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iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us
by
A highly readable and entertaining first look at how today’s members of iGen—the children, teens, and young adults born in the mid-1990s and later—are vastly different from their Millennial predecessors, and from any other generation, from the renowned psychologist and author of Generation Me.
With generational divides wider than ever, parents, educators, and employers have ...more
With generational divides wider than ever, parents, educators, and employers have ...more
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Hardcover, 352 pages
Published
August 22nd 2017
by Atria Books
(first published August 1st 2017)
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Start your review of iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us
May 07, 2020
Ariel
added it
This is the non-fiction version of the movie Eighth Grade. WHAT MUST I DO TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE OFF OF THEIR PHONES IMMEDIATELY??
If you are reading this review, according to the cornucopia of research offered in this book, you are unlikely to be an iGen’er. “By 2015, one out of three high school seniors admitted they had not read any books for pleasure in the past year, three times as many as in 1976.” While Professor Twenge cautions us not to evaluate some of her findings as good or bad, this, for me, is surely a bit sad.
As a sexagenarian father of two daughters, aged 14 and 16, I desperately needed and wanted to read t ...more
As a sexagenarian father of two daughters, aged 14 and 16, I desperately needed and wanted to read t ...more
Sensationalist, cherry-picked, start-with-the-conclusion-you-want-and-work-back-from-there crap. Whatever university gave this person a PhD (as they proudly display on the book cover) has some serious explaining to do. The author's research methods are spurious and would get her laughed out of any serious academic conference. As with her last book about Millennials, this author says that the current generation of young people is simply the worst because they value individualism more than conform
...more
I would have and did agree with the thesis of the book (that smart phones are really bad for this generation) before I read the book. But now, I want to push back because she doesn't support the thesis and she misuses her data. One example: Igen-ers don't use facebook. Then, her one study for why social media makes them depressed has only to do with facebook use. that's just one small example. Then, she criticizes them for their obsession with safety (man was Haidt's coddling of the american min
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Just to get this out of the way first: I hate the title and early in the book Twenge misapplies life history theory in a way that made me grind my teeth.
The argument, as Twenge lays it out in the introduction, is provocative and one that interests me: the widespread adoption of smartphones has fundamentally altered American adolescence. The problem is that Twenge does not stick to demonstrating this point. She presents a compelling case in discussing the interaction between technology and teenag ...more
The argument, as Twenge lays it out in the introduction, is provocative and one that interests me: the widespread adoption of smartphones has fundamentally altered American adolescence. The problem is that Twenge does not stick to demonstrating this point. She presents a compelling case in discussing the interaction between technology and teenag ...more
I was introduced to Jean Twenge's iGen thesis in a recent article in The Atlantic and actually thought I'd ask my kids their thoughts on it, when I found out it was condensed from a new book that friends chose for our couples' bookclub. I'm glad I had the chance to read Ms. Twenge's expanded ideas.
As the mother of kids ages 16-22, and as one who's worked in schools and church with kids in the iGen age range, I'm in absolute agreement with Jean Twenge's findings and can anecdotally confirm what ...more
As the mother of kids ages 16-22, and as one who's worked in schools and church with kids in the iGen age range, I'm in absolute agreement with Jean Twenge's findings and can anecdotally confirm what ...more
As a parent of 6 children (all of whom fall into the iGen category), this book was fascinating as well as discouraging. Many of the "trends" that are associated with iGen, I see in my own children; however, not all of them are negative. I am excited to share my thoughts on this in an upcoming group discussion. After reading 11 chapters of data, trends, and insights, followed up by 1 chapter of "what to do nows", I would appreciate another book on ways to embrace the positives in iGen and how to
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I was a little leery about reading this book. I worried it might be just some rant about how "kids these days" are awful in every way, and why "my" generation is so superior. What I hoped to find was a book that would offer insight into the "internet generation" (iGen), a book that would let me understand these young people better, see where they are coming from. After all, the world they're growing up in is vastly different to the one I did (I'm a Gen X-er). I've never had children (well, unles
...more
Twenge's "research" is full of sweeping assumptions, cherry-picked data, and poor correlations that paint an exaggerated picture of this upcoming generation. It is disheartening to hear a voice who is so antagonistic toward this generation of students and who ignores the very real struggles of minority populations.
...more
Igen Is Crying Out For Help, And We Need To Listen
In IGEN, Professor Jean M. Twenge summarizes the research on the next generation. There are lots of alarming findings. First off, the iGen teens do many things less often this includes going out with friends, working, reading—even going to parties.
