Quotes by Don Tapscott

“This is the first generation of people that work, play, think and learn differently than their parents, ... They are the first generation to not be afraid of technology. Its like the air to them.”

“These kids are 80 million alone in the U.S. Theyre like a tidal wave. And weve all been sitting on the beach wondering what kind of day its going to be and no one noticed the tsunami just off the horizon, one hundred yards high, thats about to sweep us all away. Weve got the first generation to grow up digital, and you know it.”

“These kids are different, and theyre about to change the world.”

“Companies that dont understand that these kids are different as consumers, are going to be in deep trouble, too. I mean they have huge power as consumers, much bigger than the baby boom per capita. We really need to wake up and understand. Because its going to affect the brand, it will affect everything that we know about marketing.”

“No one has shown any connection whatsoever between these games and tragic incidents such as Littleton, or to youth violence in general, ... But countless studies have shown a linkage of youth violence to factors such as poverty, lack of parental involvement, family violence, untreated mental illness, the proliferation of guns, substance abuse and illegal drug wars.”

“Kids are very savvy about the technology. But Im not sure they totally understand the implications of a billion people being able to see them doing whatever is posted.”

“There is a fundamental change taking place in terms of how corporations create value and arguably, in terms of the core architecture of the corporation. I think its the biggest change in a century in the ways that companies build relationships and interact with other entities, institutions in the economy and in society and arguably, the nature of the corporation itself.”

Creating a complete picture of a company financial health, by looking at periodic financial statements, is like turning a hamburger into a cow

In an age where everything and everyone is linked through networks of glass and air, no one - no business, organization, government agency, country - is an island. We need to do right by all our stakeholders, and thats how you create value for shareholders. And one thing is for sure - no organization can succeed in a world that is failing.

Collaboration is important not just because its a better way to learn. The spirit of collaboration is penetrating every institution and all of our lives. So learning to collaborate is part of equipping yourself for effectiveness, problem solving, innovation and life-long learning in an ever-changing networked economy.

Leadership is happening, but its not coming from the leaders of the old institutions. Everywhere you look, you see these extraordinary, sparkling new initiatives that are under way.

Just as the Internet drops transaction and collaboration costs in business and government, it also drops the cost of dissent, of rebellion, and even insurrection.