Virtual Natives How a New Generation is Using Technology to Revolutionize Work, Play, and Culture

The eclipse of Digital Natives and the dawn of virtual culture—how Gen A, Z are radically redefining the future of work, play, economics, and social life.

We’re living through what is arguably one of the most exciting, confusing, and powerful social moments in the history of humanity, the shift from the Digital Age to the Virtual Age. This shift is being driven by technology, and the people who are leading it are the ones who know it best: the Virtual Natives. This book will introduce you to the Virtual Native cohort and mindset, decipher their socio-cultural and economic experiences, and unpack their expectations of companies looking to engage, market, or employ them.

In this book, we explore:

• How Virtual Natives are deploying the new technologies driving the virtualized world
• How relationships and work habits are being virtualized
• Identify ten main Virtual Native-led behaviors that are upending work and culture
• How Virtual Natives are evolving their expertise into a full-blown economy

This is nothing short of a cultural revolution. Virtual Natives are the driving force behind a seismic change that is redefining the world through technology and virtual worlds: this book tells you how they are navigating everything from AI to Augmented and virtual reality, gaming, blockchain and Web3 in easy, accessible language.

To understand the future, read Virtual Natives.

CATHERINE D. HENRY is a US-based futurist and corporate strategist advising some of the world’s largest brands on how technology is disrupting business, media, entertainment, and culture, and how to transition to a 3D web. A specialist in frontier technologies with 20 years as a global institutional advisor, she is a leading African-American female in technology and an engaging keynote speaker who holds an MBA in marketing, an MA in economics and speaks five languages. She has been recognized by Campaign and Ad Age magazines as a leader in Web3 advertising and media (2023).

LESLIE SHANNON is a Silicon Valley-based futurist and corporate advisor focusing on connectivity-related tech disruptions and opportunities, including robotics, drones, visual analytics, cloud gaming, AR, and VR. She is the author of Interconnected Realities.

FM Preface

Part 1 A Generation Unlike Any Other

1 The Power of Virtualization

2 Reality Is Relative

3 Fluid Identities

4 Radical Acceptance

5 Virtual Leadership

6 Evolving Expertise

7 User-Generated Content and Ownership

8 Personal Agency and the Workplace

9 Image, Not Text

10 Machine as Collaborator

Part 2 Virtual Natives in the World

11 The Degens and the Great Web3 Gold Rush

12 The Airline Puzzle

13 Love, Relationships, and Algorithms

14 Online Worlds and the Culture

15 The Game of Life

16 Web3 and Sparking Customer Joy

17 Future Forward: Culture, Retribalization and the Search for Meaning

18 Summary: Virtual Natives and the New Tech Landscape

Epilogue Invisible Architecture

 Acknowledgments

 Author Bios

 Index

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