6:33:00 PM
Posted by
WoWeb
The rise of any co-culture is dependent on the social norms of a particular time period. Nowadays, the main source of recreation and study is the Internet. A hub for both entertainment and business, the Internet attracts millions of users daily. Many of these people belong to the Net Generation or Generation Y. Even though Generation Y is often misunderstood by older generations, they deeply value relationships and community.
Understanding the Status of the Net Generation
People in Generation Y, having matured during the information revolution of the late Eighties and early Nineties, are viewed as young because many of them still reside with their parents. If they are working , they tend to have low-leadership roles and do not have much on-the-job responsibilities.
Some people think that this generation holds fewer authority roles in the workplace and, as a result, makes less money. Generation Y is also an individualistic culture, since most of its members are aware of their status as Millenials. Other dominant cultures, like Baby Boomers and Generation X, judge the substance and relevancy of Generation Y.
Older members of society often categorize younger adults as being impetuous because they do not conform easily to groupthink. Generation Y is viewed as having thrill seekers who do not hold themselves accountable for their actions. Generation Y makes decisions based mainly on their group climate, which is known as the digital age.
The Effect of Media Communications in the Digital Age
During Web-based times, everything moves quickly, which makes Generation Y rush to solve problems. Lack of rational thought and impetuousness are stereotypical qualities of Generation Y that have been perpetuated by media communications in the Twenty-first Century.
Another perceived characteristic of Generation Y is obsession. Many people believe that this generation is obsessed with computers, the Internet, and other forms of electronic technology. From Facebook to Twitter, there are many online services that cater to this co-culture. Older generations find Generation Y preoccupied with digital tools, such as email, cell phones, and the World Wide Web.
The Solution to Stereotyping Millenials
The only way to stem the tide of generation stereotyping is to increase communication between co-cultures. This will reduce negative elements, such as prejudice and distrust. If people talk and listen, they can make interpersonal communication better. Feedback will flow easily along channels from the elderly to the young. Everyone will learn to appreciate differences.
Generation Y has often been described as immature, irrational, and obsessive. These stereotypes are based on false impressions fueled by the media or mass communication. People who live all over the world participate in selective perception of Generation Y.
Because of the rapidly advancing digital culture, Generation Y not only grows up faster, but also learns how to use technology earlier. Other co-cultures will better understand Generation Y, once they acknowledge these differences without fear or prejudice. Through active, interpersonal communication, the entire global community will be able to appreciate Generation Y.
Online Print Service
10:30:00 PM
Posted by
WoWeb
In this article I'm going to give you a special secret - a secret and tip so powerful, so life-changing that you will never be the same. Read on and learn. The internet (which includes the world wide web, email, newsgroups, discussion lists and many other things) will change the world. I'll go even further - the internet is the biggest change to human society since the wheel was invented.
But wait a minute? The internet is just about surfing around, looking at stuff, chatting with people, and maybe buying something now and then. Isn't it? What's so special about that? I mean, couldn't we always talk to people, buy something and go to the mall and window shop? The internet doesn't change anything, right?
Wrong. Think about it for a minute. You are now connected to literally everyone (potentially at least) on the entire planet. Currently (and this statistic changes daily) you can directly communicate with over 300,000,000 people! In a few years this may top a billion, all available almost instantly!
Never before in human history have so many people had the opportunity to talk to one another.
It gets even better. The other day I surfed to a web site which was in another language. It was in Italian. Normally, say if this was a book, I would have moved on and read something else, but the site looked interesting. So I pulled up a dandy translation tool and within a few minutes I had a decent translation of the page! I could now communicate with someone with whom I didn't even share a common language. That's fantasic!
I needed to write an article on relationships and marriage and I wanted some data. Years ago this would have required going to a library, searching through magazines and books for articles that I wanted. Not these days. I put in my request to a search engine and, after a few tries to get the proper search, I had exactly the references that I needed to complete my article. What would have required perhaps days took less than ten minutes!
You need another example? I needed to buy a CD for my wife. The CD was not easy to find, and I dreaded the search. Using the proper search engines I was able to find what I wanted within minutes, and in less time than it takes me to heat a TV dinner I had the CD ordered and on it's way to my house.
In my field I often need expert consultants very quickly. A machine is down or our email system stops working and I need an answer NOW. Just a quick jump onto the internet, post to the right newsgroups and discussion lists, and in a short time I have exactly what I need.
Wow. I could go on and on. The internet gives you (and everyone) incredible power and control over your environment. And that's the incredible secret and the tip of a lifetime.
You can use the internet in any way that you see fit. You have at your fingertips such an incredible tool that there is, for the first time in history, almost nothing to stand in your way. You've got a product to sell, using the internet you can let people know (without spamming of course) and sell it for little or no cost. You've got an opinion which needs to be told, you can post it to a newsgroup.
You want to tell the entire world about what a great person you are, you can just create a web site and submit it to the search engines. You can even add pictures, sound and movies if you want!
Maybe you want to start a company! You can do it for very little cost without even renting an office on the internet. Maybe you've even got a closet full of old paperback books that you are never going to read - go to an auction site, post their descriptions, and most likely you will find someone who wants to buy them.
You like to talk? Find a chat room and have at it. You like to write poetry? You can easily find a hundred places that will publish it - and if you can't, you can publish it yourself.
For the first time in history, you can do anything that you want from your apartment or your house. Take advantage of this opportunity and the world is yours to enjoy.
11:36:00 AM
Posted by
WoWeb
The internet and the world wide web is far and away the greatest single achievement for improving research abilities in the history of mankind. Some things that I will never do again because I can do them better, faster and more completely on the internet include:
- Using a library (well, unless it was to find something that was available nowhere else)
- scanning the white pages
- trying to find something in the yellow pages
- checking the classified section of a newspaper
- subscribing to a paper magazine
- owning a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica (and replacing it every 5 years!)
- Using a hardcopy dictionary
- Trying to find out how to get to a place with a paper map
- calling directory assistance to get a phone number
The list goes on and on. Why would anyone, for example, keep a phone book handy? The thing is out-of-date before it is printed. It's large and difficult to store. It fills our landfills with trash. It can be difficult to find what you want. On the other hand, on the internet you can just go to any number of the phone directory sites, enter a name and get a phone number back. Always up-to-date, not stored in your apartment and it does not fill up our trashcans with still more paper.
Man, the problem is not a lack of sites providing research tools. The problem is there are so many places to get research done that it's hard to find what you want.
Where to start? Just start surfing. Check out http://www.britannica.com for your encyclopedia. Then go to http://www.dictionary.com/ for your dictionary. I like http://www.yellowpages.com/ for the yellow pages. Sites like http://www.yahoo.com and http://www.excite.com are also great places to start looking for things.
