Using Social Media Tools to Reach Digital Natives

Digital Natives, people for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, are already a major part of our society and have a heavy influence on our future. Digital Natives have different attitudes, approaches and habits than those in preceding generations. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using digital media to express themselves, connect with friends, explore their worlds and create new content. By understanding the Digital Natives interactions with digital media, we will be able to better understand how to harness the opportunities their digital fluency presents and ultimately engage them in NASAs mission. This session aims to address this challenge and explore how we can use social media tools to engage Digital Natives in our mission.

Specific questions to be discussed during this session:

Who is the Digital Native? Do Digital Natives really process information in a different way than Digital Immigrants? How do we use social media to recruit, engage and organize Digital Natives around our mission? Do they even want to participate?How can an existing organization adapt to the attitudes, approaches and habits of the Digital Natives?

*

The first need is to become aware of the world in which we live; to survey its forces; to see the opposition in forces that are contending for mastery; to make up ones mind which of these forces come from a past that the world in its potential powers has outlived and which are indicative of a better and happier future. (Dewey, 1958)*

Digital Natives and Social Media*

Digital Natives are*

Wired: Digital Natives have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, iPods, video cams, cell phones, email, instant messaging, and social networking sites.*

Wireless: Digital natives thrive on the convenience of communicating electronically and wirelessly.*

Always On: Their networks and conversations dont end. Many are comfortable blurring the liens between work and life. *

Mobile: Work is not just at the office, its at the coffee shop, the hotel lobby, or at the airport.*

Instantaneous: Digital Natives are used to giving and receiving information immediately. Anything is just a Google search away.*

Impatient: Many raised in an environment and conditioned for instant gratification. May get bored or frustrated in the information flow is poor or too slow.*

Expecting: Expectations arising from absorbing the culture and environment around them. Many have high expectations for salary, job flexibility, lifestyle, technology, and the future. *

Famous: The internet gives anyone instant access to an audience.*

Information Saturated: Continuous partial attention and multi-tasking. Studies suggest Digital Natives may think and process information fundamentally differently. *

Experimental: New ideas can be implemented immediately without the need to ask for permission.*

Participatory: Digital Natives work, write and interact with each other in ways that are very different from other generations.*

Empowered: Encouraged to pursue happiness, follow their dreams, and embrace individuality. *

Global: Digital Natives grew up in a world that is connected, accessible, interactive and open.*

Diverse: Each of them have varing degrees of access to digital technologies, literacy skills, and participation within their peer culture. *

Here*

Here and already making a large impact!*

This generation has a lot to offer. It is*

A generation that can use tools and create technology that will change the world in new ways.*

A generation that can innovate and communicate in new and distinctive ways.*

A generation that can leverage their optimism and potential for a better future.*

A generation that can be extremely productive and supportive, if engaged. *

Why*

Aviation Week: 2010 Young Professionals / University Student Survey*

Young professionals and university students are interested in aerospace and defense careers.*

There is a disconnect between career expectations and reality, particularly with regard to the time between promotions.*

Industry and government agencies need to continuously recruit current employees*

As the industry has become more program-centric, transitions to new positions internally have become more difficult*

Engagement*

So, how do we engage digital natives?*

Social > media*

Social media is a conversation that takes place online*

Social media is the online tools that people use to create, share and connect with each other*

To some, this may all sound like*

Blah blah blah blah blah*

Blah blah blah blah*

Blah blah blah*

blah*

So why should we care?*

#1) social media affects how information is delivered*

#2) social media affects how knowledge is collected and organized*

#3) social media affects how people communicate*

#4) social media affects how people collaborate*

If you listen, youll hear*

I love that NASA is tweeting. I started following @NASA and now Im hooked. Its a great way to connect what you are doing to the population at large. Thanks and keep up the good work. *

Hey where can I find that? Ill send it right over! Thanks for the info. I love hearing directly from the astronauts and many other people about what they are working on at NASA.*

The open and honest feedback from NASA was really helpful. NASA is so cool! NASA captured my imagination with an astronaut school visit explaining the new space shuttle. I love being able to follow your progress today!*

How cool. I cant wait to work at NASA when I grow up.Can I help?Thanks NASA. That was inspiring!I didnt realize NASA was doing that! How cool!*

Career*

Today: hierarchical; vertical organizational chart; climbed through the ranks vs mobile; more opportunitiesTomorrow: flat organization; global workforce*

Commitment*

Today: 20-year long service; work long hours; why change? Vs. 2-3 years; loyal to interesting work; change is expectedTomorrow: organization and management innovation*

Work Style*

Today: structured; process driven vs fluid, multi-tasking; multiple projectsTomorrow: content domain experts; generalists; project based*

Crodsourcing, guestsourcing, staffsourcing (whatever its called)*

Success*

Today: work to live vs meaningful; sense of communityTomorrow: corporate responsibility; green; organic working groups*

Training*

Today: expected; classrooms vs. demanded; mentor/coaching; on the job trainingTomorrow: use of technology*

Shifts*

The best ideas and engineering solutions may NOT be coming from inside NASA*

A challenge for NASA to change the way we do business by adopting new technologies and new practices*

A process not a product*

It is the responsibility of each office, program and employee*

Nicholas Skytland, @skytland, slideshare.net/skytland*

Using Social Media Tools to Reach Digital Natives

Digital Natives, people for whom digital technologies already existed when they were born, are already a major part of our society and have a heavy influence on our future. Digital Natives have different attitudes, approaches and habits than those in preceding generations. They have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using digital media to express themselves, connect with friends, explore their worlds and create new content. By understanding the Digital Natives interactions with digital media, we will be able to better understand how to harness the opportunities their digital fluency presents and ultimately engage them in NASAs mission. This session aims to address this challenge and explore how we can use social media tools to engage Digital Natives in our mission.

