John Hagel argues:
In the 20th century we witnessed a deep split in our professional and personal identities. The quest for scalable efficiency in all of our institutions required us to conform to highly standardized organizational routines. To do this we had to sacrifice much of our individuality which was compartmentalized into “after hours” time. While passions in this domain were certainly acceptable we were increasingly encouraged to seek status and expression through consumption… [I]dentity in the 20th century increasingly took two different forms – we were company men (and as the century progressed, company women) and consumers.
He suggests that a networked world offers the opportunity to find a new identity – the networked creator –
which integrates at last our professional and personal identities into one primary source of meaning and fulfillment.
Hat tip: Gavin Heaton
