today's youth. Of course, every generation is different than the previous one in very fundamental ways--generational differences are nothing new. This book is a valuable read because it explains these differences using strong, well-researched arguments, with plenty of interesting anecdotes and observations to keep you engaged. An informative and fun read.

A fascinating examination of the Digital Generation
If you wondered what happen to the kids that Don wrote about in "Growing Up Digital", then read this book. He looks at them and reports that they are doing just fine. In fact he takes issue with those who complain about 'Kids spending all their time on the computer', and declares that they are well adjusted and more in touch then some would give them credit. After reading the book, you will go away realizing your own generation will likely get pwned by this new one, and that you deserve it.