I was surprised by some of the results and disagree with a few statements made on the side. The article suggests that students aren’t making the grade as professionals in the workplace, mainly because they feel a sense of entitlement, expecting reward without putting effort. David Polk whose firm was commissioned to complete the study mentions problems with IT etiquette and goes on to say:

“Some of these problems in the workplace are the same things we are seeing in the classroom,” … “Students and employees alike are text messaging, surfing the Internet, and responding to cell phone calls at inappropriate times. It appears that for many the need to be in constant contact with friends and family has become an addiction. The addicted no longer see it as rude to be obsessively responding to calls or text messages.”

The real problem is that organizations and universities have failed to properly utilize these new communication tools that we appear “addicted” to. Companies should instead put together social media policies to regulate and facilitate the proper usage of these tools. The internet and these new technologies create new possibilities for marketing, sales, HR, collaboration and social awareness that should not be overlooked.

When it comes to our education system, Sir Ken Robinson says it best “.. It’s like we’re all being trained to be university professors”. Students are force fed the same curriculum with little favor towards true personal growth. Kids are clumped into groups based on age and location with little attention to their passions and talents. We need to shift from the old “assembly line” mindset to a more passion driven model.

First we need to see a change in the education system where individuals learn how to better use these tools to innovate and cooperate. Then we need to see organizations change their mindset and advise employees on best practices when it comes to internet usage.

Yes, my generation does feel entitled because we have access to more information than the generation before us. Hopefully the next generation will have access to even more information and will in turn teach mine. But the fact remains that we might just know things “seasoned workers” fail to see because everything is moving so fast. Hopefully we can all catch up and move forward as the human race instead of individual generations of that race.

Conclusion

Times are changing and so should the workplace and our education system. We need more access to technology inside and outside of the classrooms for educational purposes. Learning should be fueled by curiosity and allowed to mutate and wander with the mind. The workplace should also reflect these same ideals.

Additional Resources For Teachers:

• Teachers Embracing Social Media in the Classroom
• 7 Free Social Media Tools for Teachers
• Web 2.0 for the Classroom Teacher

Additional Resources For Companies:

• How Businesses Are Unleashing Their Employees’ Social Media Potential
• Online Database of Social Media Policies

Why should I care about the seemingly random thoughts of complete strangers?

To me, its the same reason why you would go out to a bar over staying home with friends … you are interested in meeting new people. Twitter is one of the fastest growing social media sites out there and is the best medium for conversing with new like minded individuals. This mentality coincides with one of Twitter’s most useful functions. Tapping into the buzz of things that interest us. Twitter’s search capabilities in collaboration with it’s complete simplicity make it the perfect platform for crowd sourcing thoughts, ideas, questions and answers.

For example: If one were interested in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) they could follow the most popular MMA tweeps or even the MMA tweeps with the most interesting things to say. You could also set up a Twitter search for all mentions of MMA so you can jump in on the discussions and get the latest MMA news in REAL TIME.

You see, it’s not about the random thoughts of others but the thoughts of others that are relevant to you.

So what kinds of things should you be Tweeting?

That is completely up to you but the best way to learn is to watch others you enjoy reading. The most resourceful way to use Twitter is to reply and communicate with others. Some people like to use Twitter to show off their own accomplishments (like the completion of a new blog post or the creation of a new piece of art). Others use Twitter to support their business by proving their expertise through helping others in need. I myself use it mostly to talk with others I’ve met through Twitter … simple enough. Here is a list of 25 Twitter tips for college students.

Twitter is whatever you make of it and can be extremely powerful despite its apparent simplicity. The best way to learn about it is to just dive in. It’s always nice to know someone too, so feel free to reach out to me (@jondbishop ) and I’ll do my best to guide you in the right direction to be sure you get the most out of it.

- Photo by tanakawho

I think Saad Handoo summed it up quite nicely in a comment to my post on Brazen Careerist. He says:

Are we to assume that our managers cant disassociate our personal lives from the professionalism we keep in the workplace? Any rational being knows that the behavior you put on at a house party will be dramatically different from that of a work setting.

He goes on in a reply saying that, in the near future, Gen-Y will be the ones making the hiring decisions and future generations might have less to worry about.

Something Rebecca Thorman points out in one of her own video posts is that Facebook and other social media sites are a great place to look back and see how you’ve evolved throughout the years. This is one of the main reasons I keep my Facebook the way it is. It’s my ultimate journal of the last 5 years of my life that I am willing, and excited, to share with the rest of the world. Yes I am drinking in some of the pictures and yes some of the conversations are a little out of whack, but it’s part of who I am because it’s part of who I was.

Finally, I want to share a post with you from earlier last year by David Eaves that provides a little more insight on how Gen-Y approaches Facebook based on their history with the platform. We are very aware of who is looking at what we are posting and we might not care us much as you think we should.

So learn to control it!

Look into setting up groups and privacy settings so that only the people you want can see the information you want them to see. Think twice about the most appropriate place to complain about how you lost your phone in a toilet last night … then be sure only the right people will see the photos leading up to you losing your phone.

There is no reason why you cant have a normal social life and use Facebook like you did back in college while at the same time maintaining a clean public image. The lines are slowly blurring between personal and business relations but it’s up to you to make sure that line still exists to some degree.

It’s your life, take control.

- Photo by rpongsaj