I recently attended a session at PodCamp New Hampshire on “Digital Natives” and realized halfway through the discussion that my children represent the first generation of “Social Natives.” My son Jackson and I thought it would be nice to share an episode of our show “Two Dudes and One Camera” with the Dad-O-Matic community and give you our take on what the rise of the social natives may mean to society and the world as we know it.
Here is a short list of things we think will change. Please feel free to share your thoughts on what a new generation of social natives will mean in the comment section.
- Friendships – Think about your first friendships. Most of them probably with other children from your neighborhood, church, school or maybe children of your parents’ friends. My son and daughter will most likely develop real friendships with kids who live nowhere near them. These friendships will be as real and genuine as any other.
- Never Losing Touch – Over the years I have lost touch with many of my early childhood friends. A lot of them moved when we were still kids and the rest of us dispersed after high school. Sure social tools like Facebook have allowed me to reconnect with some friends but in most cases being separated for over a decade or longer has made true reconnection awkward. Social natives will never have to lose touch with friends simply because their moms and dads choose to move.
- Schools – The long promised virtual school is possible today. How long will it be before parents are given the choice to enroll their social native children in schools connected via Skype? Children in an economically depressed area of the country will no longer need to be victimized by chronically under performing school systems. What happens to our inner cities when children no longer need to risk their lives to receive an education?
- Business – By the time my children reach the age of 18 each of them will likely have a global network of friends. Can you even begin to imagine the disruptive businesses these kids will launch?
- Geo Politics – Sure a country is defined by geographical borders but it also needs a common culture and political framework. There is an old saying that says “all politics is local” but will that be true when social natives take the reigns of power? Yes they will care about local services but only as much as it impacts their lives. If they no longer need a local school system to educate themselves and their children what other local concerns will rally their vote? How will nations interact when an entire generation of world leaders have been interconnected since they were children?
- Entertainment – Jackson turned 5 today and already he is a prolific content creator. Each episode of “Two Dudes and One Camera” is 7 to 8 minutes long. When his friends and family watch his show that is 7 to 8 minutes in which they are not watching NBC. What happens when some of his other friends and family members start creating and distributing content? How will our society change when there is no longer a common entertainment experience from which we develop a sense of what is funny, what is sad or tragic, what is violent and what is meaningful?
- Cultural Identity – The nature versus nurture debate is about to be put to the test on a scale previously unimaginable. What we believe and how we behave has historically been due in large part to the circumstance in which we were born. Until recently dissenters were either culturally isolated or eliminated. However, we now live in a world where it is becoming increasingly easier for us to find and connect with other people who share our interests and beliefs regardless of where we live. How will the world change when the social natives come of age with access tools that allow for insulation against those who are intolerant of their beliefs? What happens when angry children filled with rage have no barrier to connecting with other angry punks? The world is about to see the long tail applied to cultural identity and it will have massive implications on how our children live.
What other changes do you see coming? Are you kids social natives? Do you see differences in their lives as a result?
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Great job Mike. As parents in this new digital world, I think it’s vital for us to continue exposing our kids to these emerging technologies at a young age in order to ensure it won’t intimidate them as they get older. Their brains are such sponges when they’re young, and their curiosity levels are through the roof. Taking the time to do that show with Jackson is invaluable. One thing I’ve noticed with my Molly (age 5) is when I take videos or photos of her, she’ll often say “Daddy- please put that on the internet. I want EVERYONE to see it.” The simple fact she can conceptualize the connected world like that is amazing to me.
One point I’d add to your list is the notion of accessibility. With the advent of tools like Twitter, the barriers to reaching out and communicating with thought leaders in your space or area of interest are either breaking down or completely removed. Being accessible is now IN. What does it mean to some teenage entrepreneur out there to get feedback, advice and validation from Kevin Rose? Or for a college student to get a blog comment from Chris Brogan? Or some high school hoops player to get an @ reply from Shaquille O’Neal? All of a sudden, the thought of reaching those heights is not impossible. The people who get there become more real.
