Technological micro-generations

Brad Stone writes in the New York Times that technology is narrowing generation gaps.

“People two, three or four years apart are having completely different experiences with technology,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project. “College students scratch their heads at what their high school siblings are doing, and they scratch their heads at their younger siblings. It has sped up generational differences.”

I’m more or less on the same page as my students, technologically speaking, and I wonder how long it’s going to last. Will I hit the point where I don’t want to keep up because I’ll have isolated my peer group? Is being in the same micro-generation as my students an asset (don’t give me your thin email excuses about “my printer got a virus”) or a liability (if I text and tweet obsessively, am up on the net memes, and sometimes eschew capitalization in emails, I don’t qualify for full “adult” respect from kids)?

The idea of collapsing “generations” is interesting stuff, but, guys, please don’t name these micro-generations, or next thing you know Katie Couric will present an earnest segment about Kindlegartners (yeesh, sorry) and then we’ll have to stop talking about it for dignity’s sake.

[Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/weekinreview/10stone.html]