Learned a bit about life from my teenage son recently. On our way home in the car he told me about how he was complimented for being " real ". Naturally I queried about the vernacular of the term and as expected I got the typical teenage response. Simply put kids see it the way they see it. They call it when they see it and anyone who holds back from openly firing out these sentiments anywhere at anytime does not hold membership in or the credentials to be designated as "real" (I'm sure to be corrected on this interpretation).
What follows is an analysis of the evolution of being "Real" and how it's changed today.
"Real"
Admittedly I'm from the last generation (so called Gen X) that was born into a world that was not predicated on building virtual lives. Up till the most recent generation, a majority of people worked at physical jobs that required you to actually go to a work location and physically work. Pure intellectual jobs were far and few between, life was lived "in person" and the notion of virtualizing a life "online" in an online world was but a distant thought on a white board, ok chalk board. Video games were crude blocks on a television screen, imitating little of the reality based games we know of today. Dating was done in person, relationships took place at a physical location. People connected through physical interactions, the web barely existed and was limited to the few of us who could afford a modem. I could go on forever or so it seems on how things were different back then but I already am starting to sound a bit like an old curmudgeon. "Real" back then had a smell, a taste, and you came to cherish the "real" as yours and something you wanted to physically share with others.
"Real Beta"
As the 80's gave way to the 90's, access to computers and the web became more prevlant. Games started to mimic things we saw in life. Work started to transform from the physical to the intellectual and more often where you worked started to become where you were at the moment not where the office was. Social aspects of a connected world started to become more prevlant. You could now share communications across the world with just about anyone in just a few seconds. People you'll never meet became regular participants in communications. As the 00's and 10's blossomed the explosion of mobile, social media and gaming interactions changed the face of human interaction forever. The reality of an online persona that was born in the 90's and matured into a fully fledged integrated part of an individual.
"Real Conscience"
As social media became more prevalent the idea of creating an online persona or "conscience" became a prerequisite for being "real". A plethora of virtual sharing sites emerged. Facebook Twitter Instagram SnapChat YikYak and many more took steps to become part of this "real conscience". These sites manage to entice people (myself included) to share bits of their "real" lives but in a very new way. In these sites "real" can be edited, deleted and often used to communicate to the masses like never before.
"The Real Generation"
Now let's return to that conversation with my teenage son. His vernacular for "real" is defined by how similar his real life and online real life are to one another. Any discrepancy between the two would make him less "real". Most parents will shutter at the thought of their child's every thought being online. The belief that even the most temporary feeling must be shared is one that is strong in my sons generation and one they will seek out ways to accomplish. Sites like Snapchat and YikYak have capitalized on this model by enabling the sharing of these "real "experiences something that isn't permanently connected to the "real" world user.
As "The Real Generation" matures it will be interesting to see how the evolution of "Real" continues. Will there be even further integration between their lives and technology? Will there be a rebellion against sharing and a return to physical social interactions? Or a blend somewhere in between?
Only time will tell.
