San Diego State University professor to give presentation about the "smartphone generation"
Jean Twenge, a psychology professor at San Diego State University is coming to Central Michigan University to talk about young people and technology.
Twenge is presenting "iGen: Understanding the Smartphone Generation" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 in French Auditorium.
The iGen –specifically people born after 1995 – is the first generation of people who have spent their entire adolescence with cellphones. The adolescents of iGen are growing up considerably slower and take longer to engage in adult activities.
"Dr. Twenge's research invites us all – students in the iGen as well as Boomers, Generation Xers, and millennials – to critically examine our relationship with our technology and, in doing so, examine our relationships with one another," said teacher education and professional development faculty member Troy Hicks.
Twenge often gives lectures and seminars on today's young generation about how to work with them and teach them. She is the author of more than 140 scientific publications and books.
"Students can connect the generational data that Dr. Twenge will share in her lecture to their own experiences as users of technology," Hicks said. "In doing so, they can make more informed choices about when, why, and how to use the devices in their pockets to learn, to work, and, yes, even to be entertained."
Twenge's speech is a part of the T. R. Johnson Endowed Speaker Series in the College of Education and Human Services.
The event is free and open to the public.
