| The international marketing firm Youngster recently | | | | Neighborhood Y |
| reported that for the first time in history, the market | | | | Generation Y members utilize services such as |
| group known as Generation Y, those ages 10 to 25, | | | | MySpace and Facebook to serve as their digital |
| is evenly divided across each of its five age based | | | | homes. Similarly they use professional networking |
| subgroups. A short to ten years ago when | | | | services such as Xing, LinkedIn, and Konnect as their |
| Generation Y first burst on to the scene, the vast | | | | digital offices. For a member of Generation Y, |
| majority of Generation Y was age 10 to 14. This first | | | | Facebook is a home in their personal neighborhood, |
| wave of Generation Y influenced popular culture | | | | while MySpace is their bedroom. It is not unusual for |
| giving us nSync and Brittney Spears. | | | | Generation Y individuals who initially met in a |
| The youngest segment of Generation Y represented | | | | professional environment to exchange Facebook and |
| over 50% of the group and they controlled the mass | | | | even MySpace contact information to facilitate a |
| media market. In the 10 years that have followed, | | | | larger social interaction. |
| the early 10-year-olds of Generation Y became | | | | Even more indicative of this tidal change is the |
| 20-year-olds filling out the top ranks of Generation Y. | | | | number of Generation Y relationships that begin as |
| The relatively constant birth rate in the Western | | | | personal social exchanges only to evolve into |
| World resulted in an even distribution across all stages | | | | professional relationships and even business |
| of the Generation Y. | | | | collaborations. Generation Y professionals don't |
| The expanding size of Generation Y has resulted in | | | | believe in going it alone. Spouses will get to know |
| the dissemination of their influence not only through | | | | each other having never met face to face. Children |
| popular culture as determined by those younger than | | | | will play video games and even together learn in |
| 18, but also the business culture that is determined | | | | simulation enhanced learning environments.xBox |
| by the most innovative in the technology field, those | | | | Education |
| age 18 to 25. | | | | What would happen if the much ballyhooed No Child |
| But, what impact will this have on globalization? | | | | Left Behind curriculum were handed over to video |
| To understand the influence this group has, you must | | | | game programmers and utilized as the rules, |
| understand how Generation Y functions. | | | | processes and systems of a series of role playing |
| The First Digital Natives | | | | adventure video games? |
| Generation Y has been referred to as the first | | | | - The entire K through 8 curriculum mastered in two |
| humans native of the digital landscape. This means | | | | and a half years! |
| that a Generation Y has never known a world that | | | | - Four years of high school completed within 18 |
| did not include the internet, cellular phones and | | | | months. |
| immediately available parallel communications. All who | | | | - Completion of the first two years of college by the |
| came before Generation Y are no more than digital | | | | end of eighth grade. |
| tourists, but Generation Y is as comfortable and | | | | - Recall and application in excess of 90% accuracy |
| capable in the digital world as in the physical world. | | | | and proficiency. |
| Any parent of a Generation Y teenager has marveled | | | | The problem with the application of such a model |
| as their child adeptly talks on their cell phone, often | | | | within our current educational system is that for |
| on a three-way call, while sending SMS text | | | | Generation Y, the RPG is not technology, rather it is |
| messages and sending email directly from their cell | | | | a tool while for those who provide education, RPG |
| phone. These amazing youngsters do all this while | | | | systems represent what was once considered a |
| playing online RPG's (role playing games) that combine | | | | "super computer". This is a chasm almost too wide to |
| video, audio, and text conferencing. An amazing six | | | | forge. |
| simultaneous lines of communication involving 30 or | | | | World-Y-Business |
| more simultaneous participants that demonstrates | | | | As Generation Y, moves from their current position |
| how Generation Y has evolved the very concepts of | | | | as entry-level managers to corporate leadership, they |
| networking, collaboration and community. | | | | will bring with them these networking skills. LinkedIn is |
| The RPG player must learn and master no less than | | | | their North American office, while Xing is their |
| 70 new rules or skills. These 70 skills do not increase | | | | European branch office and Konnect their Asian |
| the player's likelihood of success in the game, rather | | | | branch office. It is not unusual for a Generation Y |
| these 70 skills are the bare minimum to negotiate the | | | | professional to have over 10,000 direct first person |
| first level of the game. To advance through the | | | | contacts developed through Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 |
| game requires the monitoring of no fewer than 100 | | | | networks. This is not a collection of random business |
| individual incoming streams of data from 360 degrees | | | | cards, but rather individuals with whom they have |
| in all three planes of three-dimensional space (X, Y, | | | | developed business and personal relationships, even |
| and Z axis). In addition, the most recent generations | | | | friendships. These professionals not only discuss |
| of game systems allow players to collaborate in real | | | | business ventures, successes, and failures, but seek |
| time with individuals not only within their country but | | | | each others advice in open mentoring opportunities |
| across the internet in other countries. | | | | and even share personal feelings in these virtual |
| These collaborations are not bounded by language | | | | spaces. |
| differences. As a result, to work collaboratively within | | | | These young professionals have truly tapped a |
| a given group and have that group work | | | | globalized market through the use of the internet and |
| collaboratively against other groups, the players must | | | | social networking services. The only question, is the |
| learn either a language unique to the game or one | | | | global market ready for true globalization? |
| utilized in common by all players within their team. | | | | |