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Generation Y has been called a lot of things (peer-oriented, pragmatic, high-performance, high-maintenance, Generation Whhhhy?), but nothing may define you better than your affinity for technology and new media. You were, after all, the first generation of kids to grow up with Mickey Mouse and the computer mouse.

From the internet, IM and MP3s to handheld video games, mobile phones and texting, you came of age in the era of tactile, instant and constant communication. You’re what the older crowd calls, “digital natives.” And it appears that “digital natives” expect to stay “plugged in” whether at home, on the go, or at work.

According to recent surveys by online recruitment agency Brill Street + Company and GfK Custom Research North America, the most important workplace perks for Gen Y include opportunities for advancement, generous health benefits, tuition reimbursement, ample vacation days, flextime, and . . . access to social media.

But what really happens when you land a job in the real (read: not-entirely-virtual-yet) world? Can you remain focused and productive despite your native instincts to touch, text, connect, and stay in the loop on Facebook or Twitter?

And what’s your Baby Boomer (aka “workaholic generation”) boss to make of all this techno/social media mania? Born between 1946 and 1965, the defining “technological” devices of the Baby Boomers’ formative years were the color television and electric guitar. The youngest members of the Boomer bunch were already in their 20’s or 30’s when the first Apple Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984. The Baby Boomers have gone from listening to Jimi Hendrix in the 60′s to debating their best options for long term health care insurance in the 00s. SRSLY, that’s no small generational gap.

That’s not to say Baby Boomers don’t “get it.”
A 2009 report from Forrester Research revealed more than 60% of Baby Boomers are avid users of social media, like blogs, forums, podcasts, and online videos. They’re the fastest growing age segment on social networking sites like Facebook, and as consumers, they show the highest intent to purchase technological gadgets among any age group (per a 2009 technology study by AARP and Microsoft).

The difference is Baby Boomers are crazy about these new technologies for learning, leisure and creativity—not for work. A 2008 “LexisNexis® Technology Gap Survey” of white collar professions found that while all age groups and levels of workers use and value technology in the workplace, many Baby Boomers perceive the use of personal technologies (laptops, mobile phones, gaming programs, social networking websites, etc.) to be impolite, inefficient, and inappropriate in the office.

Some key findings:

• Over two thirds (68%) of all Boomers agree that PDAs and mobile phones contribute to a decline in proper workplace etiquette; less than half (46%) of Gen Y workers think so.

• Only 38% of Boomers think it’s appropriate to befriend a colleague on a social networking site; over three quarters 76% of Gen Y workers it is.

Far from just statistics, the results of the LexisNexis technology survey reveal vast discrepancies in workplace personalities and processes among the generations. And these discrepancies have the potential to create office drama—even harm teamwork and productivity.

According to Human Resource Management consultant Linda Gravett (co-author of Bridging the Generation Gap: How to Get Radio Babies, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Gen Yers to Work Together and Achieve More), 58% of conflicts in the workplace are sparked by generational issues, which are “largely due to differing perspectives on work ethic and work-life balance.”

All in all, Gen Y workers report spending an average of 10.6 hours of every work day accessing social networking web sites, news web sites, blogs, Internet forums and multimedia sharing web sites (versus 5.6 hours reported by Boomers). And no, these are not all strictly work-related: 39% of Gen Y workers report using gaming programs at work, as well (ahem).

But as Dr. Larry Rose, author of TechnoStress: Coping with Technology @Work, @Home, @Play, explains, for Gen Y, “Technology just is. It’s part of every aspect of their lives.” And that means the lines between professional time and personal time can get a little fuzzy.

Contrast that to Baby Boomers who have spent their careers “climbing ladders” and “paying dues” without so much as a smartphone. For them, the workplace has far and wide been one that’s focused on Face Time (meetings, meetings and more meetings), not Facebook. So while your Boomer boss and co-workers may “get” and appreciate your techno gadgetry know-how, they may not appreciate your awe-inspiring ability to master a myriad of devices, programs, and apps and do your job and text the “20” for after-hours cocktails and construct a horse stable in FarmVille . . . concurrently.

