by Chris Masaquel
This article focuses on the world’s generation of multitaskers, also known as the “net generation”, which primarily consists of any individual that is under the age of twenty-five. To accurately identify the net generation, it is fundamental to understand the realm of multimedia. The term "media" refers to any form of expression or art that can be communicated or shared, whether analog or digital, linear or nonlinear (e.g., books, TV, film, YouTube, online messaging, Skype, games/apps, etc.). Multimedia is a term that describes the broad culmination of a wide range of technologies that enable the expression of various types of media such as photo, video, SMS texting, Internet browsing, digital uploading, downloading, & storage. The "multi" part of the word refers to the manner in which there exist "multiple" and various forms of expression through both the "old" and "new" media era. The realm of multimedia also includes any Internet Communication Technology (ICT) devices that serve to support these functionalities. Born into a world in which smart phones and iPods are like food and water and an Internet connection is like oxygen, the net generation is extremely adept at keeping up to date with the newest software on their multiple devices. Online connectivity is second nature and they are nearly always engaged in several activities at once, with an increased brain activity. These individuals are usually the first and most frequent to post an updated status about every aspect of their life on social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube- whilst simultaneously watching a movie, eating lunch, having a conversation, and doing homework. To the net generation, networking is a basic human need, one that is comparable to all previous generations’ necessity for social in-person interaction. Understandably, a majority population from older generations- our current upholders of society, feel foreign to the abstract world of online connectivity.
4
THE "NET" GENERATION:
The Multi-
Taskers