Additional information
by Catherine D. Henry (Author), Leslie Shannon (Author)
The eclipse of Digital Natives and the dawn of virtual culture--how Gen A, Z are radically redefining the future of work, play, economics, and social life.
We're living through what is arguably one of the most exciting, confusing, and powerful social moments in the history of humanity, the shift from the Digital Age to the Virtual Age. This shift is being driven by technology, and the people who are leading it are the ones who know it best: the Virtual Natives, made up of Gen Alpha and Z. This book will introduce you to the Virtual Native cohort and mindset, decipher their socio-cultural and economic experiences, and unpack their expectations of companies looking to engage, market, or employ them.
In this book, we explore:
- How Virtual Natives are deploying the new technologies driving the virtualized world
- How relationships and work habits are being virtualized
- Identify ten main Virtual Native-led behaviors that are upending work and culture
- How Virtual Natives are evolving their expertise into a full-blown economy
This is nothing short of a cultural revolution. Virtual Natives are the driving force behind a seismic change that is redefining the world through technology and virtual worlds: this book tells you how they are navigating everything from AI to Augmented and virtual reality, gaming, blockchain and Web3 in easy, accessible language.
To understand the future, read Virtual Natives.
Front Jacket
The eclipse of Digital Natives and the dawn of a new, virtual culture--how Generations Z and Alpha are radically redefining the future of work, play, economics, and social life.
With the advent of Artificial Intelligence, Spatial Computing, the Metaverse, and Web3, we're living through what is arguably one of the most exciting, confusing, and powerful social moments in the history of humanity, marking the shift from the Digital Age to the Virtual Age. This shift is being driven by culture, and the people who are leading it are the ones who know the technology best: the Virtual Natives. This book will introduce you to the new tech-savvy Virtual Native generation, decipher how they fundamentally differ from elder "Digital Natives", and reveal how they are using these new technologies to radically transform the future of education, work, play, entertainment, and culture itself.
For the first time in over two decades, Virtual Natives explores how the latest technologies are being adopted by a new generation, and how their expectations are significantly at odds with the expectations of previous generations. The result is a useful guide to both parents and companies looking to engage, market, or employ this young and influential group.
Virtual Natives are evolving their expertise to forge the future on their own terms, with powerful implications. Virtual Natives examines these implications by identifying ten core themes that drive this cohort's work- and culture-upending behaviors.
This is nothing short of a cultural revolution. Virtual Natives are the driving force behind a seismic change that is redefining the world through technology and virtual worlds. Virtual Natives is your handbook for understanding this change--and perhaps your guide to becoming a Virtual Native yourself.
Back Jacket
PRAISE FOR VIRTUAL NATIVES
"Virtual Natives are our future, and our normal. For anyone wanting to understand this new generation, Henry and Shannon's reporting from the frontlines of the shift from 'digital' to 'virtual' is packed with stories exploring how the lifestyles, behaviors and expectations of this brash new cohort will reshape all aspects of society."
--HENRY COUTINHO-MASON, Author of The Future Normal and Trend-Driven Innovation
"This book is a great read for anyone looking to understand online behaviors of a new generation. Virtual Natives is an optimistic view of how the next generation can use its agency and empowerment to lead us all in a better direction. Bravo!"
--PHILIP ROSEDALE, Founder, Second Life
"A necessary book! More than just an explanation that the Virtual Natives are different, but a larger discussion of why they are different and how that is going to affect us. It is essential for parents, employers and decision makers to understand how Virtual Natives are abandoning the reality of the rules of the past and rewriting the reality of the rules for the future--and how this is going to make the world a better place."
--DR. ANGELINA DAYTON, Executive Director, Virtual World Society
Author Biography
CATHERINE D. HENRY is a US-based futurist and corporate strategist advising some of the world's largest brands on how technology is disrupting business, media, entertainment, and culture, and how to transition to a 3D web. A specialist in frontier technologies with 20 years as a global institutional advisor, she is a leading African-American female in technology and an engaging keynote speaker who holds an MBA in marketing, an MA in economics and speaks five languages. She has been recognized by Campaign and Ad Age magazines as a leader in Web3 advertising and media (2023).
LESLIE SHANNON is a Silicon Valley-based futurist and corporate advisor focusing on connectivity-related tech disruptions and opportunities, including robotics, drones, visual analytics, cloud gaming, AR, and VR. She is the author of Interconnected Realities.
