Generation 2.0: The Rise of a Disruptive New Workforce

Technology changes all the time, but we rarely see such a big change as web 2.0. As technology changes people, surrounding the technology change too. Some changes are quicker than others. I don’t think there’s any reason to be concerned about PR disappearing or being replaced with marcom because of new technology development. PR will simply change like many other things.

I think people get too excited and too worked up over new technology. They make such a big deal out of it that people fail to look at the big picture. Through the years people have feared technology changes, but nothing really bad has ever happened because of technology. I just don’t think people should be concerned about technology they should look at is a new opportunity.

They should look new technology as a way to improve what they are already doing not as something that will hinder their job. Plus, sometimes new technology takes a while to catch on, so there’s no need to be worried. I think that sometimes people over react to new technology and get all worked up over what turns out to be nothing.

Sara, intersting comment…I sense a bit of the “NO FEAR” mantra in it. That’s great, I remember sporting that brand of shirts and shorts back in junior high. And I agree that yes it definitely changes people and things, and yes there is at times overreaction (hence the hype cycle). I think you’d find a good share of people who will argue the nothing ever bad happens because of technology thought (when technology plays a role in loss of life or business disruption, etc.; but then you have the whole other side of the coin of how technology benefits in these areas too), but I’m not concerned with that.

What I think is key here is the perception of improvement versus hinderment. Yes, with tech advancements we adapt and evolve, but tech innovation right now has somewhat forced our hand. We’re really witnessing a measurable transition from traditional practices: Business (i.e. monologue to dialogue), PR (push to pull; hat tip to Mike at Media Guerilla), and Media (one channel gatekeepers to interactive multimedia organizations). This is the 1.0 to 2.0 paradigm.

What’s exciting I believe is never has a generation of pre-professionals been so well positioned to enter the workforce and have immediate impact because of their technical aptitude, forward-thinking mindsets, and participation in/understanding of this workforce/operations transition.

You’re a sports enthusiast. Take your college FB playoffs hope. Perfect example of the traditional monologue approach from the top down. This will change; you have a huge constituency of enthusiasts that share the same sentiments. Tap into the dialogue, pull it in (PR 2.0) and leverage interactive media to create visibility of the demand for change. It will happen and Generation 2.0 will be behind it.

Generation 2.0? I think this is a suitable name, but it sounds almost scientific and unreal to me. Almost, as if the people of this generation are of sometype of laboratory experiment and hooked up to a bunch of wires. That aside, I think it makes sense to have a tech-savvy name connected to people of that prestige.

I definitely see the workforce in the upcoming future and even a little in the present walking down the street with laptops and smartphones. I think this is what society is adapting to right now. I think that there will always be people who are of course hesitant to adjust to new technology. I think that for the most part, children, students and people already in the workforce are learning about the new technologies. I think it is an exciting change especially with all the availabilities and capabilities.

I wouldn’t say that technology has never really hurt anyone either. I think it would definitely be beneficial to keep up with what society is connected to and especially in public relations. What is scary to me is that possibly our new school will eventually be old school. It is scary to think that you could be left or stuck behind in an old school if you do not keep up with what is going on with technology and the new availiabilities today or in the future.

I think that younger generations will not notice the call until their technologies become old school as well. I think that students, such as us, have not yet been given a wake-up call but that there is definitely a calling to be heard that we need to learn and understand how to use the technologies that we are offered and will be offered. I think the wake-up call is for the present workforce and it is calling them to dive into new technology and keep up with people coming in the workforce behind them.

I don’t think that PR can die. It may take a back seat to marketing, advertising or any other department that calls itself to the spotlight. Matthew Podby from Active Voice blog made a comment on Oct. 18 about this thought. He said, “We spend the majority of our time and careers behind the person in the spotlight. That’s our job. Tee up the right situation or opportunity for our client and then coach them on how to own the moment. It’s exciting to be a part of it when it happens. And that should be enough - being the conductor, orchestrating a period in time that benefits our clients.”

