Virtual Natives

PART 2The Revolution Starts Here

These, then, are the characteristics that set Virtual Natives apart from other generations and mindsets: VNs use digital tools to live life on their own terms; they view the physical and digital worlds with equal legitimacy; they are widely accepting of identity fluidity in themselves and others; they anchor their view of authority in the twin attributes of charisma and authenticity; they are deeply expert in digital ways; they know how to make money from their digital enterprises; they are used to calling their own shots and can react badly when their ability to find their own happiness is limited; they communicate in images rather than text; and they are already leaning hard into the vast possibilities opened up by collaborating with Artificial Intelligence.

Now that we're familiar with the motivations and behaviors that Virtual Natives have developed while still largely teenagers, let's explore how they interact with the wider world and extant systems in it. This is particularly important to do now, right as Virtual Natives on the brink of adulthood begin to leave their childhood homes in large numbers to enter the adult worlds of work, bureaucracy, and finance, all areas that they have had scant interaction with in the past. And this is where it gets interesting.

Virtual Natives are equipped for action unlike any generation that has preceded them and are already taking education, work, and their future stability into their own hands. How ...