A new study overturns the common assumption that the ‘Google
Generation' – youngsters born or brought up in the Internet age
– is the most web-literate. The first ever virtual longitudinal
study carried out by the CIBER research team at University College
London claims that, although young people demonstrate an apparent
ease and familiarity with computers, they rely heavily on search
engines, view rather than read and do not possess the critical and
analytical skills to assess the information that they find on the
web.
The report Information Behaviour
of the Researcher of the Future (PDF format; 1.67MB) also shows
that research-behaviour traits that are commonly associated with
younger users – impatience in search and navigation, and zero tolerance
for any delay in satisfying their information needs – are now becoming
the norm for all age-groups, from younger pupils and undergraduates
through to professors.
All age groups revealed to share so-called ‘Google Generation'
traits
clipped from: www.bl.uk