ON THE HORIZON PREPARING FOR THE IGENERATION AND ALPHA

rior to the iGeneration a generation spanned roughly 25 years, allowing employers a comfortably period of time to adjust to a new generation of employees with unique needs OTH IN BRIEF and expectations. However, the frequency of Pnational events, spaced about a decade apart, coupled with • The iGeneration was born between rapid technological change, has sped up the rate at which a 1995 and 2009. new generation is created. The , now in dwindling numbers and long retired, spanned 1901-1924.59 • The events that define a generation The , also mostly retired, spans 1925-1942. influence their motivations and needs The bulk of the current workforce now consists of Baby in the workplace. Boomers (1943-1960), followed by (Gen X, • There are more people in the 1961-1981), straddled by the Oregon Trail microgeneration iGeneration than there are Boomers or occupying the late 1970s to early 1980s, caught between . the technology that was the norm for the before and after them, and then Millennials (1982-2004).60 • The iGeneration: The iGeneration those born between 1995 and 2009, are » Born between 1995 and 2009. just entering the workforce, and Generation Alpha, those » Is tech based. They can born after 2010 will be hot on their tail. Each generation find anything online and brings with them a unique set of issues, behaviors, and prefer video instruction. characteristics that differentiate them.61 » Is more prone to anxiety and depression. Work place motivations are forged by the unique » Has shorter attention spans. experiences of each generation. These experiences become » Prefers collaborative teams defining traits that impact not only how the generation to independent work. best performs, but also how they interact with the other generations.62 Knowing who the next generation is and » Has less experience than the generations before them. what motivates them is important in obtaining and retaining employees. For GenX, this was establishing a work-life » Lacks critical analysis skills. balance; for Millennials, work culture was the motivator. • Generation Alpha: If their current employer does not embrace technology, » Born after 2010. offer flexible schedules and time off, and provide training, » Has always had a portable mentoring, and feedback, the Millennial employee is willing digital device. to move on, a significant departure from the “you stay with a » Is creative but will lack company until you earn your gold watch” attitude of previous critical reasoning skills. generations.63 While employers continue to learn to manage Millennials and merge them with Gen X and Boomers, the » Is unlikely to attend traditional universities. iGeneration has come of age and is entering the workforce, raising the question, who is this new generation?

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Making up one quarter of the population, This generation consumes information there are more people in the iGeneration than there by switching between platforms and devices are Boomers or Millennials.64 GenZ, Zoomers, or the and prefer imagery to words.70 Their relationship iGeneration are those born after 1995, who have with social media and technology has resulted in grown up in the digital age and have never known “underdeveloped social skills, a shorter attention a world without the Internet.65 Show them a card span, and a greater expectation of quickness catalog and they will blink at you in confusion, but and convenience [as well as] higher rates of this generation can find almost anything on Google. anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicide.”71 The iGeneration’s teachers noticed the impact constant The iGeneration grew up during the Great access to technology has had. Over 85 percent of Recession impacting their values, ideas on finances, teachers agree that the iGeneration student is easily and political opinions.66 The iGeneration is more distracted, a result of the on-demand technology tech based than the generations who came before always within reach.72 them, closely follows geopolitical events, and is skilled at finding information.67 “Compared with The teachers are not just imagining these differences; technology is changing the brains of the 64% of adults overall, 81% of iGens identify money iGeneration from those who came before them. The as a common stressor. They report experiencing human brain is malleable and somewhat subject stress/anxiety about national news events such as to change based on environmental demands.73 mass shootings (75% identify these shootings as Digital devices have been proven to neurocognitively a significant source of stress), increasing suicide alter the brain just through the repeated use of a rates, climate change, immigration separation and smartphone’s touchscreen interface.74 In 2017 Hyung deportation, and sexual harassment.”68 Perhaps Suk Seo, M.D., professor of neuroradiology at Korea because of the financial, political, and societal University in Seoul, South Korea, reported his findings disruptors that have occurred during their life time that Internet and smartphone use was producing the iGeneration is generally more pessimistic, less addiction chemicals in the brains of some of the 69 confident, and less independent. tested teens.75 The offending neurotransmitter can cause in increased drowsiness and anxiety.76

OTH | 17 ON THE HORIZON

Boomer generation of officers is described as strongly valuing organizational loyalty, GenX prefers to empower their juniors, Millennials do not mind change, and the iGeneration use digital networks to gain context and information but lack hands-on experience.81

