Compare and Contrast
The Contradicting Perspectives of the Future of Generation Y and Gen Z
I. Introduction
Every child is born in a particular generation of individuals, which encompasses similarities in characteristics. Surprisingly, people born in different generations have different perspectives of their future particularly in terms of education. Parents often imagine the future of their kids having to finish their college degrees and land a decent job. However, parents at some point do not understand that their children are born in a separate generation in which the perception of their future in education is different from their parents. The contradicting notion about the future in education between parents and children sometimes result into a clash. Given the contradiction of thoughts about education, children are most of the time left to wonder whether their generation really sees its future the same way parents saw their future.
II. The Gap
Parents between 25 to 30 years old are born between 1980s and 2000 are called the millennial or generation Y, which are born during the birth of the digital age characterized by the monumental growth of technology. On the other hand, generation Z (digital natives) including the generation Alpha (Google Kids) are born between 1995 and 2010 for Z and 2010 onwards for Alpha. These generations of children are born during the massive technological evolution, they are globally connected, smarter, savvy, and open for cultural diversity (Grail Research, 2011). Given the difference in environmental characteristics of each generation, it is apparent that their perception of education in relation to their future is different from another.
III. Education, Now and Then
Each generation is shaped by the prevailing cultural and social values of the society that they grew up with. Putting that in the context of education, parents (Y) and their children (Z and Alpha) will appear to have a different notion of their future in education. Generation Z and Alpha sees the future of education with strong reliance to technology (McCrindle Research, 2011). Children in this generation see Google as the new library, E-learning as the new University and Skype as the new classroom. However, generation Y’s educational future depends on their parents will in terms of which college course and which school to choose.
IV. Contrasting Future
Parents saw the future of their education as part conventional and part evolutionary. On the contrary, the children today see its future as technologically integrated considering the availability of gadgets, vast network resources and file compression platforms (Bellman and Pupedis, 2011). They no longer need to go to the library or carry books. Therefore, their future will have a strong reliance to technology with less emphasis on conventional academics and sees education as compulsory. As opposed to the parents, they saw their future and education as more career driven and considered it mandatory (Smrikarov and Ivanova, 2009).
V. Conclusion
In a nutshell, the children today see their future differently from their parents because of the generation gap. This gap encompasses changes in social values due to the influence of technology and it entails differences in perception to the future of education.
References
Bellman, C., & Pupedis, G. (2011). Shove over Gen Y: Gen Z is almost here . Proceedings of the surveying & spatial sciences Biennial conference.
Grail Research (2011). Consumers of Tomorrow Insights and Observations About Generation Z.
McCrindle, M. (2011). New Generations at Work: Attracting, Recruiting, Retraining & Training Generation Y. McCrindle Research.
Smrikarov , A., & Ivanova, A. (2009). The New Generations of Students and the Future of e-Learning in Higher Education.
