My friend and I just saw the trailer for the movie, "He's Just Not That into You". In the trailer, Drew Barrymore plays a woman, Mary, who is utterly perplexed with dating, particularly in a culture obsessed with technology rather than actual human contact. In a scene from the trailer, Mary says:
"I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home. Then he emailed me to my BlackBerry and I texted to his cell. Now you have to check all these portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It is exhausting."

 Even though the trailer preceded the feature film, my friend and I could not stop talking about Mary’s comments. We both commented on how technology has taken over human contact -- not just in the dating world, but also in the workplace.  
 
In fact, my friend, a senior associate at a major law firm, recently had a colleague send him an electronic calendar request for a meeting to discuss a legal brief and then followed up with an email inquiring, “By the way, where is your office?” He couldn’t believe it. They’d been working together for over a year!
 
It is worth noting in the example above that both attorneys are approximately the same age and practicing at the same level in the firm. Technology is creating an even bigger gap between young associates and senior attorneys. A study by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press entitled “A Portrait of Generation Next: How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics” found that people under the age of 26 use technology and the internet to connect with people in new and distinctive ways. Text messaging, instant messaging and email keep them in constant contact with friends. About half say they sent or received a text message over the phone in the past day, approximately double the proportion of those between the ages of 26 and 40. Only 12 percent of Boomers and 7 percent of Seniors sent or received an instant message in the same time period.   

These statistics are most telling when viewed through the law firm lens. Most partners and high- level attorneys are over the age of 40 and most new associates are under the age of 30. It is important to realize there is a fundamental difference (some would say divide) in how the different generations communicate. Although you may be a member of Generation Next and regularly use texts, emails, and voicemails to communicate, remember that you may not be connecting with your boss if you limit yourself to electronic communication. Failing to connect with your superiors can lead to lack of substantive work, merit-based bonuses, and eventually promotions.