Comparison to prior generations is alarming. For example, “the number of 8th graders who work for pay has been cut in half.” It’s not just a matter of teens making a simple substitution of one media fo ...more
In IGEN, Professor Jean M. Twenge summarizes the research on the next generation. There are lots of alarming findings. First off, the iGen teens do many things less often this includes going out with friends, working, reading—even going to parties.
Comparison to prior generations is alarming. For example, “the number of 8th graders who work for pay has been cut in half.” It’s not just a matter of teens making a simple substitution of one media fo ...more
A haunting yet surprisingly hopeful look into the up and coming generation. Having worked closely with youth for the last 6 years I will say that this book helped me understand many of their opinions, tendencies, quirks, and fears. I would recommend it to all.
I knocked off one star because there is a lot of overlap that could have been handled in more concise manner, I believe. But still great stuff.
Key take aways are:
1. Fear is first and foremost in this generation. They don't date because i ...more
I knocked off one star because there is a lot of overlap that could have been handled in more concise manner, I believe. But still great stuff.
Key take aways are:
1. Fear is first and foremost in this generation. They don't date because i ...more
3.5
Sociology was one of my favorite classes in college, and I continue to be fascinated by data and trends- cause and effect. I picked this book, because I wanted a perspective on how smartphones are affecting the generation younger than mine. The book is pretty comprehensive, covering various topics such as how "iGen" is growing up even slower than the "Millennials," how smartphones and the internet are affecting how teens and young adults function (for good and bad), difficulties with communi ...more
Sociology was one of my favorite classes in college, and I continue to be fascinated by data and trends- cause and effect. I picked this book, because I wanted a perspective on how smartphones are affecting the generation younger than mine. The book is pretty comprehensive, covering various topics such as how "iGen" is growing up even slower than the "Millennials," how smartphones and the internet are affecting how teens and young adults function (for good and bad), difficulties with communi ...more
I started this book because my children (son-13 and daughter-11) fall into the age range of iGen. I thought the book was interesting. I found myself shaking my head many times as I recognized something my children do. However, I don’t know that devices are what make this generation less likely to drink alcohol, have sex, attend un-chaperoned parties, or drive before they turn 18. I think parents these days (including myself) are more concerned with safety and that has to trickle down to the kids
...more
Besides a couple of insights, this was basically someone telling me for over 300 why they dislike i-geners. Ridiculous, pretensious and slightly miss informing, as it was constantly rambling just to prove kids wrong.
You've probably seen articles and heard stories about Millennials; for the last few many years talk of Millennials, the generation after Gen-X, has been all the rage. Except...Millennials are kind of old now. The best place to divide the generations is 1995, which makes the youngest Millennials 23. Following the Millennials is a generation some call Gen Z (since Millennials were Gen Y). A better title is iGen which reflects this generation's status as digital natives.
Why 1995? Facebook opened to ...more
Why 1995? Facebook opened to ...more
There are positives and negatives for this new, tech addicted generation. The upside is that they are safe: less teen pregnancies, drinking, car accidents, etc. This is because they never go out and do anything. The downside is that they are very immature, scared and depressed. Because they don't go out and do things and aren't independent they don't have a lot of confidence. They are also depressed because of social media and lack of face to face human interaction. Even 2 hours a day of screen
...more
This was not an easy book to grapple with. By that I mean, there were times that I felt dismayed reading this book. (I mean, seriously, anyone who takes the time to read this book will be saddened to see the statistics on the decline of reading in general.) Other times I felt incredibly grateful that my children are growing up with a richness of REAL relationships around them. Some chapters were harder than others (mental health crisis); some were hopeful (increasing safety). I would recommend t
...more
I have two daughters that fit right into the generation covered by this book, the iGen. And I was happily surprised to see them and their friends bubble up from these pages. The things about the daughter’s friends that I always found odd, like not wanting to drive, and not reading books – ends up those are examples of different practices that people in this cohort exhibit to a much greater extent than in the past. I found those specific things odd because at their age I was the exact opposite an
...more
There are a tooooooooon of line graphs.
So I came across the author after reading an article she wrote in The Atlantic about whether or not smartphones have destroyed a generation.
I realize I may not be the target audience for this book - the conclusion is largely dedicated to parents on how to "save" their iGen children but I wanted to read this anyways because I was curious about the insights. I wanted to see how much of it held true for myself personally (being born in 1994, and so, on the edg ...more
So I came across the author after reading an article she wrote in The Atlantic about whether or not smartphones have destroyed a generation.
