digitally divided generations...

I read some interesting research today on defining the "age based/generational group": Millennials.

I really liked the comment on how today's youth see "being connected" is like air. Take it away from them (ipod, cell phone, web) and they can't live.

For years, I have seen this trend developing trend and I think researchers are missing it. I see this digital split occurring across every single recent "age based/generational" grouping.

See, the greatest phenomenon that is influencing today’s generations is ""digitally enabled/enhanced media". Think: cell phones, laptops/computers, iPods, facebok, youtube, blogging, twitter, digg). This "digitally enhanced/enabled media" is re-defining the boundaries on how various social groups and generations interface with each other: on some very basic levels, i.e. general preferences in lifestyle, communication (and for us worship) environments. A new syntax (language) of interconnectivity has evolved. And this is giving rise to a "digitally divided non-generational based" bracket.

What I think is missing is, researchers continually keep trying to define everything by old paradigms: "age/generational" groups. I feel there is a huge developing paradigm shift. Researchers seem to be missing that point.

I've been call this newly evolving group GEND (Digital Generation).

For example: this "digital division" recently cropped up during our creative team for worship design last week. The fuZe team designs and implements the creative/experiential elements for worship. We were looking at how people perceive God. (this is in a series on Revelation. This specific week is God revealed in Revelation).

• The idea we went with is God's facebook.
• The reactions were almost equally divided across each "age/generational" group.
• It divided out this way...
• Three 20/30 somethings, one 40 something and one 50 something: thought it was sick and culturally relevant...
• Four 20/30 somethings, one 40 something and one 50 something: hated it...

One of the 40 somethings even went as far as to state that facebook was an ego based popularity contest...Wow! I felt like I was fighting a losing battle. Can you imagine how misunderstood a "digitally enhanced/enabled media" skeptic would feel.

Personally I think a wise research company should hire me (since it seems to be my idea totally) to test out this theory. Talk about ground breaking...

Does anyone else get my thought process?

my first submission to Creative Chaos @ http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/?p=5441