Another abstract point I’d add is the notion of “sense of self”. I know of exactly 2 grainy VHS tapes of me as a kid, and both of them were taken about 100 feet away while I was pitching in baseball games. In contrast, I’ve already collected hundreds of gigabytes of data on my kids in the form of digital photos, video, and blog posts. What will it be like for them to know EXACTLY what they were like and who they were at each unique stage in their lives? Will this digital data go the route of those dusty shoeboxes full of Polaroids and other aging photos in our parents’ closets, or will it be incorporated into their lives in ways we can’t even imagine right now?
Sorry, major tangent there but these topics fascinate me. Thanks for sharing!
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Great job Mike. As parents in this new digital world, I think it's vital for us to continue exposing our kids to these emerging technologies at a young age in order to ensure it won't intimidate them as they get older. Their brains are such sponges when they're young, and their curiosity levels are through the roof. Taking the time to do that show with Jackson is invaluable. One thing I've noticed with my Molly (age 5) is when I take videos or photos of her, she'll often say “Daddy- please put that on the internet. I want EVERYONE to see it.” The simple fact she can conceptualize the connected world like that is amazing to me.
One point I'd add to your list is the notion of accessibility. With the advent of tools like Twitter, the barriers to reaching out and communicating with thought leaders in your space or area of interest are either breaking down or completely removed. Being accessible is now IN. What does it mean to some teenage entrepreneur out there to get feedback, advice and validation from Kevin Rose? Or for a college student to get a blog comment from Chris Brogan? Or some high school hoops player to get an @ reply from Shaquille O'Neal? All of a sudden, the thought of reaching those heights is not impossible. The people who get there become more real.
Another abstract point I'd add is the notion of “sense of self”. I know of exactly 2 grainy VHS tapes of me as a kid, and both of them were taken about 100 feet away while I was pitching in baseball games. In contrast, I've already collected hundreds of gigabytes of data on my kids in the form of digital photos, video, and blog posts. What will it be like for them to know EXACTLY what they were like and who they were at each unique stage in their lives? Will this digital data go the route of those dusty shoeboxes full of Polaroids and other aging photos in our parents' closets, or will it be incorporated into their lives in ways we can't even imagine right now?
Sorry, major tangent there but these topics fascinate me. Thanks for sharing!
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Great job Mike. As parents in this new digital world, I think it's vital for us to continue exposing our kids to these emerging technologies at a young age in order to ensure it won't intimidate them as they get older. Their brains are such sponges when they're young, and their curiosity levels are through the roof. Taking the time to do that show with Jackson is invaluable. One thing I've noticed with my Molly (age 5) is when I take videos or photos of her, she'll often say “Daddy- please put that on the internet. I want EVERYONE to see it.” The simple fact she can conceptualize the connected world like that is amazing to me.
One point I'd add to your list is the notion of accessibility. With the advent of tools like Twitter, the barriers to reaching out and communicating with thought leaders in your space or area of interest are either breaking down or completely removed. Being accessible is now IN. What does it mean to some teenage entrepreneur out there to get feedback, advice and validation from Kevin Rose? Or for a college student to get a blog comment from Chris Brogan? Or some high school hoops player to get an @ reply from Shaquille O'Neal? All of a sudden, the thought of reaching those heights is not impossible. The people who get there become more real.
Another abstract point I'd add is the notion of “sense of self”. I know of exactly 2 grainy VHS tapes of me as a kid, and both of them were taken about 100 feet away while I was pitching in baseball games. In contrast, I've already collected hundreds of gigabytes of data on my kids in the form of digital photos, video, and blog posts. What will it be like for them to know EXACTLY what they were like and who they were at each unique stage in their lives? Will this digital data go the route of those dusty shoeboxes full of Polaroids and other aging photos in our parents' closets, or will it be incorporated into their lives in ways we can't even imagine right now?
Sorry, major tangent there but these topics fascinate me. Thanks for sharing!
