This updated for 2011 video on the pace of growth in Social Media – Twitter, facebook, youtube and Internet use preference in general is something that teachers see when students are allowed online access. Because “Turbo Millennials”, as coined by author and Social Network Analyst Scott Degraffenreid are in a peak state when engaged in high levels of multi-tasking, emails and slower Social Media portals like facebook are “too slow”.
Text messaging and Twitter are favored a bit higher, and you will often observe Millennials managing 10 or 15 simultaneous streams of conversation with friends or acquaintances that may be scattered all over the world.
How does this level of Social layering and team activities get developed?
If you are able to observe Millennials in a gaming environment, it’s easy to see how they simultaneously track and remember not only game levels and scenarios they’ve used before, but they are constantly monitoring an inventory of weapons, charms, tools and currency, position of team members and obstacles/enemies, the inventory and skills of team members, whatever strategy the team has contrived and music from an iPod, text messaging conversations and homework may be layered in as well.
Operating at these levels actually produces endorphins and pleasure chemicals in the brain for Millennials and when they are forced to slow down and limit their levels of engagement, they feel anxiety and frustration.
Don’t Fight It – Engage and Use These Skills and Energy
The Future of Learning needs to not only recognize and value these skills and abilities, educators are challenged to adapt curriculum and integrate menus, tools, team structures and collective problem solving. Schools and teachers having the most success with this are engaging and enrolling Millennials, community experts and parents in collaboratively developing new ways to teach and deliver material!
