The iGeneration and the Need for Reviving the iPod Bans - Case Study Example

i-generations adopt advanced technology Table of content 1. introduction 3 2. i-generation 4 2.1 Background of case 4 2.2 as a subculture 5 3. futuristic approach 6 3.1 technological environment 7 3.2 an ipod led education 7 3.3 educational possibilities 8 4. analysis 9 4.1 adopted an ipod culture 9 4.2 problems with the subculture 10 5. conclusion 11 references 12 1. introduction ‘I-pod’ is such a product that has been designed for convenience of technologically upgraded generations. The product is useful, accessible and of great utility. Its quality and progressive manufacturing had created various new lines in a number of stages. In its development chart it has grown from being a portable digital music player to a video player and pod caster. It has met various levels of sophistication in the matter of interactions in the existing world. It facilitates its user by allowing them to take communicate under any circumstance. iGeneration or IGeneration as popularly known refers to the newest generation following the Generation X. iGeneration or IGeneration is special as it only knows digital communicative media and is growing with far rapid pace that any of its predecessors with easy access to information. As for Watters, Ethan (2003), the groups are rooted in common-interest and celebrated enjoyments, especially in urban lifestyle. The media to collect information is made possible through the equipments like an ipod or iphone. The usability has grown so much that the present generation can hardly believe of a life without it. This paper targets at various levels of understanding of this developing subculture and thereby is an attempt to see the possible future through it. This paper has got special interest over the understanding of the background of I-Generation and its development as a subculture. Along with this there is an attempt to see the approach with a futuristic stand point. The paper further interprets the related analytical aspects and developed consequences of this fast growing subculture, affecting the educational system as a whole. Finally the paper concludes with the ideas and pros and cons related to the discussions that are being done throughout the paper. 2. i-generation Figure 1 At José Martí Middle School in Union City, Stephanie Rojas, left, and Bryan Betancourt use iPods in class, with help from Wendy Garcia, a teacher’s side. Source - Sylwia Kapuscinski for The New York Times The Internet generation or as popularly called as i-generation; is a term to represent the generation of people who have grown up with digital and computer technology. The followers of this term or living entities are those people who have grown with the rise of the World Wide Web. This gamut of young people is usually born from 1994- till present. This are the next generation after generation-X. The term came into existence through William Strauss and Neil Howe, in their Generations theory (Martha Irvine 2004). 2.1. Background of case Initially the term iGeneration, as referred in the BBC News, is to those who took the information displayed over the internet for granted. These are those people who very heartily accepted the utility of services such as internet forums, email, online dictionaries, and search engines. They also accept the dominance of the communicative media like MySpace, Facebook, imageboards, Bebo and YouTube. This is the specified generation that reflects its strong urge for instant-gratification that technology has imparted. This is a generation that has been tagged for all those internet and computer savvy people who are born in between 1981 to 2000 or till date. They are called the the ‘net-generation or the younger siblings of generation X. They have got strong hold over media interaction and are into the verge of understanding every new invention related to Information and Technological sector. Through them the connectivity has grown international and the world has turned more akin to the technology of internet communication and digital usabilities. 2.2. as a subculture Various studies made under sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, the term subculture is a group of people with a particular community of culture, differentiating itself from the larger culture of its origin. According to David Riesman(1950), ‘…a 'subculture' is a minority style…with subversive values". Sarah Thornton(1995), has described 'subcultural capital' as the cultural knowledge and commodities acquired by members of a subculture, raising their status and helping differentiate themselves from members of other groups. However, they are self-absorbed into certain aspects that stands opposed to the original culture. To follow Ken Gelder (2007), there are six to identify a subculture. These are - a) through their negative relations to work. As in case of I-Generation this negativity is in acceptability. It has been said that this generation has got less to do with the authenticity of the matter. They are more dependent over internet than any kind of physical existence. b) through their negative or ambivalent relation to class. This point totally supports I-Generation as a subculture, as it too does not believe in any kind of class-consciousness and is accessible to just anybody on earth. c) through their association with territory rather than property. In case of I-Generation, this association with territory is in much broader sense associated to every young guy associated with internet or www. d) through its movement I-Generation has moved far out of the home and has acquired dominance over all kinds of non-domestic forms of belonging. e) it too has got the stylistic ties to excess and exaggeration in the field of communication and information generation. f) the technology has drown so vast hat it refuses all sorts of banalities of ordinary life and massification (Richard C. 2008). The whole of I-Generation has made IT just another ay towards living with more knowledge and acquaintances. 