If you search internet for Gen M of 21st century, you will get millions of hits on this subject. All is saying the same thing – masses of 21st century in the age range of 8-18 years. Some references are made towards the abuse of Gen M and abused by Gen M. Some references define Gen M as multi-taskers. The predecessors to Gen M are Gen Y. We have references to Gen X and Gen Z masses. At this rate, we would run out of all alphabets very soon. This also goes to show how diverse our growing population has become and we are failing to understand them. Should we call ourselves as Gen G – Generation with a Gap?
Let’s then visit Gen G briefly before going into Gen M learning. Gen G learning that I was part of would be to step into Elementary school progressing to Middle, High, College and perhaps, university education. Sort of Line education – no wonder we had so many silos even at our work places. Line managers were everywhere. The whole world was designed with lines. It’s a natural process – so please don’t get me wrong. The line education was acceptable as we had no other distractions. So we had no where else to traverse except the line, till we finished our education.
I remember my father getting a radio, a telephone and a television – each time with so much fanfare as we progressed on the line learning. Those distractions were far and few in between. Now the same gadgets are upgraded every other day, the novelty of buying them with fanfare has worn off. However, what would you say on the number of distractions on the same line learning? Is this what Gen M is going through now? If I start plotting the line with these distractions at each level of learning and compare with the line I took, a picture of Gen M learning on the line will soon start emerging looking more like a splatter diagram than a clean line of Gen G.
With so much distractions and a constant interaction on Twitter, Facebook and Texting with other Gen M, how do we make them aware of the sacrifices that they may have to make at times of need? Or, have we spoiled them so much with fun and frolic, they do not understand the meaning of sacrifice and therefore add to despair than to deal.
If they enter the workforce, what should businesses be doing to adapt? These businesses have a long history of inception with set of moral codes, culture and discipline borrowed from 20th century learning, how should they now be catering for Gen M workforce?
So while Gen M is busy learning their stuff, shouldn’t Gen G be learning to narrow the gap?