I realize I may not be the target audience for this book - the conclusion is largely dedicated to parents on how to "save" their iGen children but I wanted to read this anyways because I was curious about the insights. I wanted to see how much of it held true for myself personally (being born in 1994, and so, on the edg ...more
I strongly disliked this book. Part of me felt that the author had too much self interest wrapped up in making the "iGen" label stick (for the purpose of growing her consulting and advisory practice). Part of me felt that much of the analysis was far too simplistic -- lumping together many sub-segments of behaviors and attitudes simply because they happen to share birth years. The most distasteful aspect of this book is the alarmist tone. I got the feeling that the author believes this generatio
...more
This was a fascinating book which I found very informative about over all trends and general shifts in culture with the iGen generation however I see its limitations. I’m not convinced every analysis was presented as objectively as it could have and as I listened to this one on audiobook and can’t visually revisit her graphs and statistics I’m left feeling slightly skeptical but over all more informed. Most of all I do think this book communicates that the constant state of innovation our world
...more
Glad to have grown up as generation x
Interesting book detailing how the youngest generation grew up with electronics and has addiction problems to smart phones. I am glad to have grown up without monitoring devices detailing your daily activities.
Interesting book detailing how the youngest generation grew up with electronics and has addiction problems to smart phones. I am glad to have grown up without monitoring devices detailing your daily activities.
3.5 stars. Read for my Social/Emotional Wellness book group at the school where I work. This is an excellent, non-judgmental overview about the outlook, attitudes, and general mindset that characterizes the post-millennial generation, aka. "iGen". What I really appreciated about this work, was that it drew direct connections between adult actions that have translated into child behaviors - an important lesson for all of us, especially when it comes to using phones and social media. I found a lot
...more
Most of the content in this book is being debated and discussed and philosophized about in a variety of online magazines (and other books). I suspect that every reader will find what they want in this book--cell phones are terrible, but every generation changes in response to new technology; children are selfish, but they seem less prone to vandalism.
I suspect this book is best approached as a compendium of charts and graphs.
I suspect this book is best approached as a compendium of charts and graphs.
Concerning (disturbing at points) but important and helpful.
A bit oversimplified but good first look at the latest generation to start the conversation
Phenomenal look at the generation after millennial. Data has been referenced in multiple books i have read. Must read for anyone working with teenagers.
I'm sure some will dislike Twenge's proclivity to edge away from the data into more esoteric speculation but the data itself and the clarity of her presentation and analysis of it more than makes up for this. If this is not an important book, I don't know what is.
This is just the foundations and the fuse to what will surely be hundreds of studies and design projects. It's a bit like discovering the 95% of our DNA that doesn't code for anything or the 97% of our universe we haven't detected. Ther ...more
This is just the foundations and the fuse to what will surely be hundreds of studies and design projects. It's a bit like discovering the 95% of our DNA that doesn't code for anything or the 97% of our universe we haven't detected. Ther ...more
This was an interesting glimpse of our youngest generation, and probably of particular interest to parents and teachers, though all of us are sharing the country/world with the generation Twenge names “iGen” because of they have never known life without smartphones. I thought the first few chapters were the most powerful and most closely aligned with Twenge’s argument: that growing up with smartphones in their hands has significantly affected young adults. Of particular concern is the spike in a
...more
Great overview of the latest generation as they come of age. Heaps of food for thought.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Play Book Tag: iGen: Why Today's Super-Connected Kids are Growing up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, and Less Happy... / Jean M. Twenge. 3.5 stars | 3 | 19 | Aug 27, 2019 06:30PM |
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Dr. Twenge frequently gives talks and seminars on teaching and working with today’s young generation based on a dataset of 11 million young people. Her audiences have included college faculty and staff, high school teachers, military personnel, camp directors, and corporate executives. Her research has been covered in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and T
...more
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“Kids need to learn that you need to feel bad sometimes. We learn through experience, and we learn especially through bad experiences.”
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“Yet GenX'er teens didn't slow down--they were just as likely to drive, drink alcohol, and date as their Boomer peers and more likely to have sex and get pregnant as teens. But then they waited longer to reach full adulthood with careers and children. So GenX'ers managed to lengthen adolescence beyond all previous limits: they started becoming adults earlier and finished becoming adults later.”
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