3. futuristic approach This is the Generation which is considered as the reason behind the electronic blast in early 2000 years of human civilisation. There is no doubt that in the coming future it will be this iGen that will be the most knowledgeable subculture or may turn up to be a culture; with information. With the rate of increase on daily basis, this I-Generation is the most interesting generation that has ever emerged. The current flow of new technology has been made so common and easily accessible that sooner or later there will hardly be anyone out of this gamut. There is no chance to have a kind of stoppage to the usability of i-pods. With the increasing international exchange of education the use is going to get more and more into the scene. It is the best way till date to acquire education through the understanding of others languages. And culture. 3.1. technological environment Figure 2 Jorge Flores, 15, uses a Spanish-to-English dictionary to look up words from the song he is listening to on his iPod.Source - Sylwia Kapuscinski for The New York TimesUnder the current technological environment, iGeneration gets termed in many different ways. They are called Computer Generation (New York Magazine), Generation M- in order to represent Millennium or Multi Task. Then comes Millennials(msbnc), Google generation, Generation Einstein, and last but not the least the Generation Q. the purpose of the name Generation Q is to represrent "Quiet", termed by Thomas L. Friedman. Further it is also called Net Gen, a shortened form of "Net Generation"; which is used frequently in books by Don Tapscott and several of his co-authors. New York Magazine's report on this generation emphasized their lack of privacy, expectation of speaking to an audience even in personal communication, and a familiarity with harsh, anonymous criticism (Dalrymple, Jim. 2002). 3.2. an ipod led education The goal of iPod liberation is education about software freedom, DRM, about using RockBox and iPodLinux. The application of the process thus concentrates solely on communication, and not technology (Dalrymple, Jim. 2002). All the efforts are targeting at spending more time over communication than over the technological savvies. The process (wiki.freeculture) needs little bit of common sense and the attitude and interest to learn the skill. The processing unit needs a RockBox. The purpose of this box is to make the learners get some idea of what it’s going to let them do. It will help the users’ understand all the functioning related to DRM angle. There are some prevalent risks related to the use of i-pod. This is the reason that it is always recommended to ensure that each user has backups. There are also the pre training sessions to make the user feel comfortable with the risks involved in installing alternate firmware. The user needs understand how to upgrade RockBox, and that is the most important part of the whole learning process in the world of connectivity. 3.3. educational possibilities Figure 3 Dictionaries and iPods are paired in some English classes Source - Sylwia Kapuscinski for The New York TimesIn most of the educational institute students have been told to leave their iPods at home. However there are equal amount of acceptability too. In the school at Hudson County, there is the facility of accessing the portable digital players to help bilingual students with limited English. It is resulted to be the best device ever to act for the purpose of sharpening the ability of the bilingual students’. The vocabulary and grammar are all improved with a rapid pace by singing along to popular songs (New York Times, 9/07). The same results had inspired the Union City district that will give out 300 iPods at its schools as part of a $130,000 experiment. All these distributions will be done in one of New Jersey’s poorest urban school systems. Amazingly enough the usability of this project has drawn the attention of educators from Westchester County to Monrovia, California Perth Amboy and South Brunswick, who are also on their way to start iPod programs. 4. analysis There are believes, which no doubt continues that these devices pose a distraction, or worse, to students in the process of learning. Even then the acceptability has come under serious considerations. There are affluent communities; who believe that the use iPods have evolved into an essential accessory for students of today’s educational system. It was in the year 2004 that the initiation of the use of i-pods was led by the Duke University (George 1996). It was then for the first time that the entire freshman class was equipped with iPods that were preloaded with orientation information. These ipods were also having the Duke Fight song to better understanding of the asset. In the year 2007, there were 93 out of the 2,000 courses at Duke University needed the support of iPods (New York Times, 9/07). 