Elmore shines light on technology and generational differences

CHADRON – During a presentation Sept. 29, in the 黑料大事记 State College Student Center Ballroom Dr. Tim Elmore explored the communication gap that can occur due to technology ubiquitous in teen and young adults’ lives.
The program was organized by CSC students enrolled in Survival Skills (FYI 169x) taught by Dr. Kim Madsen, who uses Elmore鈥檚 books and videos in her classes.
Elmore, president of , has coined the term 鈥渋Y鈥 to refer to the cohort of youth with constant access to technology.
鈥淚t is no longer accurate to refer to Generation Y as one collective generation. The Millennials born after 1990 are a whole new batch of students. You are being called Generation iY because your lives are dominated by the iPhone, the iPod, iTunes, etc. You鈥檝e been identified as the Digital Generation, Mosaics, Techies, Millennials and Screenagers,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou are the most studied generation ever and surveys indicate your peers equate access to technology with air and water. They鈥檇 rather lose a little finger than their phone.鈥
He explained changes in technology also affect the economy.
鈥淚nstead of climbing the corporate ladder like your parents or grandparents, you will likely hop from one corporate lily pad to another. This is a gig economy. Incentives are different,鈥 Elmore said.
Elmore encouraged students to live by their values instead of following the crowd. He used the comparison of thermometers and thermostats to make his point.
鈥淒on鈥檛 be a thermometer just reflecting what鈥檚 around you. Be a thermostat. Set the temperature, tenor and tone of conversations. Add value to everything you are involved with,鈥 Elmore said.
Using images of a river and a flood, Elmore urged the audience members to bring focus and clarity to their lives like a river in a channel, rather than a flood covering ground.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 do everything at once. Brain research has proven there is no such thing as multitasking. You do a single task at a time and switch quickly between tasks,鈥 Elmore said.
Elmore cautioned the crowd to be aware of unintended consequences of a culture filled with immediate gratification, noting that tasks that are slow, boring and laborious should not be viewed negatively because they don鈥檛 match students鈥 usual expectations.
鈥淣euro scientists are finding that boredom can lead to creativity and empathy, so it鈥檚 not all bad. Sometimes the counterintuitive is what we need,鈥 he said. 鈥淵ou can be more intentional. You can work to increase your self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management skills. Moral intelligence is a valuable asset. Too often pragmatism trumps principal.鈥
Category: Campus Events, Campus News