This sentiment carries through with your thought about the next generation of business hitting the mainstream. This is good for PR and for business. Sure there may be some bugs to work out, but as you look at the evolution of how we reach people, you will find that PR is at the heart of it (even if you don’t put that name to it). What EPIC should warn against is the possibility that we can overstep our customer’s comfort zone and become invasive.

As long as we don’t puff ourselves up too much about our importance, we can bring great changes and new technology to use. PR practitioners are like Superman in the business world - fly under the radar, use powers for good and work to achieve the best side of the human race.

I am excited about the new Generation 2.0. Mostly, because I feel prepared for the change or “paradigm shift” that is taking place. I am thankful that as a college student I have had the privileged advantage to obtain a broad knowledge of the new media technology. I also realize that not all college PR programs implement these new strategies into their coursework. Many recent Auburn University graduates have encountered the use of various new media tactics in their jobs and are realizing how beneficial our class projects are.

It is promising that such a large number of the workforce is developing and incorporating new software and supplemental programs into their daily business activities. The increase in communication and mass media is being utilized by all professions, everywhere. We must be careful not to let things get out of hand. I know I sound like your typical conservatist and I guess I have seen too many movies.

This new workforce will be advantageous for our profession as well as others. I am excited to have the chance to become a part of it. I have shown the EPIC video to my roomate, who by the way is an accounting major, and a few friends. The expressions of curiosity and amazement on their faces represent the actuality of the entire concept.

I like the idea of being called Generation 2.0. I think it reflects well of what our society is going through today. I think it is also pretty neat that we, here at Auburn, are part of this movement with the class we are taking now. I remember a conference I attended recently with a few other Auburn students. One of the speakers mentioned us as being ahead of some employers in the workplace today with what we are doing in this class now. I guess I never really took that to heart until now. This is all about adaption. We are learning to adapt to changes such as podcasts, ipods, online media rooms, blogs, etc. Everything is evolving into this one big technology driven generation.

To me this is scary. Who knows what 30 years will have in store for us. I think our children should be referred to as the 2.0 generation because of one simple fact. They are born into this technology. We, on the other hand, were not. We are learning it now in college, but our children will have learned it by the time they were seven or eight years old. That is why it is scary for me.

In my opinion, we are setting a standard that will continue to be matched or overtaken. I do not believe technology has stopped here, but I do think that there is a lot to learn about what we have as a generation. Who know though right? Years from now we could be sitting here thinking this was old school technology. All I can tell you is that whatever the outcome, the new generation will definitely have its hands full.

After reading this post shortly after it was published, I gave myself a few days to ponder on it. During that ponder-period, I caught a mention of it on the For Immediate Release podcast (the Nov. 7 show), which just reinforced my desire to come back and comment. I realized that many of the ideologies that they discussed are inline with mine.

I really think the letter-to-version transition for generations is an interesting and necessary shift. It’s certainly more accurate for today’s generations that are continuously changing and evolving at a rate that’s harder to pinpoint. (I would imagine that you would continue that idea with Generations 2.1, 2.2, etc. on down the road. And with the next big boom/shift, start over with 3.0, and so on.)

As for this new generation of PR? I think PR has never been more necessary. With all these new forms of media and with so many people talking openly about companies and products in an environment that so strongly supports an exchange of opinions — organizations need the PR-focused eye to help them deal with the delicate and changing environment. But this task isn’t for just any old PR person. It’s for smart, forward-thinking professionals who are willing to take a leadership role within their organization. It’s up to PR to learn about and understand the changes going on around them and to develop strategies to deal with them effectively. It’s up to PR to educate the organization on how to manage these new opportunities — because that’s what they are: golden opportunities.

Erin wrote: “I don’t think that PR can die. It may take a back seat to marketing, advertising or any other department that calls itself to the spotlight. Matthew Podby from Active Voice blog made a comment on Oct. 18 about this thought. He said, “We spend the majority of our time and careers behind the person in the spotlight. That’s our job. Tee up the right situation or opportunity for our client and then coach them on how to own the moment. It’s exciting to be a part of it when it happens. And that should be enough - being the conductor, orchestrating a period in time that benefits our clients.