Specific questions to be discussed during this session:

Who is the Digital Native? Do Digital Natives really process information in a different way than Digital Immigrants? How do we use social media to recruit, engage and organize Digital Natives around our mission? Do they even want to participate?How can an existing organization adapt to the attitudes, approaches and habits of the Digital Natives?

*The first need is to become aware of the world in which we live; to survey its forces; to see the opposition in forces that are contending for mastery; to make up ones mind which of these forces come from a past that the world in its potential powers has outlived and which are indicative of a better and happier future. (Dewey, 1958)*Digital Natives and Social Media*Digital Natives are*Wired: Digital Natives have spent their entire lives surrounded by and using computers, videogames, iPods, video cams, cell phones, email, instant messaging, and social networking sites.*Wireless: Digital natives thrive on the convenience of communicating electronically and wirelessly.*Always On: Their networks and conversations dont end. Many are comfortable blurring the liens between work and life. *Mobile: Work is not just at the office, its at the coffee shop, the hotel lobby, or at the airport.*Instantaneous: Digital Natives are used to giving and receiving information immediately. Anything is just a Google search away.*Impatient: Many raised in an environment and conditioned for instant gratification. May get bored or frustrated in the information flow is poor or too slow.*Expecting: Expectations arising from absorbing the culture and environment around them. Many have high expectations for salary, job flexibility, lifestyle, technology, and the future. *Famous: The internet gives anyone instant access to an audience.*Information Saturated: Continuous partial attention and multi-tasking. Studies suggest Digital Natives may think and process information fundamentally differently. *Experimental: New ideas can be implemented immediately without the need to ask for permission.*Participatory: Digital Natives work, write and interact with each other in ways that are very different from other generations.*Empowered: Encouraged to pursue happiness, follow their dreams, and embrace individuality. *Global: Digital Natives grew up in a world that is connected, accessible, interactive and open.*Diverse: Each of them have varing degrees of access to digital technologies, literacy skills, and participation within their peer culture. *Here*Here and already making a large impact!*This generation has a lot to offer. It is*A generation that can use tools and create technology that will change the world in new ways.*A generation that can innovate and communicate in new and distinctive ways.*A generation that can leverage their optimism and potential for a better future.*A generation that can be extremely productive and supportive, if engaged. *Why*Aviation Week: 2010 Young Professionals / University Student Survey*Young professionals and university students are interested in aerospace and defense careers.*There is a disconnect between career expectations and reality, particularly with regard to the time between promotions.*Industry and government agencies need to continuously recruit current employees*As the industry has become more program-centric, transitions to new positions internally have become more difficult*Engagement*So, how do we engage digital natives?*Social > media*Social media is a conversation that takes place online*Social media is the online tools that people use to create, share and connect with each other*To some, this may all sound like*Blah blah blah blah blah*Blah blah blah blah*Blah blah blah*blah*So why should we care?*#1) social media affects how information is delivered*#2) social media affects how knowledge is collected and organized*#3) social media affects how people communicate*#4) social media affects how people collaborate*If you listen, youll hear*I love that NASA is tweeting. I started following @NASA and now Im hooked. Its a great way to connect what you are doing to the population at large. Thanks and keep up the good work. *Hey where can I find that? Ill send it right over! Thanks for the info. I love hearing directly from the astronauts and many other people about what they are working on at NASA.*The open and honest feedback from NASA was really helpful. NASA is so cool! NASA captured my imagination with an astronaut school visit explaining the new space shuttle. I love being able to follow your progress today!*How cool. I cant wait to work at NASA when I grow up.Can I help?Thanks NASA. That was inspiring!I didnt realize NASA was doing that! How cool!*Career*Today: hierarchical; vertical organizational chart; climbed through the ranks vs mobile; more opportunitiesTomorrow: flat organization; global workforce*Commitment*Today: 20-year long service; work long hours; why change? Vs. 2-3 years; loyal to interesting work; change is expectedTomorrow: organization and management innovation*Work Style*Today: structured; process driven vs fluid, multi-tasking; multiple projectsTomorrow: content domain experts; generalists; project based*Crodsourcing, guestsourcing, staffsourcing (whatever its called)*Success*Today: work to live vs meaningful; sense of communityTomorrow: corporate responsibility; green; organic working groups*Training*Today: expected; classrooms vs. demanded; mentor/coaching; on the job trainingTomorrow: use of technology*Shifts*The best ideas and engineering solutions may NOT be coming from inside NASA*A challenge for NASA to change the way we do business by adopting new technologies and new practices*A process not a product*It is the responsibility of each office, program and employee*Nicholas Skytland, @skytland, slideshare.net/skytland*