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Hi Mike, as the dad of a newly 2 year old and soon to be 7 year old, I too am raising social natives. I loved your show. Jackson is a natural. I am excited about the points you raised. We made a FAR move last year, and our oldest daughter has been able to maintain a real relationship with her best friend because of Skype. The girls were too young to be able to write letters or send email, and being able to see each other while they talk is way better than the phone. Because of the communication tools available to day, they just may be BFF. And for that, my wife and I are truly grateful.
P.S. Pong ruled!!
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Hi Mike, as the dad of a newly 2 year old and soon to be 7 year old, I too am raising social natives. I loved your show. Jackson is a natural. I am excited about the points you raised. We made a FAR move last year, and our oldest daughter has been able to maintain a real relationship with her best friend because of Skype. The girls were too young to be able to write letters or send email, and being able to see each other while they talk is way better than the phone. Because of the communication tools available to day, they just may be BFF. And for that, my wife and I are truly grateful.
P.S. Pong ruled!!
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Hi Mike, as the dad of a newly 2 year old and soon to be 7 year old, I too am raising social natives. I loved your show. Jackson is a natural. I am excited about the points you raised. We made a FAR move last year, and our oldest daughter has been able to maintain a real relationship with her best friend because of Skype. The girls were too young to be able to write letters or send email, and being able to see each other while they talk is way better than the phone. Because of the communication tools available to day, they just may be BFF. And for that, my wife and I are truly grateful.
P.S. Pong ruled!!
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Amazing topic and discussion. I am grateful that both Mike and Chad have this discussion going here. It is something that I’ve been recognizing in my own family. I’m 38. I remember Pong and PacMan, Atari, Coleco and Intelivision et al. Polaroids were abundant in our household as well as this huge camera (VHS) that my parents lugged to our games. They looked like mini-professional TV Cams back then. I was looking for videos of when I was a kid to share with my three girls (8, 5 and 2) and realize the medium they now have is amazing. Their opportunities to connect with one another and stay connected is something of wonder. I can remember having a “Pen Pal” in third grade (1979). Do they still exist? OMG this is really profound stuff! My mind is exploding. More later
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Amazing topic and discussion. I am grateful that both Mike and Chad have this discussion going here. It is something that I've been recognizing in my own family. I'm 38. I remember Pong and PacMan, Atari, Coleco and Intelivision et al. Polaroids were abundant in our household as well as this huge camera (VHS) that my parents lugged to our games. They looked like mini-professional TV Cams back then. I was looking for videos of when I was a kid to share with my three girls (8, 5 and 2) and realize the medium they now have is amazing. Their opportunities to connect with one another and stay connected is something of wonder. I can remember having a “Pen Pal” in third grade (1979). Do they still exist? OMG this is really profound stuff! My mind is exploding. More later
#
Amazing topic and discussion. I am grateful that both Mike and Chad have this discussion going here. It is something that I've been recognizing in my own family. I'm 38. I remember Pong and PacMan, Atari, Coleco and Intelivision et al. Polaroids were abundant in our household as well as this huge camera (VHS) that my parents lugged to our games. They looked like mini-professional TV Cams back then. I was looking for videos of when I was a kid to share with my three girls (8, 5 and 2) and realize the medium they now have is amazing. Their opportunities to connect with one another and stay connected is something of wonder. I can remember having a “Pen Pal” in third grade (1979). Do they still exist? OMG this is really profound stuff! My mind is exploding. More later
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Dude I just have to say, awesome show. Love the format and I think you have a great co-host. I know a lot of people might be freaking out when they consider the changes you bring up. Of course, change is often scary. But I am pumped by the possibilities of what lies ahead. I see most of these changes as a good thing. I’m hopeful that our kids can help pick up the slack in areas that we’ve messed up!
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This is cool Mike, and great perspectives. You have a smart co-host. 🙂 It’s interesting to think about how all this technology is going to change the way that younger generations learn through interaction with other social natives.
My son Kaden sometimes finds it hard to sit still while were reading books, yet he’s captivated by surfing Disney videos on YouTube and family pictures on Facebook. We’ve only started to scratch the surface of what’s going to be possible. The result (I think) will be a generation of evolved and super smart kids. Wonder what they will be able to do when they get older… Great stuff I hope.
