In an age where teenagers appear to spend their whole lives on the internet, and how many friends you have on Facebook and MySpace can influence your social standing, it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to think that people who grew up in the internet age are the most digitally literate. However, new research from the British Library has emerged to dispel the myth that this "Google Generation" is the most web aware.
So what is the "Google Generation"?
The "Google Generation" are defined as a generation, born since 1993, whose first port of call for knowledge is the internet and, particularly, a search engine (Google being the most popular one). This is in contrast to the main source of knowledge for previous generations, which were books and conventional libraries. This shift from people who were educated before the widespread availability of the internet to a "Google Generation" is a significant one for all aspects of the media sector, as understanding surfing habits can help with audience targeting.
Interestingly, the British Library research reveals that although young people demonstrate an apparent ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the web.
The British Library research contravenes the traditional assumptions that the "Google Generation" are omniscient to all things online. The research further shows that research-behaviour traits that are commonly associated with younger users – impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance for any delay in satisfying their information needs – are now becoming the norm for all age-groups. Crucially, PR needs to be aware of this. The report implies that the digital age has led to an increasingly disposable lifestyle when it comes to absorbing information. Undoubtedly, this a huge challenge for PR. Illustrating once more that PR needs to be adaptable and innovative when taking on the web, or your product/message/campaign will simply be glanced over and not retained.
As consumers, donators or decision makers of the future, this "Google Generation" are a key audience for any serious organisation. However, implicitly, the British Library research reminds us not to neglect the the older generation when it comes to online PR. For, as the research illustrates, the web literacy of the "Google Generation" is as much a myth as Theseus and the Minotaur.
Subscribe
Subscribe by Email