Is the i Generation too technology dependent?

By Alyssa Christianson

Today's youth of today were born under a cloud of nanites and megahertz that generations before had not been exposed to. From the moment we came into this world, we were surrounded by technology.

iGeneration, which is the title of this column, happens to also be the title for the generation of children born from 1986 to 1999.

The "i" in iGeneration derives from the names for new computer technologies (e.g. iPod, iBook, etc.) and is known for referring to the Internet and modernization.

The name iGeneration also implies the fact that most youth today are more knowledgeable with current technologies than their

parents.

We're known for being a bit melodramatic, complicated and insensitive - all of which could be caused by sitting in front of a computer all day, but iGenerationists are also known for being artistic, sharp and open to change.

We were pushed into the world of kilobytes and intranets at an age where most of our elders were learning how to count to 10. But is the influence of all this technology a bad thing? The answer is two-sided. As a member of the iGeneration, I would of course say "no" to this question. I take advantage of technology every day, from using the Internet to do research to going for a jog with my iPod.

Technology has become the best friend of many youth today, so how could we ever denounce it? It brings our friends closer to us, allows us to find information in a matter of seconds and provides billions of sources of entertainment.

But have we become dependent on our technology? Some think so. Teens are more isolated from face-to-face human contact today than ever before.

We just stick our ear buds in and click on some illegally pirated MP3s and we think we're just fine. We take advantage of the fact that we have our precious Internet.

Encyclopedias have become obsolete in the face of Wikipedia.org and the household telephone will soon be rusting its way out of business due to Instant Messengers (IMs) and cell phones.

iGeneration is neither ignorant nor cognizant. Sure, we can write a dictionary on Internet slang and HTML, but when it comes to the Dewey Decimal System we haven't got a clue.

From a personal standpoint, I think we're all still on a learning curve and always will be.

The iGeneration is the first generation to be completely immersed in technology. Using the computer and things of that sort have become second nature to us.

But one could wonder, what would happen if the entire Internet was down for a few days? Most iGenerationists, along with many others, would panic because all of their connections to the outside world are on the Internet.

It's fair to say that the iGeneration is becoming too comfortable with technology. If the iGeneration can become more aware of their technologic past, we can prevent ourselves from completely handing over our lives to technology.

Concurrently, older generations need to become more acquainted with new and upcoming technologies, instead of passing it off as "too complex."

I believe that once we can all get on the same page, we will be able to advance more steadily, rather than leaving inexperienced people in the dust and shooting quick learners miles ahead.

So will iGeneration youth become revolutionaries or just scenesters to another phase? We can't know just yet, but hopefully our potential will shine through our reputation of being slightly radical.

iGeneration will become the movers and the shakers of the world and we'll just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe all that technology will have done us good.

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Alyssa Christianson is a member of the Oakmont Regional High School Class of 2008.