Generation Z, born in the late 1990s to 2010s, are comfortable with technology and social media is a significant part of their social lives. Understanding Generation Z could impact work in schools. Key issues include: - Teens may not understand the ramifications of online activity and oversharing personal information. - Technology blurs contexts and it's important to help teens manage personal information flow and develop skills to navigate social media and an information-rich environment. - While technology provides social connection, it can also enable addiction, bullying, and drama. Schools should help teens develop focus and critical thinking in this context.

2. How might a deeper understanding
of Generation Z impact our
work in schools?

3. noun
[JEN-UH-REY-SHUH N, Z]
Defined with birth years ranging from the mid-or-late 1990s to the 2010s,
or from the early 2000s to around 2025.
Members of Generation Z are typically thought of as being comfortable
with technology and interacting on social media website accounts for a
significant portion of their socializing.

5. Ask as many questions as you can.
Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the
questions.
Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
Change any statement into a question.

6. IDENTITY: Teens do not understand the ramifications of
their online activity.
PRIVACY: Teens share too publicly.
ADDICTION: Teens are obsessed with social media.
BULLYING: Social media amplifies meanness and cruelty.
LITERACY: Teens are digital natives.
Ask as many questions as you can.
Do not stop to discuss, judge, or answer the questions.
Write down every question exactly as it is stated.
Change any statement into a question.

8. Teens are in the midst of shaping their identities.
Technology and social media blur the lines between
contexts. Boyd calls this “collapsed contexts,” allowing
multiple audiences in on the communication.
How do we help our learners become
aware of the existence of collapsing
contexts?

9. Teens are concerned about privacy, but in a different way than
adults.
Adults are concerned about privacy from government and
corporations.
Teens are concerned about privacy from adults: parents,
teachers, and other immediate authority figures.
How do we help our learners to manage the flow
of personal information in social networks?

10. Teen addiction to social media is an extension of natural human
engagement.
Teen addiction to technology and social media is a response to
parental restrictions and highly scheduled lives.
Teens are NOT addicted to technology and social media. They’re
addicted to each other and technology provides that
connection.
How do we help our learners focus in a world
dominated by the pull of social connection?

11. Drama and attention-seeking behavior are not unique qualities of
teenagers.
Drama and attention-seeking behavior occur outside of
technology and social media.
Teens will mirror the behavior they see in celebrity culture
and the drama they watch unfold in the adult world.
How do we help our learners think critically
about celebrity culture and drama?

12. Adults shouldn’t assume Generation Z has some sort of innate
technological skill.
Educators have an important role to play in ensuring Generation Z can
effectively navigate information-rich environments.
Generation Z - and everyone for that matter - needs to learn how to
manage the flow of personal information and how to look for and
interpret accessible information.
How do we help our learners develop the skills
necessary to navigate a social mediated, information-
rich landscape?

14. How might a deeper understanding
of Generation Z impact our
work in schools?