And guess what? Half of the Gen Y workers in the LexisNexis survey can admit it: the Internet, personal devices, programs, and apps do encourage too much multi-tasking, and yes, they can decrease workplace productivity.

“The results of the Technology Gap Survey suggest a real wake-up call for today’s senior management—the Boomer generation,” says Mike Walsh, CEO of LexisNexis U.S. Legal Markets. “In today’s evolving professional world, Boomers need to acknowledge a technology gap among generations exists, and they must find ways to maximize effective workflow solutions and integrated resources that address the challenges they face.”

Gravett agrees: “There’s a huge potential for miscommunication, low morale, and poor productivity unless the generations learn to handle conflict successfully.” So what are employers and employees doing to bridge the technology gap and remain productive?

Switching it up to maintain Gen Y productivity
Putting Up Firewalls: When IT is not your “friend,” they block company computer access to everything from YouTube to Yahoo! Mail. (In all fairness, employers in the financial and healthcare sectors may have to go this route due to legitimate concerns about security, confidentiality and liability.) Some companies also ban personal text messaging during the workday. Is there less time wasted and less conflict reported in a closed technology workplace? Perhaps, but only because it’s not likely many Gen Yers work here.

Opening Access and Writing Social Media Policies: Kraft Foods Inc. recently opened access to personal networking sites and video sharing sites during the workday; the caveat being that personal use be reasonable and not interfere with job performance. At companies where social media is accessible, you may be bound to a formal social media policy, otherwise known as the “official rules of engagement” for your online identity. At The Coca-Cola Company, all associates are encouraged “to explore and engage in social media communities at a level at which they feel comfortable,” but “anything you post that can potentially tarnish the Company’s image will ultimately be your responsibility.”

Providing Orientation Programs and Seminars: There are now four distinct generations of workers in the workforce, and that means H.R. is now in the business of teaching everyone how to get along. At Ernst & Young, summer interns are greeted with an orientation meeting that includes “Strategies to Connect with Baby Boomers.” Arrow Electronics offers a seminar titled, “Generations in the Workplace,” and at Aflac it’s called “Generational Differences.”

Encouraging Reverse Mentoring: What if Gen Y and Boomers could swap intel? Formally or informally, many companies are now asking Gen Y to mentor their Baby Boomer counterparts. At Time Warner, The Digital Reverse Mentoring Program matches college students with senior-level executives for one-on-one meetings about Web 2.0 technologies. At public relations firm Edelman, the Rotnem (mentor, spelled backwards) program, pairs young employees with older colleagues who need tutoring on text messaging, navigating Facebook and Twitter, or using iTunes. These programs give Gen Yers a chance to shine and rub shoulders with higher-ups who otherwise may have been inaccessible.

Building Internal Social Networks: Yes, social networking has gone corporate. Hundreds of companies worldwide—including Booz Allen Hamilton, Saturn and Smart Car—are harnessing the technology made popular by MySpace and LinkedIn to create private, employee-only networks. The purpose: to improve productivity, communication, and collaboration across generations and locations. At Booz Allen’s hello.bah.com, employees can post blogs, search for colleagues with similar interests, and participate in wikis. And according to workforce expert Tammy Erickson, author of Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, “the train has left the station. Social media is on track to become an integral part of the way we work—a core tool for serious business.”

How so? Turns out new technology is not only about hyper-socializing, frivolous fun, and brain drain. It can also be about working faster and better. Asking questions. Imparting knowledge. And perhaps most importantly, breaking down generational hierarchies and making the office a more friendly, collaborative, interesting, and yes, productive place.

But Gen Y, you already knew all that.

Problem is, the rest of the working world may not be adapting to new technology and social media in what you consider “real time.” There’s always going to be some resistance to change—and it’s probably pretty easy for the “older and wiser” to forget that before iPhones and Facebook there was chitchat around the water cooler, smoke breaks, notepad doodling, and Kit Kat bars.

Just like the Baby Boomers and every other generation to come before you, Gen Y is tenaciously shaping the workplace (and the world) of the future. And sometimes you just need a break. Now go harvest your chicken coop in FarmVille.