Dean of Students Newsletter

Gosh, it has been a long time since my last newsletter. For my fans (both of you) who have been eagerly awaiting for a new edition, here it is.

I thought it might be interesting to dedicate this newsletter to a new trend that I see emerging in CMC students. I sense that a new generation of college students has quietly slipped into our campus. Today’s generation of CMC students is different than just 5 years ago, and has a markedly different perspective on the world.

I’ve heard some people refer to today’s college students as the “YouTube Generation”, and that’s a good starting place for what I’m observing. Technology has been creeping into our lives for the last couple of decades, but now we’re seeing a generation that has only known these forms of technology to exist, they depend on them, and as a consequence they have a different world-view. It’s the birth of the first true technological generation.

Some old-timers like myself think we’ve been able to keep up with the YouTube Generation. I use YouTube. I also use Wikipedia frequently, I text messages to my staff, and I understand what Facebook is all about (even though I don’t use it very often). But that’s not enough to keep up with the YouTube Generation. The difference is that I use these tools to replace things I used to do before there was a technological way to do it. I use YouTube instead of TV. I use Wikipedia instead of encyclopedias or newspapers. I send text messages instead of making a phone call. And I occasionally use Facebook instead of the Lookbook. I use iTunes instead of buying CD’s. In every case, I’m replacing what I used to do with an electronic tool.

The YouTube generation does more than that. Instead of using technology to replace our slower, inefficient systems, they’re actually doing new things altogether with the technology.

There have been many moments where I realized this was true. I was particularly struck two music videos created by the band, OK-Go! On the one hand, these were music videos like any other, so they’re no different than the ones I grew up with in the 80’s. On the other hand, these are homemade videos which were posted on YouTube by the band (not the record company) and made free for everyone. Some 28 million viewers later, we’re starting to see some interesting things happening which challenge the need for a music industry.

Then I saw CMC’s own Shamil Hargovan appearing in a student government election video on YouTube. That was new; I wouldn’t have thought to do that.

One of my staff members is living his dreams in a system called “Second Life”, where his avatar represents an alter-ego which does things that we wouldn’t normally think of doing. I have a hard time just getting my head around the idea of why being a participant in Second Life is desirable, yet some 20 million avatars exist.

All of this is very exciting and frightening at the same time. On the positive side, there are possibilities out there – things that a creative person will come up with in the next couple of years – that will blow away what we’ve seen before. We may be able to solve some of the old, frustrating problems that have plagued us for decades.

On the downside, we’re always worried about those who will be left behind – the crazy aunt who refuses to get a cellphone, or the kid who grows up in a poor family without internet access. We’re also worried about privacy. And we’re worried about our dependence on this electronic infrastructure. (Has your computer ever left you without the internet and email for a couple of days? Tough, isn’t it?)

Do the plusses outweigh the minuses? It’s too soon to say. But there’s a lot at stake, and huge rewards for the winners in this YouTube Generation. Members of that generation, and likely future “winners”, are on our campus right now, so it’s a very exciting time.

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(September 14, 2006)

Looking Back at 2005-2006
(May 2, 2006)

The One About My Sabbatical...
(January 17, 2006)

The One About the Danger of Blogging...
(November 18, 2005)

The One About College Rankings...
(November 17, 2005)

The One About Honesty and Technology...
(June 7, 2005)

The One About the Parachute Parents...
(March 22, 2005)

The One About Phishing...
(February 3, 2005)

The One About Winter Break & Rain...
(January 11, 2005)

The One About Caffeine...
(November 23, 2004)

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