by Gina Schreck

In the past 7 days, I have Linked In with 23 people, written on my daughter’s Face Book wall, sent 3 Jott messages to myself (my memory isn’t as good as it used to be), and read at least 12 Jott messages from our daughter’s soccer coach, who uses it constantly to send broadcast messages out to the parents and girls. I set up a new Ning network to check it out and see what that has to offer after reading an article in Fast Company. I have attended 3 different meetings in Second Life with my avatar, where I met two new business contacts on our island, and even “followed” my husband’s appointment activities using Twitter.

In that same week, I listened to 3 podcasts on different business topics, took some short video footage of my daughter’s winning football toss at field day using my Flip Video camcorder (where, by the way, she whooped all the boys), and then loaded them onto YouTube so her friends could watch them. I constantly use the Bluetooth connection in my car to talk on my cell phone, and can’t live without “Gloria,” my GPS (Gloria Petunia Schreck is the name my daughters gave her), to find me the closest Starbucks!

At Synapse 3Di, not only am I one of the founders, but I am the DIGITAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER. My job is to help those of us over the age of 35 immigrate into this foreign land of digital technology. While I have accounts and profiles at all of these places and I am more connected than a person really has a need for, I do not consider myself a “hyperconnected” individual. I check my email and text messages throughout the day, but check in on most of the other accounts perhaps 3 or 4 times a week. But look at those 20-somethings in our work environments or in our homes: they are connected 24/7—at work, home, restaurants, everywhere. They are hyperconnected!

In a recent study conducted by IDC (International Data Corporation), 2,400 working adults in 17 countries were polled. The results showed 16 percent were using 9 or more products/objects/technogadgets to stay connected, and on those gadgets they were running more than 20 applications. That’s Hyperconnectivity! Right behind the Hyperconnected were those who used 5 or more gadgets and ran at least 10 applications. They are the “increasingly connected.”

What does all this mean? How will this change our world? Well, first it’s important to realize that our world is always changing. Technology is not going away, and as the American social writer, Eric Hoffer, beautifully put it, “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” It is time to wake up and smell your old hard drive burning!

Because I am asked to speak on today’s technology and how we can use it to share knowledge, collaborate, and build relationships in a global environment, I often hear from “digital immigrants” (those over the age of 35) that it is all so overwhelming. It can be if you think you must use everything.

Here are four keys to successfully immigrating into this digital landscape:

• Keep a spirit of adventure
  See this as continuing education and be open and willing to try new technology. See if it fits into your world. Talk to others about how they are using this tool and look for success stories. You can usually find others around you who will complain right along with you and assure you that there is no need for advancement in technology. Just hand them two sticks and let them build a bonfire alone. Find those who are successfully implementing and using new technology.
• Find a mentor under the age of 25
  If you are like most people, you hang around people your own age, and if you are a digital immigrant, you need to find a digital native to take you by the hand and show you the world through their eyes. Listen to how they talk. Explore how they are connecting to their friends, coworkers, and family members. Be open-minded and you will see the future through their lenses.
• Take one application per month and explore
  The best way to get in, for some, is to start at the shallow end and take one step at a time. Perhaps this month you set up a Linked In account. Spend about an hour each day (remember, this is your education) contacting old friends and coworkers, recommending some of your business associates or adding information to your profile. Next month try Face Book, Jott, or be really adventurous and attend one of our free learning sessions in Second Life. It’s not so scary when you take baby steps.
• Explore in groups
  Adventures are always more fun when done in groups. Get two or three friends or coworkers together and make it a fun learning experience. If you are setting up your avatars to attend events in Second Life, we always recommend coming in with someone else. (We have an SL Mentor group, that meets newbies “in-world” to show them around to the educational sites and give tips on using voice communication, chatting with other conference attendees, even how to sit or change your avatar’s appearance. It’s a great adventure when you can fly around, learning and exploring with a personal guide.) Just as people form networking groups to learn about investing and other financial strategies, groups are popping up everywhere for people who are exploring the new digital world.

Two years ago, I sat at a table in Bangalore, India, with a training director form Ireland, two managers from India, and my husband (who is also my business partner) from the US. We were getting ready to develop and roll out a program dealing with leading virtual teams, using live learning events, workbooks, and lots of webinars and conference calls. Today that same initial meeting can take place in our Synapse 3Di Second Life campus, saving thousands of dollars and many hours of travel, and still get to sit around a table, laughing, talking, and building relationships. Programs are now incorporating engaging multimedia tools and virtual team building events that are actually allowing participants to learn from one another, share successes, and receive small group coaching.

“Beep-Beep-Beep”— I just got a text message from the client I was meeting at 2:00. She wants to know if we can make it 2:30, since she is running behind. Ahh, I now have time for a cup of coffee! It is a beautifully hyperconnected world!

2008© Gina Schreck is the Co-Founder and Digital Immigration Officer at Synapse 3Di. She speaks and writes on using today’s technology. Synapse 3Di connects experts to organizations using mixed media—live events, podcasts, blog content and exciting Second Life learning events.