This sentiment carries through with your thought about the next generation of business hitting the mainstream. This is good for PR and for business. Sure there may be some bugs to work out, but as you look at the evolution of how we reach people, you will find that PR is at the heart of it (even if you don’t put that name to it). What EPIC should warn against is the possibility that we can overstep our customer’s comfort zone and become invasive.

As long as we don’t puff ourselves up too much about our importance, we can bring great changes and new technology to use. PR practitioners are like Superman in the business world - fly under the radar, use powers for good and work to achieve the best side of the human race.”

i think the same like you. the pr is a factor “the hearth of it” and it is important that he not die!

I like your observation of the current movement. This shift is obviously evident on the Internet. However, Web 2.0 has been around for a while. I have been using Del.icio.us, viewing Digg.com, and using gOffice recently and I consider myself behind the times. Del.icio.us and Digg.com may be borderline Web 2.0 but nevertheless, it has existed for a while.

I’m excited about Web 2.0. Hopefully, people over 40 and the technologically challenged 20 somethings will soon realize that the web is more than just a repository of static pages. With the new offerings of Web 2.0, interaction goes to a new level. Browsing the Internet is no longer, “surfing” or “playing.” Like you mentioned, this new technology is fueling the business environment.

Will we step up? Of course and we will never hear of the ones who don’t because they will pass by the wayside. The issue that will make the difference is when this technology is embraced.

A few posts back I wrote about the need to demonstrate mastery of handling detail as a prerequisite to landing the entry-level job. I think that’s still true, but what Dave Forstrom brings to light is something very exciting for new graduates entering marketing and PR. Your innate understanding of technology is a powerful advantage for moving more rapidly up the chain of command. The 2.0 students will transform business not so much because of the technology, but because of their almost unconscious use of it in producing better thinking, better decision making and better productivity.

With the advances in Technology I think the title “Generation 2.0″ just about sums it up. I have to admit the changes are both exciting and daunting. When I first came back to Auburn this Fall, and stepped foot into Robert’s class, I was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of time I would spent chained to my computer. I remember just a few years back in 1999 (when I was here the last time around) we didn’t have any classes that compared to this. Learning about PR meant doing it the old fashion way by cracking open a book. I have to say the ability to reach out to professionals and peers, and network prior to ever leaving college, is a great benefit that this new generation should appreciate!

However, the fear is, will technology begin becoming the focus of our careers? With the up-swing in ways technology is being used and implemented into our field, one has to ask how long will it be before PR people lose sight of our true objective, or just begin to lose jobs all together. With the ability to reach far and research information at the touch of a button, now one PR person can literally do the work of 10. Our focus has shifted toward reaching the World Wide Web audience via blogging and online applications as oppose to personal interactions.

Don’t get me wrong I applaud the new technology and I am excited that I am coming into this field with the knowledge and know how of current practices. I just wonder how long it will be before even these new methods become old and PR becomes a catch phrase of bloggers instead of a true discipline. Then again, who can really say what the future of PR is and what changes it will encounter next. As Erin said it’s evolving at a rate that’s hard to pin-point!

I think Generation 2.0 is a perfect description of our generation of newcomers to the workforce. Like Jami said, I also feel prepared to live up to the implications of the Generation 2.0 title. We are extremely lucky to be exposed to the new technologies of our field in our public relations classes like Robert’s. When we graduate and are looking for jobs, our knowledge and comfort with blogs, podcasts, etc…will give us the advantage over other potential employees.

I don’t think that public relations is a dying field at all, I think it is simply transitioning. I think we are becoming more integrated with marketing and advertising than we have been in the past. The term “marcom” is an example of this integration. I think this transition should be seen as a good thing.

We are lucky to be on the forefront of this change. We will be the people who shape what the field of public relations will be in the future. Although I’m not completely comfortable nor do I have all of the information of the technology that is available, I have gotten a taste of it and am now intrigued.

The concept of Generation 2.0 is exciting for the fields of public relations, marketing and advertising .I am looking forward to stepping up and taking advantage of these new technologies.

I think that Generation 2.0 is a spot-on title for my generation and that of my classmates.

