According to the author of the controversial book, The Dumbest Generation, more than 50 million minds of Americans under the age of 30 are Diverted, Distracted, and Devoured (visit dumbest generation.com for more info but most likely you won't be able to read the content if under 30!).
Mark Bauerlein, the infamous author did his research and found that the average time 18-25 year olds read per day is only 7 minutes. Newspapers are dying because this generation doesn't even know what a newspaper is (they take their Blackberry into the stall).
The most amazing thing Bauerlein stated was that this generation has access to more information than any generation before it but chooses not to access it. Why? They live in a world of instant messaging. In fact, the text message language has become so complicated, I wouldn't doubt that U-M adds it as a course requirement for incoming Freshman.
People are using "u" instead of "you; "r" instead of "are. So people can't spell, format a paragraph or communicate in the English language.
Being over 50, I'm not a texter. I went to the AT & T store over the weekend with the BUB and we now share 700 minutes a month for two phones. They asked if we want text messaging because they could offer us a plan with 5000 minutes or even unlimited minutes. We're lucky to use 100 minutes!
But I can write and read which I'll take anytime over texting. As an under 30 reader of this blog, what are your thoughts on what Bauerlein has to say? Would you buy and read his book? And in our industry, what is the best way to communicate and educate those under 30?
In our last company meeting we did an innovation segment and one topic that came up was to communicate to our customers via text messaging. Would you give us your cell phone number for this?
The world is changing and while it's not up to us over 30 to decide whether it's changing for the better or worse, it is up to decide how to ride the change into the future.
Happy Wednesday!
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