A Summation of all Fears
Over the past three years, Logicalis UK has surveyed a
representative group of 13-17 year old UK citizens, polling their
views on a range of issues, from their personal technology habits,
their aspirations for technology in education, to their thoughts
about their future work-life balance.
After our initial survey in 2007, and
from analysing the responses we received, we now refer to this
group as the UK ‘Realtime Generation’.
In June 2009, we questioned 1049 13-17
year olds from four primary UK regions; Northern England, Midlands,
Southern England and South Wales.
Our survey has traditionally focused
on digital habits and use of social technologies in social and
education settings, however this year, and in the light of the
current economic gloom, we felt it incumbent on us to enquire if
this generation’s aspirations or plans for education and careers
had changed since our last survey.
The outcome of the 1049 responses
creates the UK’s first tag cloud (above) visually representing the
collective concerns of the Realtime Generation.
Is it surprising that ‘jobs’, ‘money’,
‘afford’, ‘want’, ‘future’ are the terms most readily used?
Probably not, but what surprised us most is that with only a few
exceptions we have an entire generation of teenagers worrying about
the same things as their parents.
13-17 year olds in the north of
England are least worried about the recession affecting their
higher education choices and the least worried about taking on debt
to fund their education.
Parents can expect their children to
be staying at home longer and choosing a college or University
within commuting distance.
It is worth noting that through all
this doom and gloom, the Realtime Generation are still just that -
using social networking more, collaborating on their homework more,
and willing to take information from the Internet to complete
course work or homework. If it means cheating to get ahead, then
Realtime girls are more willing to bend the rules than boys.
The Realtime Generation want
information portals and they want to collaborate more formally with
fellow students and the academics tutoring them. If they economic
downturn convinces them to be scientists or engineers, their innate
information and people collaboration skills should position the UK
well for rebuilding our economy in the coming years. Can the UK
afford not to tap into the Realtime Generation?