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Dude I just have to say, awesome show. Love the format and I think you have a great co-host. I know a lot of people might be freaking out when they consider the changes you bring up. Of course, change is often scary. But I am pumped by the possibilities of what lies ahead. I see most of these changes as a good thing. I'm hopeful that our kids can help pick up the slack in areas that we've messed up!
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Dude I just have to say, awesome show. Love the format and I think you have a great co-host. I know a lot of people might be freaking out when they consider the changes you bring up. Of course, change is often scary. But I am pumped by the possibilities of what lies ahead. I see most of these changes as a good thing. I'm hopeful that our kids can help pick up the slack in areas that we've messed up!
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This is cool Mike, and great perspectives. You have a smart co-host. 🙂 It's interesting to think about how all this technology is going to change the way that younger generations learn through interaction with other social natives.
My son Kaden sometimes finds it hard to sit still while were reading books, yet he's captivated by surfing Disney videos on YouTube and family pictures on Facebook. We've only started to scratch the surface of what's going to be possible. The result (I think) will be a generation of evolved and super smart kids. Wonder what they will be able to do when they get older… Great stuff I hope.
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This is cool Mike, and great perspectives. You have a smart co-host. 🙂 It's interesting to think about how all this technology is going to change the way that younger generations learn through interaction with other social natives.
My son Kaden sometimes finds it hard to sit still while were reading books, yet he's captivated by surfing Disney videos on YouTube and family pictures on Facebook. We've only started to scratch the surface of what's going to be possible. The result (I think) will be a generation of evolved and super smart kids. Wonder what they will be able to do when they get older… Great stuff I hope.
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Thanks Chad! I agree, the comfort level and expectation of sharing with the friends and family and even the world is a major change.
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It will be interesting to see how long your girls’ relationships last with their long distance BFFs. My niece, Nicole from Disney as Jackson calls her, has stayed tight with friends she made while living in CT via text messaging, email and now Facebook. This week she finally got on Skype after much prodding from Jackson and I suspect it will only make everyone closer.
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Thanks! Yeah, he makes it easy to create great content. All I have to do is steer the ship a bit.
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Thanks Chad! I agree, the comfort level and expectation of sharing with the friends and family and even the world is a major change.
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Thanks Chad! I agree, the comfort level and expectation of sharing with the friends and family and even the world is a major change.
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It will be interesting to see how long your girls' relationships last with their long distance BFFs. My niece, Nicole from Disney as Jackson calls her, has stayed tight with friends she made while living in CT via text messaging, email and now Facebook. This week she finally got on Skype after much prodding from Jackson and I suspect it will only make everyone closer.
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It will be interesting to see how long your girls' relationships last with their long distance BFFs. My niece, Nicole from Disney as Jackson calls her, has stayed tight with friends she made while living in CT via text messaging, email and now Facebook. This week she finally got on Skype after much prodding from Jackson and I suspect it will only make everyone closer.
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Thanks! Yeah, he makes it easy to create great content. All I have to do is steer the ship a bit.
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Thanks! Yeah, he makes it easy to create great content. All I have to do is steer the ship a bit.
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Thanks Chad! I agree, the comfort level and expectation of sharing with the friends and family and even the world is a major change.
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Thanks Chad! I agree, the comfort level and expectation of sharing with the friends and family and even the world is a major change.
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It will be interesting to see how long your girls' relationships last with their long distance BFFs. My niece, Nicole from Disney as Jackson calls her, has stayed tight with friends she made while living in CT via text messaging, email and now Facebook. This week she finally got on Skype after much prodding from Jackson and I suspect it will only make everyone closer.
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It will be interesting to see how long your girls' relationships last with their long distance BFFs. My niece, Nicole from Disney as Jackson calls her, has stayed tight with friends she made while living in CT via text messaging, email and now Facebook. This week she finally got on Skype after much prodding from Jackson and I suspect it will only make everyone closer.
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Thanks! Yeah, he makes it easy to create great content. All I have to do is steer the ship a bit.
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Thanks! Yeah, he makes it easy to create great content. All I have to do is steer the ship a bit.
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