Digital Choices Define a Generation: Barry Schwartz, Scott Seider & Jo Hoffman

(12/06/2008)

11:53

heasulli:

There is too much choice in our society!

Saturday December 6, 2008 11:53 heasulli

11:54

heasulli:

We are not prepared by evolution to say no to attractive things. And, when we innundate our kids with attractive things (which we want to do as good parents) we confuse our kids becuase they don't understand why they can't just have them all!

Saturday December 6, 2008 11:54 heasulli

11:59

heasulli:

Barry Schwartz's Solution: "Libertarian Paternalism"

ex. The organ donation system in US is set up to make people Choose to BE an organ donor. In many other countries, it is set up that you choose to NOT be, in other words, the DEFAULT choice is that you are an organ donor. Result: eventhough 97% of US citizens support organ donation, only 23% of people ARE donors. In many other countries, 99% of people are!

So, the solution is to set up systems that do this: If people DON't do anything, they get what they want (Libetarian Paternalism)

Saturday December 6, 2008 11:59 heasulli

12:04

heasulli:

Scott Seider- The Millenial GEneration have been labeled a post-ideological generation & they tend to be distrucstful of politicians & media.

ex. of youth's mindset: comparison of THEN & NOW (ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA vs. WIKIPEDIA) They way our current generation sees truth & authority is through collaborative collective wisdom of a global commnunity (i.e. general concensus) vs. a "single" athority on an issue

Millenials participate in community service in record numbers

Generation Q (Freidman)
Organization Kids (Brooks)
Post-Everything Generation (Handler)

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:04 heasulli

12:05

heasulli:

Identity Development:

identity development is harder than ever before: Sources of research

Erikson
Arnett
Turkle & Boyd

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:05 heasulli

12:08

heasulli:

"How does the digital environment help young people develop their identity?"

Off-line: limited by age, height, race,sex, financial circumstances, geographic location, etc. For example- there are many reasons why a young boy who lives in Arkansas who is interestd in ballet will not persue it. Also limited by feedback from local people- family, friends, peers, teachers

On-line: you can be anyone you want to be & you can contruct a profile that focuses on JUST tthe parts of your personality that you want to highlight. Also, you can get feedback rom people ALL over the world.

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:08 heasulli

12:09

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:09

12:09

heasulli:

Barry Schwartz

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:09 heasulli

12:15

heasulli:

Online Identity Exploration is a new frontier. The internet is a participative environment so it encourage engagement!

The internet provides greater opportunities to explore one's "possible self" Valkenburg, Schouten, & Peter (2005) study of Dutch youth (9-18).

Stern (2007) studied decision-making regarding self-presentation on-line.

Davis (2008) studied girls & blogging.

James et al (2008): young people are empowered by the ability to tell their stories on-line & can be encouraged by feedback.

New outlet for Gilligan's (1988) "Silenced Voices"

MArcia's (1988) states of "Forclosure or "Diffusion" are less likey. Having an online profile makes it VERY hard to not do self-reflection & look at who you are.

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:15 heasulli

12:21

heasulli:

Drawbacks to Online Identity Exploration:

It is carried out in a digital, PUBLIC before a vast & unknowable audience (ex. Post pictures of getting drunk & the person who ends up being your potential boss 10 years later sees them)

Identity exploration online is percieved by many kids as "Low-Risk"

Exploration can easily cross into "Deception"

Can lead to an over-reliance on feedback from others instead of making decisions for yourself. Turkle (2008) refers to this as "tethering"- Kids' decisions rely too heavily on feedback from peers

Lack of time for autonomous reflection

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:21 heasulli

12:21

heasulli:

seider@bu.edu

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:21 heasulli

12:22

heasulli:

Open to audience questions now

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:22 heasulli

12:30

heasulli:

Please comment on "Continuous, Partial Attention"

Schwartz believes that society will establish a new norm for what is acceptable communication dissemination based on the assumption of partial attention. Information is becoming simplified becuase people multi-task & won't pay attention to one thing long enough

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:30 heasulli

12:33

heasulli:

Book about the way our brains are changing & hoe people who can't multi-task are the Darwinian "weak" & will not survive: iBrain

Saturday December 6, 2008 12:33 heasulli

12:35