The communication gap

My sister was in town over the weekend to do some research at the UM library. She's doing her dissertation. She was planning to write about (the lack of) communications skills of recent graduates and how to solve the problem. This has been a concern raised by both academicians and industry. Apparently graduates have not been able to perform well in interviews, and are unable to demonstrate suitable communications skills to potential employers. Which got me thinking - do they really lack communication skills? Or is it another matter altogether? Kids these days have access to an array of communications tools which were unavailable -- perhaps unimaginable -- ten years ago. They communicate via SMS, Instant Messaging, Email. Their communication is visual -- E-cards, Picture messages, smileys galore. Their communication is concise -- they can convey intent and emotion in 160 characters. Their communication is simultaneous -- they can connect to many friends and peers at the same time. And their communication is constant -- a conversation can last over hours and days. Is it any wonder that they don't communicate well with those who are not their peers? Talking to an older person would be a chore -- they don't have their usual tools and language to depend on. Perhaps, instead of blaming the graduates and students, we should learn how to speak their language. Perhaps we are ill-equipped to understand and manage this new generation.