So much of our world revolves around technology. We were at just the right age when the internet became mainstream, and it’s become so much of a part of our everyday lives that we can’t even think about a time when it didn’t exist. What we deem as entertainment also centers around technology. Gone are the days when children ask for building blocks for Christmas. These days, we want iPods, cell phones, digital cameras, video games and the list goes on.

I consider myself very lucky to be a part of Generation 2.0. We are at an age that still allows us to be open to learning new technology. We’re not afraid of the term. We embrace it. As I’m learning more and more in my classes, I often feel that I’ll be better equipped for my future job than the person who could be hiring me. It might sound far-fetched, but I know people that have worked for executives in MAJOR organizations that didn’t know how to use Microsoft Outlook, not to mention the vast number of people who are unaware of blogging technologies.

And I also agree with you when you say that we believe “in the power of collaboration and collective intelligence.� Technology has allowed us to be more connected than ever before, and I think that our generation is taking full advantage of the opportunity. We’re not afraid to speak our minds regarding an issue and post our opinions on other people’s websites, regardless of how “superior� they might be to us in the PR world.

All I have to say is that the world needs to be on its toes because Generation 2.0 is about to start a revolution.

I am also in agreement that the name Generation 2.0 is perfect. It makes so much sense for our age group. We are all at the age to where we barely remember life without technology and at young ages we were able to operate computers with ease.

Like Jessica said, “We were at just the right age when the internet became mainstream, and it’s become so much of a part of our everyday lives that we can’t even think about a time when it didn’t exist.” The form of communication that I use the most is via e-mail or a cell phone. Seriously, can any of us picture life without a portable telephone?

The scary thought is where this is going from here. I feel lucky to be a part of Generation 2.0 because while I know a lot of technology, it is still growing everyday. Think about something as little as an IPOD which came out as a technology that could store and play back music. Now it can be used to save anything like school work and the new ones can even play video. All sorts of technology keeps growing bigger and better.

Will it ever stop? I constantly think if new technology can ever run out or will it just keep generating into the so-called “epic proportions.” While technology can be exciting, it can also be scary. The next generation of kids are going to be even more dependent on technology than we are.

The more I considered this, the more I agree with your prognosis, Dave. I feel that my generation has so much to offer the business world. In fact, with all the technology changes and innovations, we are probably better equipped than the current workforce to handle technology integration.

I am a senior in college now and while I can remember the “C-prompt� computer days, it seems that life has almost always had the internet included. When AOL came out, I taught myself how to navigate, research, chat online- something I am still trying to teach my parents! Although those skills aren’t uncommon now, it did build a good base for me to teach myself to stay up with current technology. My generation grew up surrounded by technology that made our lives easier. And we took advantage of that.

Technology, as you mentioned, has also changed the business world. Blogs have become their own mediums for PR messages and corporate communication. Blackberry’s are standard-issue for offices. Still, the technology improves. It is imperative that the workforce stay with it. That is what gives my generation the edge. We have the skills it takes to be current. My classes (like Robert’s) are teaching me to appreciate what technology can do for me and to use it to my advantage in my job.

I guess that is why I think PR is so exciting to learn. I feel that it is not afraid to tackle technology and harness it for good. A “disruptive new workforce� is just what PR needs to continue being effective and powerful. You are right- something is coming. It is an enthusiastic generation of graduates that are embracing technology to change business and who knows- maybe the world.

Without a doubt, our generation and the workforce are benefiting. This powerful evolution is creating a work environment that is more conducive to proliferation of ideas. The greatest minds and the leaders in a particular field are often separated by oceans. With today’s technology, they can discuss their field with ease. Take Marcom Blog as an example. Without this technology, we would not have had the opportunity to communicate with all of our contributors.

Because students are now accustomed to these possibilities and an atmosphere of openness, we will demand it in the workplace. We have seen something that is better, more efficient. You always want to share when you find a good thing.

Jami mentioned Auburn’s recent graduates and their participation in new media. They are not only participating, many have been the catalyst for change. We have been given the knowledge, we simply must have the motivation and confidence to speak to our employers about the benefits.

PR won’t die. It’s adapting at a rate faster than everything else. The industry recognizes that it’s our duty to understand new media. By utilizing new media and introducing it to clients, PR solidifies its place in the mind of the client.