Artificial Maturity

Catalyst Pre Labs - Session 1 - Dr Tim Elmore

• Views of generation iY (Born since 1990)
• Our kids want to grow up too fast and slow at the same time resulting in artificial maturity.
• We are not in an age where we have really bad kids but kids that know too much too soon.
• Adolescence is expanding at both ends. It starts earlier and ends later.
• Students are over exposed to information earlier than they are ready and under exposed to experience.
• We all have an incredible amount of information but we are not really disciples.
• We are raising the 1st generation who don't need adults to get them information.
• The average teen is without their mobile phone for less than 1 hour a day.
• 26 is the new 18 as the pause button has been pushed on adolescence.
• Research has confirmed that this generation has high arrogance but low self esteem.
• Leading this generation is a balancing act:

They need leaders who are RESPONSIVE. Providing belief, acceptance, support and leaders who are DEMANDING providing accountability.

They need leaders who provide balanced messages. Childhood messages saying you are loved, special, safe, valuable and have gifts. But they also need adolescence messages saying life is difficult, you are not in control, you are not important, you are going to die and its not all about you.

Leadership must balance autonomy, responsibility and information.

We are leading an EPIC generation. They are:

• E - Experiential
• P - Participatory
• I - Image rich
• C - Connected