We intend to discuss a subject — very much in evidence – about the new digital technologies, new human abilities and skills, new literacies, related to schooling and education in general.
Is there indeed a Net Generation? And if that’s so, who are we referring to?
Don Tapscott (2009) calls the generation born in the last century’s late 80’s the “Generation Net”, Marc Prensky (2001) thinks of them as “Digital Natives” and Wim Veen (2009) identifies them as “Homo Zappiens”. According to these authors, these designations refer to the specific characteristics of their “natural environment” and their consequent behaviour, such as internet references, their action on online digital worlds and the way they handle with digital information or the constant demanding of immediate answers (Veen, 2009).
Prensky (2001) says that the children, teenagers and young men of the present times represent the first generation with continuous access to the latest technologies. They surround themselves with computers, videogames, digital music players, smartphones and other digital tools. Prensky (Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II: Do They Realy Think Differently?, 2001) also presents some interesting numbers: a 20 year-old young men has possibly played videogames for more than 10.000 hours, has sent and received more than 200.000 e-mails and instant messages, has talked on the phone for more than 10.000 hours, has viewed more than 500.000 commercial spots and spent less than 5.000 hours reading.

Net Generation: The Pollyanna Complex
We assume that technological changes have made a huge impact in our culture, learning processes and ethics. In the last 20 years this has been discussed in a massive and controversial way by technophiles and technophobics. Technophiles visualize an admirable man (net man), connecting to his peers by means of its own ubiquitous creation – the Web – and able of performing the most creative tasks. Technophobics, on the other way around, visualise a stupid and uneducated man (dumb man), victim of the outsourcing of his best intellectual skills. We intend to do a brief literature review and see in which ways this duality describes, in a coherent way, the ordinary man we know.

In Between Immanence and Transcendence
Up to which point is the discussion around technology, able explain coherently, the social and economic issues that Western societies are facing?
In which way can Kent Anderson’s statement (2010) “The bigger problems facing this generation, like every generation before, are economic […]” be a simple and pragmatic explanation to understand the crossroad humanity lives in nowadays?
Seeing further ahead, how can we tell if our current situation is just another phase previously experienced in the history of humanity or if this is the breaking point with our past?
Turning to the concepts of Immanence and Transcendence, is our intention to identify the basic elements of this controversy and confirm if this current moment in our history is the moment of the rising of a new immanence – a new crisis born from the non-stopping conflict between the immanent and creative strengths and the transcendent strengths that maintain the prevailing order.

Anderson, K. (2010, Dec 2). Anxiety and Clichés About the Digital Generation? It’s Still the Economy, Stupid. Retrieved jan 24, 2014, from The Scholarty Kitchen: http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2010/12/02/anxiety-and-cliches-about-the-digital-generation-are-we-just-being-our-parents/ Arrighi, G. (1994). The Long Twentieth Century: Money, Power, and the Origins of Our Times. London: Verso. Carr, N. (2010). The Shallows. London: Atlantic Books. Martinez, S., & Prensky, M. (2012, Aug 7). Point/Counterpoint: Is the Digital Native a Myth? Retrieved Jan 24, 2014, from ISTE: http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-leading/issues/november-2011/point-counterpoint-is-the-digital-native-a-myth- Prensky, M. (2001, Outubro 05). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved Junho 29, 2010, from Marc Prensky - Writing: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf Prensky, M. (2001, Desembro 6). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Part II:Do They Really Think Differently? Retrieved Julho 29, 2010, from Marc Prensky - Writing: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part2.pdf Tapscott, D. (2009, Outubro 09). TEDxToronto. Retrieved Junho 29, 2010, from Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NebH50yjUYE Tapscott, D., & Williams, A. (2008). Wikinomics - A Nova Economia das Multidões Inteligentes. Matosinhos: Quidnovi.