In fact, more of the iGeneration are “graduating high school without ever having held a job, dated, had sex, or tried alcohol” and are learning to drive a car later than the Millennials did.82 As an effective leader must not understand only their own personality, but the personalities of those they oversee, it is important for court leaders to understand the context in which the iGeneration learns.83 The iGeneration is inherently comfortable with reading, watching, and interacting in an online environment and are particularly skilled Furthermore, studies have shown that at finding any information they need online.84 The disengaging from the real world in favor of the digital iGeneration has a good work ethic, but fears making one results in the same cognitive decline as that mistakes.85 They learn best by observing, researching, experienced in association with age related reduction and collaborating and are more receptive to being 77 in engaging lifestyle. Children with more screen mentored than being ordered.86 This is due in part to time have structural differences in the regions of a preference to brainstorm ideas, consider a problem the brain that support language and literacy skills from multiple perspectives, and then obtain consensus including imagery, mental control, and self-regulation, on the best solution.87 However, this generation tends raising questions as to whether there is a long-term to lack critical analysis skills.88 As such, courts would 78 neurodevelopmental risk. Research has also shown be wise to anticipate ways to develop critical analysis that digital readers absorb and remember less than skills among their new iGeneration employees by those who read from a physical page and score lower encouraging them to critically think and write.89 New 79 on empathy. As such, employers cannot just expect hires should also be assigned or encouraged to find a the iGeneration to buckle down and behave like those mentor. Establishing teams for iGeneration employees who came before them; the iGeneration’s brain is to collaborate with may yield the best work results. actually different than their older co-workers. This also means that high-stress organizations, such as the court system, may need to increase their wellness programs and commitment to the mental health and wellbeing of their employees to meet the needs of the depression- and anxiety-prone iGeneration.

The military provides a unique opportunity to examine the different generational perspectives. The military currently has four generations of officers: Boomers, GenX, Millennials, and the iGeneration. These generations each have their own perspectives shaped by their generation-specific experiences.80 These differences can lead to conflict. In terms of the Army, the Optometry Divas

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Having always had smart tools in their Generation Alpha: hand, Generation Alpha’s minds will be structured Younger and the tech differently, being more akin to AI robots and quantum computers than conventional human reasoning.97 hungriest generation yet Because of their reliance on technology for all aspects of their lives, Generation Alpha will be better at “assimilating a compilation of different types of information from watching one single video compared to a Millennial.”98 iGeneration in the Courts The coronavirus is forcing the courts to rapidly shift how they interact with their workforce, taking the courts virtual. Although the iGeneration is new to the workforce, they may be particularly adept at helping the court adopt and thrive in this new norm. As courts bring on the iGeneration they should anticipate areas of likely conflict. The high stress and vicarious trauma that often occurs in courts is likely Closely on the iGeneration’s heels is to be felt acutely by this generation. Additionally, Generation Alpha—those born after 2010.90 They courts are notoriously slow to adopt technological have always had a digital portable device, being changes. This is likely to result in frustration for both born the same year the first iPad was launched, and the iGeneration who may see the court’s practices “are less proficient in practical skills, assessing and and procedures as being archaic and updating at approaching risk and setting and achieving goals.”91 an excruciatingly glacial pace, whereas the older Generation Alpha is more global and creative but generations may bristle at pressure from these new somewhat lacking in critical reasoning skills.92 employees to institute procedures and technologies They prefer watching a video to reading an article.93 that do not have a long history of reliably working for The Alpha Generation is predicted to be the most the courts. The iGeneration is also more likely to want formally educated generation, but they will not be to work as a team, sometimes through technologies attending a traditional university.94 Gen Alpha will that are foreign to current court employees. This be less inclined to pursue general education college may frustrate those who work more independently degrees, or a college degree at all.95 Emboldened or are irritated by the need to add these technologies by the tech startup founders who did not pursue or into their daily routine. The courts should anticipate complete college educations, Generation Alpha will contending with two generations demanding a more seek a much more custom education than traditional flexible work environment. This will include push college degrees provide.96 As such, minimum back against the concepts of required work hours degree requirements and the use of AI to weed out and in office locations in favor of flexibility so long applicants based on how closely they meet these as deadlines are met. The iGeneration is here. Is your degree requirements may further reduce an already court ready? limited applicant pool for court employee positions. Thus, applicant screening pools or job requirements may need to be retooled to ensure otherwise qualified applicants are not being excluded.

