Boomers and Silents feel the American Dream is a comfortable retirement according to the study. The American Dream Coalition says it’s a home with a yard and an automobile. Princeton defines it as the widespread aspiration of Americans to live better than their parents did.

95% of Gen Y compared to 53% of Baby Boomers  feel they will achieve the American Dream in their lifetime. It’s a matter of having a family and children versus a comfortable retirement as your objective…

In 1931, J.T. Adams (1878–1949), U.S. writer and historian, in “Epic of America” wrote about the American Dream:

That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position.

What does the American Dream mean to you and do you feel you will achieve it in your lifetime?

When I called the Agency to ask if they could set up some interviews with computer users with receptionist skills they said no. They didn’t have any Silent Generation clients that fit that description. Whoa.… Could they send someone with an interest in learning? They would try.

If you trollop along with me virtually you know I cannot extol the virtues of Stephen the Workforce Development & HR Intern enough. He is a snapshot of today’s college student with a very bright future ahead. He has a particular interest in training. Hummm.….

The Senior Aid now has an email address, checks calendars when she can’t locate someone and has scheduled “practice” meetings on my calendar. Next lesson? To show her how to cancel them.

Comments from the Senior Aide include, “He has such patience and manners and he really knows how to explain things. I’m not afraid or nervous anymore. In fact, I’m excited to learn more”.

They’re proud of their accomplishments and each other.

I would love to hear other other examples of successful inter-generational learning, do you have one?

For all the Microsoft woes some may spew, there exists a FREE Digital Literacy Certificate via their Corporate Citizenship program. It began in October 2007 and you don’t here much about it in the for profit world. They probably didn’t call it a DSL certificate because Bill didn’t want it confused with connectivity. But, I think that was a mistake because it has everything to do with connectivity and opening doors.

The Digital Literacy Certificate you can earn comes after 12–16 hours of study. It can be completed alone or facilitated by an instructor in those fortunate communities that offer it. The curriculum consists of subject matter you and I could teach in our sleep yet millions of people have no clue about. They are not tapped into the vast knowledge base and resources digital literacy provides. 

One Laptop Per Child is an awesome program I don’t want to stop. Learning and putting an end to digital literacy inequality is a very honorable goal indeed. I want more where I live too though.

The local Area Agency on Aging has a fantastic program that places older workers in non-profit jobs and pays the salary. My place of employment has had a “Senior Aide” for 2 years. When I came on-board in April I wondered who the woman always reading a Romance novel was. I learned she was there to work but in an effort to go green and reduce costs, envelope stuffing had been largely eliminated and there wasn’t much for her to do.

I spoke with our nice reading is fun under utilized office gnome and asked about her computer skills. She was wide-eyed and mortified. I called the Agency and spoke with the placement specialist. He told me something I already knew. Older Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation largely lack in the area of digital literacy. They offer voluntary programs to address it but participation is low.

Could that be due to lack of promotion and incentives for participating, I asked rhetorically? He offered to find a client with basic computer skills. I have yet to hear back.

I’m going to start using DSL in my signature and I’m recommending you do too. Even though we run in the digital world it’s a skill not to be taken for granted.

Karla Porter, DSL

Oh, and since I found that fancy ™ custom character, I’m using it on every original term I coin even if it’s just for tracking purposes and to feel important.