The Net Generation and the Promise of Traditional Education

Kate Murray

 

The Net Generation is a name for children born from the late 1990s to the present day.  Net Generation babies are born into a world where Internet, cell phones, tablets, and online learning are commonplace.  In fact, these children won’t remember the time when cell phones were new and the Motorola Razr was the hottest phone on the market.  The intense integration of the Internet into every aspect of the Net Gen’s lives suggests a rise in online education and a decline of the traditional four-year college experience.  However, certain key characteristics of the Net Gen lead me to believe that traditional colleges will continue attracting the vast majority of this generation.

They’re socially influenced

The Net Generation is constantly online, mostly on social networking sites sharing photos and stories with their shockingly large network of friends, classmates, and people who they met that one time at that one place.  They are always connected with their peers, for better or for worse, and feel deprived without a constant outlet to their network.  The social focus also extends beyond the virtual world and into the classroom, where the Net Gen thrives in group settings.  Adults fear that the Internet is creating a group of people who don’t know how to communicate with one another, but I argue that the social aspect overpowers that concern, and produces a group of people who are used to being in constant communication.  Many prefer working on projects in teams and groups to working alone.

College is an unparalleled social scene for this upcoming generation of social butterflies, taking the coveted social scene out of the computer and into real life.  The Net Gen will be itching to research different colleges online and decide where they can best expand their social network.  Additionally, college provides an opportunity to study, learn, and socialize with large groups of people whereas online courses do not.

They’re competitive

This group of young teens, preteens, and even toddlers are crazy competitive.  They want to be the best in the classroom and on the field, and getting in to a top-notch college is just another way to prove themselves.  Young students are often internally motivated to do well, but those who are not find inspiration in beating their arch middle school nemesis on the tennis court, or out-ranking their rival with a 4.0 GPA.  The social presence online takes the competitiveness to a new level.  The younger generation lets the online world know anytime they go to a concert, win a game, or get into college.  The ability to post a picture of a college admissions letter on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or anywhere else makes the success that much sweeter.

They’re career-oriented

Students are focusing more on more on careers starting at a younger age.  They attend college for the education, but also to prepare for the workforce both in and out of the classroom.  Online education doesn’t offer the coveted alumni connections and networking events that colleges and universities have.  College students also benefit from internship and job fairs, faculty connections, and large recruiting events that take place on campus.  Finally, online education is not regarded as highly in many workforce positions.  Students are more wholly set up to pursue their career goals through a traditional education, and that will keep the applications coming.

They care about physical appearance (of a campus, that is)

When a high school student walks onto a college campus for the first time, so much of his/her impression is based on the way the campus looks and feels.  Some want a downtown city scene, others more of a campus feel, but either way, they are bound to have an opinion.  Even beyond the external landscape, studies on learning spaces prove the importance of the physical environment where students learn or go to class.  Most universities feature typical classrooms and lecture halls, which differ vastly from a room at home where someone might take an online class.  There is something to be said about being surrounded by 30 to 300 students preparing for the same test, and the socially driven Net Gen cherishes that feeling of togetherness.

They have parents who advocate for the “simpler days”

Parents will always talk about the “simple days” when they were children.  Before all of the noise and distractions that come along with being a Net Gen baby, there were fewer things to pay attention to, and a main focus was education.  A large percentage of Net Gen parents will have gone through college, and besides dragging their children to every home football game to cheer for their alma mater, they’ll advocate for the wholesome experience that the institution gave them.  Most parents, no matter how popular online learning becomes in the next decade, will look back on their college years with reverence and want their children to have the same experience.

 

With all these factors taken into account, I think it’s safe to say that higher education will not become obsolete simply because the rising generation is so engrained with the online world.

 

 

Kate Murray is a senior at Boston College studying International Studies and Chinese. She is spending the summer working with Gingko Tree in downtown Detroit, writing about higher education and the Edu Tech industry. Kate loves baking, Boston, bao zi, and believing in Detroit!

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