OTH | 19 Preparing for the iGeneration and Generation Alpha

59 Clint Pumphrey, How the Greatest Generation Works, HowStuffWorks, https://people.howstuffworks. com/culture-traditions/generation-gaps/greatest-generation1.htm [https://perma.cc/UX37-3ZSU]. 60 Pumphrey, supra note 37; Anna Garvey, The Oregon Trail Generation: Life Before and After Mainstream Tech, Mashable, May 21, 2015, https://mashable.com/2015/05/21/oregon-trail-generation/ [https:// perma.cc/NTQ6-FHWT]. 61 The Whys and Hows of Generations Research, Pew Research Center, Sept. 3, 2015, https://www.people- press.org/2015/09/03/the-whys-and-hows-of-generations-research/ [https://perma.cc/NBQ5-PECD]. 62 John Rampton, Different Motivations for Different Generations of Workers: Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z An honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work isn’t always the case., Inc., (Oct 17, 2017), https://www. inc.com/john-rampton/different-motivations-for-different-generations-of-workers-boomers-gen-x- millennials-gen-z.html [https://perma.cc/A2CP-AS2B]. 63 Id. 64 Id. 65 They’re Coming: Everything You Need To Know About Training Gen-Z Employees, SHIFT (Aug. 17, 2018), https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/gen-z-employees-training [https://perma.cc/LP9L-CG9J].

66 Corinne A. Coppinger, The iGeneration: New Consumers of Healthcare, Women’s Healthcare, Sept. 19, 2019, https://www.npwomenshealthcare.com/igeneration-new-consumers-of-healthcare/ [https:// perma.cc/SRS2-NF72]. 67 Scotty Autin, From the to the iGeneration: An Overview of the Army Officer’s Generational Divides, From the Green Notebook (Jan. 7, 2020), https://fromthegreennotebook.com/2020/01/07/from- the-lost-generation-to-the-igeneration-an-overview-of-the-army-officers-generational-divides/ [https://perma.cc/8PNN-XXPL]. 68 Id. 69 Id. 70 They’re Coming: Everything You Need to Know About Training Gen-Z Employees, SHIFT (Aug. 17, 2018), https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/gen-z-employees-training [https://perma.cc/LP9L-CG9J]. 71 Coppinger, supra note 44.

72 Joseph Firth et al., The “Online Brain”: How the Internet May Be Changing Our Cognition, 18 World Psychiatry: Official J. World Psychiatric Ass’n. 119-29 (2019), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6502424/ [https://perma.cc/WMY6-EV2K]. 73 Id. 74 Id. 75 Radiological Society of North America, Smartphone Addiction Creates Imbalance in Brain, Study Suggests, ScienceDaily, Nov. 30, 2017, https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/11/171130090041.htm [https://perma.cc/7MBW-GB5T]. 76 Id.

OTH | 37 77 Firth et al., supra note 50. 78 Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Screen-based Media Associated with Structural Differences in Brains of Young Children, ScienceDaily, Nov. 4, 2019, https://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2019/11/191104112918.htm [https://perma.cc/FFZ7-6ZR2]

79 7 Scientific Benefits of Reading Printed Books, Mental Floss https://www.mentalfloss.com/ article/554845/7-scientific-benefits-reading-printed-books [https://perma.cc/69ZQ-KEGH]. 80 Autin, supra note 45. 81 Autin, supra note 45. 82 Coppinger, supra note 44. 83 Autin, supra note 45. 84 Id. 85 Coppinger, supra note. 44. 86 Autin, supra note. 45. 87 Id. 88 Id. 89 Id. 90 Genevieve Shaw Brown, After Gen Z, Meet Gen Alpha. What to Know About the Generation Born 2010 to Today, Yahoo News, Feb. 17, 2020, https://www.yahoo.com/gma/gen-z-meet-gen-alpha-know- generation-born-091610135--abc-news-topstories.html [https://perma.cc/9YVH-VHHP]. 91 Id. 92 Id. 93 Id.

94 Generation Alpha: An IEducation for an IGeneration, EEA News, June 26, 2019, https://eduniversal-eea. com/news/Generation-alpha-an-ieducation-for-an-igeneration.html [https://perma.cc/MBX6-MQ6P]. 95 Id. 96 Id. 97 Id. 98 Id.

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