4.1. adopted an ipod culture The modern groups of youngsters are called I-Generation as they are the savviest of the tech-savvy people till existed on earth. Using a speedy broadband connection to download music onto an iPod, or upload digital photos to their Web logs is the most rapid growing hobby of this special generation. Apart from playing an important role as the source of all sorts of infotainment, the Internet has shaped the way they work and earn their daily bread. According to Steve Jones, the chairman of the communications department at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a senior research fellow with the Pew Internet & American Life Project says, "Students are continuously connected to other students and friends and family in ways that older generations never would have imagined" (azstarnet). According to the same source Andrew Record, the director of special events for the Associated Students of the University of Arizona, checks his e-mail account five times a day. It is the means through which he gets most of his information from event and political list serves. He even accesses his inbox for the act of paying his bills online. For him the use of Internet has boomed since he became a university student. The popularity of the use of iPods is increasing mainly in bilingual classes. The adoptability of the device had helped the students who have learning disabilities and behavioral problems. There are schools that encourage the creation of podcasts for the test-taking tips. Communication between bilingual communities is made much easier by the use of i-pods and thus it has turned up to be an essential part of day to day learning. 4.2. problems with the subculture The adoption of a subculture is like moving against the stream (Rupa 2006). French sociologist Michel Maffesoli (1996) considered this adoption of subculture in urban society as an initial taboo. There is no doubt that in case of accepting i-pods in educational system by the I-Generation also carry equal amount of problems. There are instances when some students have been caught cheating on tests by loading answers, mathematical formulas and notes onto their iPods. These factors are responsible for the various bans that are getting prevalent in many schools over the use of i-pods. According to BBC News, the report by think-tank Reform calls under-35s the "Ipod" generation, as "Insecure, Pressured, Overtaxed and Debt-ridden" (BBC News). The survey led by BBC, further confirms that ‘the average debt of higher education graduates is expected to rise to £20,000 for undergraduates…But the average male arts graduate will gain less than £25,000 on his lifetime's income, as compared to an equivalent male without a degree, the survey shows. Figure 4 The "Ipod" generation: plenty of gadgets but no financial securitySource – BBC NewsGraduates also face tougher competition for jobs, and struggle to get on the housing ladder’. The estimated proportion of 20-24 year-olds living with their parents had incredibly raised from 41 per cent in 1991 to 49 per cent in 2004. Mr Bosanquet, the analyst warns saying that Government policies are "mortgaging the future of a generation…is a really big issue for the country." 5. conclusion The need of reviving the iPod bans is getting into as a great matter of concern. The simple reason is that the institutions are trying to co-opt the devices for educational purposes. A different notion has been created among every class and creed of human community for the purpose of communication. I-Generation considers the use of these devices as worth for the purpose of adapting new avenues for expression. These are also the means in liberating and fun. Ike any other scientific creation there is no denial to the fact that it might at times can become a forum for pettiness and criminal exploitation. I-Generation is such attached to the use of these devices that it is now rated much more tech-savvy than any other previous generation. Apart from entertainment the need of having all sorts of communication and information in hand made the demand grow than ever before. Thus the favour is on the behalf of the acceptability of the use of i-pods in the educational system as it is the best way that can help students to learn about the latest things and that too instantly. references BBC News, The iGeneration In Depth, n.d. [accessed on 20.05.08] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/sci_tech/2003/the_igeneration/default.stm Cante, Richard C. (March 2008). Gay Men and the Forms of Contemporary US Culture. London: Ashgate Publishing Computer Generation: Visions and Demands, n.d. 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"Listening to popular music", American Quarterly, 2, p.359-71. Cited in Middleton, Richard (1990/2002). Studying Popular Music, p.155. Philadelphia: Open University Press The new needs of "Generation M" hit the Belgian market (2002 report) 2007-08-09, [ accessed on 20.05.08] http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/imr-ri.nsf/en/gr108770e.html Thornton, Sarah (1995). Club Cultures: Music, Media, and Subcultural Capital. Cambridge: Polity Press. Cited in Negus, Keith (1996). Popular Music in Theory: An Introduction. Wesleyan University Press. Watching the Watchers, Newsweek, 17 July 2006, [ accessed on 20.05.08] http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13773301/site/newsweek/ Watters, Ethan (2003). Urban Tribes: A Generation Redefines Friendship, Family, and Commitment. New York Times Magazine, New York Winnie Hu, In Some Schools, iPods Are Required Listening Oct. 9, 2007, UNION CITY, N.J, [ accessed on 20.05.08] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/education/09ipod.html Read More