Information. Some people have it, some
people want it. Whose responsibility is it?
I’m not talking about something high
stakes, like secure memos and such. I’m talking about simple answers to
questions.
But the answer to “Whose responsibility
is it?” is not so easy.
We’ve got a huge generational divide, my
friends. And the generations are not necessarily based on age.
One group is the “Internet Generation.”
Let’s call them the IGs. They can be any age, but they are the people who have
been so deeply connected with the internet for the last 10-15 years that
they’ve soaked up certain cultural norms related to being online.
The second group is made up of the
“Casual Internet Users” or CIUs. They use the internet, but it’s not their
second home.
They don’t look that different, at first
glance. You’ll probably find members of both groups on Facebook, or reading
your church newsletter in their email.
But their respective experiences with
the internet have dramatically shaped their feelings concerning who is
responsible for information sharing/obtaining.
Speaking broadly: IGs believe that if
there is easily-obtained information to be had, it is the responsibility of the
individual to get it. CIUs believe the responsibility is on the person doing
the communication to explain any terms used.
Here’s the background: When the Internet
was new, IGs would enter into communal spaces (bulletin boards, social media,
etc) and would be chastised if they asked a question that was in the FAQ – a
list of Frequently Asked Questions. This taught them that it was their
responsibility to seek out information before daring to ask a question. This is
now so much of the IGs collective norms that:
a) there are websites where you can get
information on new or slang references, (such as https://www.urbandictionary.com/ and http://knowyourmeme.com/)
b) There is a snarky website called “Let
Me Google That for You” (http://lmgtfy.com/) where you can send people when you feel they asked you a question with an answer they could have obtained for themselves.
Contrast that with the CIUs. For older
CIUs especially, “looking something up” for their homework didn’t mean pulling
out their phone, or even laptop. It meant going to the library or if you were
lucky, going to that giant set of Encyclopedia Britannicas in your den. Better
to just ask Dad why birds fly south for the winter, and hope for a good answer.
We know that the internet is changing
our brains, and in addition to mere habit, we are probably fighting different
neurological patterns that have been laid down through our respective
experiences. But it can mean big problems and hurt feelings across the
generations, simply because one group doesn’t understand the cultural
expectations of the other.
In a church for example, here’s how it
may play out: an IG member writes a newsletter column and uses the term “YMMV.”
A CIU member reads that, doesn’t know what it means, and feels excluded. The IG
member assumed that everyone would either know the term or look it up – but
probably this assumption was at a subconscious level, because it’s just part of
the norm in IG culture.
IG isn’t trying to exclude anyone. CIU
member just wants to know what’s going on. No one’s fault, they just speak from
two different cultures.
In the end, for those of us in
covenanted communities, our question is not really “whose responsibility is it?”
The question is, How can we be
hospitable and respectful to each other, across this cultural change?
IGs: go the extra step in explaining any
slang or pop-referential terms you use, when you’re trying to communicate to a
wide audience.
CIUs: if you see a term you don’t
understand, first type it into google and see what comes up. If you can’t find
an answer that makes sense, ask the originator. Most people are happy to
explain, especially if you’ve tried to find the answer yourself.
Oh, and YMMV … https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/ymmv
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