Understanding the digital generation

The digital generation are the people who have grown up in a digital world.

Rather than learn use digital media to do the things that they used to do differently, digital media has been central to their whole learning process.

Their lives, thoughts and habits are shaped by the digital experience. They think and act differently to their predecessors. They communicate in a fundamentally different way.

2-way communications

The digGen don't expect to be talked at; they want to be talked to. They want to build relationships, but on their own terms. The relationships they do have can be loyal.

Peer-to-peer

They live in a "flat" world. The traditional hierarchy where you learn or are influenced from the top has broken down. All the information you could want is available and they seek it out directly. Sources are trusted according to a new set of values; an unknown peer-review is more likely to be trusted than messages pushed down from above, whether from government, elders or advertisers.

There is an increasing independence

Advertising resistant

The digGen are said to be resistant to advertising They spend so much time immersed in media that they are bombarded with it all day long.Through necessity, they have developed the ability to filter out traditional forms of advertising.

Brand loyal

But they still develop loyalty to brands, probably far more so than their predecessors. You could call them the iPod Generation, or the YouTube Generation.

Why? Because these brands talk with them on their own terms, they understand what they want and they give it to them.

Making a difference now

Chris Hughes, then the 23-year-old co-founder of Facebook, took over as director of the Obama online campaign in 2007. He swiftly rewrote some of the key rules of campaigning. Instead of using the Internet to give campaign workers instructions, he empowered them organize events, tell friends, and of course raise money.

Galvanised, the digital Generation has immense power.

What this means for you

This means that you need to consider how digital impacts your communications. It may be that you can ignore the digital Generation for a while, but you won't be able to ignore them for long. Very soon, as they inevitably grow older, you will be doing business with them at every level ,every day.