Reviews for Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World

1. Beginners guide to the internet

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2010

   Aimed perhaps at those who feel they might be left behind by the fast developing world of the internet, this book is a primer into the possibilities offered by new ways of communicating. The book will probably help some people get their heads around the phenomenon of digital publishing, others may prefer to dive in and discover for themselves.

2. 30 and under, you're living it anyway

   Rated 3 out of 5 stars, December 12rd, 2009

   I guess I am part of the grown digital generation so a lot of what is discussed in the book is stuff I already know and understanding. However at the same time I see the generation younger than me not taking full advantage of what is available to them. This book seems to be look at how great the younger generation is and how lucky they are and it doesn't sit entirely comfortable with me. If you are 45 and above you will possibly enjoy this book in a "Ooo, isn't this interesting way". 30 and under, don't bother, hence 3 stars.

3. Poorly researched facile tosh

   Rated 2 out of 5 stars, December 12th, 2009

   "Poorly researched facile tosh" - that's a bit harsh isn't it? Well possibly not; there really isn't much in this volume that would tell you anything that you couldn't guess from casually watching any teenager and reading a column in some of the lower brow papers.
   
   Let's examine the background for this book. Mr Tapscott tells us this book is the result of a multi million dollar research project and then seems to base his conclusions almost entirely on anecdote, a few cherry picked statistics from other people's research and watching his own children. Maybe someone did pay millions for that research but if it had been me I'd have wanted a refund.
   
   OK well maybe the background is irrelevant what does he actually say? Let's try a few random pages ... "one third of japanese primary school pupils use a mobile" that's the sort of trite observation that anyone could make simply by watching kids come out of a school gate. How about the startling revelation that practicing video games improves reaction times - really! well I would never have guessed that without Mr Tapscotts help. What of hs observation that his daughter used computers to chat to friends as well as phones, well that was (not) completely unexpected! The entire book is like that (or at least the first half is at which point I consigned this tosh to landfill) random observations with no real conclusion or analysis beyond the mind numbingly obvious.
   
   This is a subject that could form the subject of a good book. Is technology changing society and are today's youth the vanguard of that change? This book does nothing to answer such questions.
   

4. Interesting although excessive

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, November 12th, 2009

   Much as with the previous Wikinomics, this book has a core of genuinely interesting discussion that is flawed by excessive exuberence and dubious hyperbole. If you could mentally dial the rhetoric down to about six or seven (from the eleven it gets delivered as), you'd have a genuinely insightful book in your hands. That aside, the book touches up numerous very important trends in modern society. Some of the previous reviews here have downplayed the significance of computer literate children, perhaps because of unfamiliarity with the actual divide between the computer literate and illiterate in society. While the sample sets for a lot of the conclusions are lacking any kind of realistic applicability, it's hard to deny that the book identifies something very important - children these days, by virtue of exposure to technology and collaboration, view the world differently from those who have come before.
   
   I would very much recommend it, as long as you can keep it all in context with reality.

5. The Kids Are Alright

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, October 12th, 2009

   What is it?
   
   In "Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation Is Changing Your World", Don Tapscott uses the findings of multi-million dollar research of how the different generations engage with technology. In his own words, he is a concerned parent, and an author of sociological trends, and in this book he paints a positive picture to tell us "the kids are alright".
   
   Who is it for?
   
   I'm not sure. The by-product of a research project, it is too heavy going for a coffee table browse, but probably too "light" for a textbook. There were several moments whilst reading that it occurred to me that if I were still a student, this would be valuable wider reading with rich pickings for quotes. However, the "voice" of the book reads like a charming old man providing anecdotes of his family life (the original inspiration of the book was his observations of his children using the computer, and then realising that all the kids were online). Tapscott's gift may be in stating the obvious: but then again the impact of the internet and its related developments is probably worth restating. Summing this up, I would imagine the ideal audience would be a senior executive (and parent) trying to get to grips with why their grandchildren are texting and why their junior staff are poking each other on Facebook.
   
   Is it any good?
   
   Yes, it's an interesting read for a casual reader. However, would it serve a purpose for a student or business researcher? Probably not. Indeed, for anyone else, for anyone who regularly uses online and mobile media, the overall tone does seem a little patronising. If you are looking for any deeper analysis or fresh perspectives, this isn't it. I imagine that this is probably best suited for a "baby boomer" who is unfamiliar with the latest technology trends. As Mr. Tapscott observes, "The bottom line is this: if you understand the Net Generation, you will understand the future." What Don Tapscott highlights is that the kids will soon be running the shop, and they bring new insights and skills, and the sooner traditional organisations adapt to this, the better.