How ‘iGen’ Is Different From Any Other Generation (Readings & Discussion Questions)

Readings:

Vocabulary:

immersed
adolescence
practical
millennials
counterparts
drop out
continuum
advent
analog

Discussion Questions

In what ways do you think your generation is different from previous generations?
What don’t the older generations understand about your generation?
What bothers, confuses, and/or frustrates you about older generations?
How do attitudes differ about: work, play, love, money?
What are the key national and global events that have shaped your generation?
What skills do you have that they don’t and vice versa?
In what ways do you envy previous generations? In what ways do you feel bad for them?
What message of gratitude and/or scolding would you give to earlier generations?
When have you experienced a ‘generation gap’ with friends or family?
What are your earliest memories of using a computer, smartphone, and other tech?
On average, how much time do you spend on your phone in a day? a year?
What would you be doing with that time if you weren’t on your phone?
How many texts did you send yesterday?
How many 🧡and 👍 did you give and receive last week?
How much do you check and care about the sns feedback you get?
How much would someone have to pay you to NOT use any electronic device for a month?
How does screen time affect your mood or health?
Have you (or anyone you know) experienced digital addiction?
How, if at all, do you think iGen men and women use their phones differently?
Do you think that the rise in mental health issues is caused by smartphones? Why or why not?
Does this article also apply to the Millennials and iGens in South Korea? How so and/or why not?
Do you agree that iGen is less optimistic, independent and self-confident than the previous generations? If so, why is that?
Why do you think iGen’ers go to college to get a job rather than to get an “education”?
Do you think a university education is worth the time and money?
Is Individualism different from being selfish? How so?
How can iGen’ers help older generations adapt to the modern world (e.g. fast food kiosks)
What does iGen growing up slowly have to do with spending their entire adolescence with smartphones? Other than smartphones, what factors have shaped iGen?
Why is iGen more interested in safety and tolerance than other generations?
Do you agree that your upbringing has been more protected and slow to approach adulthood?
How does iGen’s knowledge of, and experience with smartphones and technology give an advantage over other generations?
If the tech advances have made today’s kids less happy, what would be the proper solution?
Do you prefer to drive yourself or have someone be your ‘chauffeur’?
How do you and your parents define or measure happiness differently?
Why does our generations want a good job when we graduate from college? Didn’t previous generations also want to get good jobs?
How will future generations be defined? Will they continue to be less independent and happy?
In what ways are iGen’ers more (or less) connected socially and globally?