The Communication of Our Next Generation

I wrote a blog yesterday about being persistent to stay ahead of the competition.  My message was about using the phone to make contacts.  I received some really interesting comments back.  Most of the posts said they didn't like making phone calls because they didn't want to come off as pushy or desperate.  That is certainly the mental block of most salespeople.  They don't want to come across as being a used car salesmen.

One particular post presented an entirely different conversation.  The post basically said the younger generation finds a telephone call annoying.  They want to be communicated to through any version of the internet.  It made me think about how I use my cellphone or smartphone.  I surf the web, text, e-mail, twitter and Facebook.  I'm realizing now how little I actually use it as a phone.  We don't even have a home phone.  We kind of thought why pay for a phone when we both have a cellphone.

They talk about the current generation of college grads lacking leaders.  We've raised this current generation to have their entire lives scheduled for them.  When I was eight years old, I used to be able to be outside with my friends until sun down.  With all the crazy people out there, I won't let my eight year old play out front unless I'm out there with them.  That's caused us to schedule everything for them.  They basically wake up and spend the day having their parents walk them to school, pick them up, schedule a play date, put them in sports, dance, theater, etc. etc.  Those kids are in college now saying, "WHOA, you mean I need to do this myself?"

Now the next generation has all of these technological tools to communicate without actually talking to each other.  What effect will that cause?  One of the funniest commercials right now is the one where the girlfriend texts her boyfriend from across the table that she is breaking up with him.  She changes her Facebook status to single.  Finally, she calls him as the commercial ends.  Funny now, but a glimpse into our future?

If we're concerned about who will be the leaders of this current generation, shouldn't we be concerned with who will be the communicators of the next generation?