Virtual Natives How a New Generation is Revolutionizing the Future of 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, made up of Gen Alpha and Z. 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.

Preface: Welcome to the Dawn of the Virtual Natives vii

Part 1 A Generation Unlike Any Other 1

Chapter 1 Virtual Is the New Digital 3

Chapter 2 What Is Reality, Anyway? 13

Chapter 3 Fluid Identities 25

Chapter 4 Radical Acceptance 39

Chapter 5 Putting on the “Rizz” 53

Chapter 6 From Apprentice to Expert 63

Chapter 7 Create, Consume, and Own 73

Chapter 8 Autonomous Agents 89

Chapter 9 Send Pics 107

Chapter 10 The First Cyborgs 119

Part 2 The Revolution Starts Here 131

Chapter 11 Meet the Degens 133

Chapter 12 You’re Not the Boss of Me 145

Chapter 13 Love, Sex, and Algorithms 157

Chapter 14 Web3 and the Culture 169

Chapter 15 Life Is Games 181

Chapter 16 The Charismatics 191

Chapter 17 Main Character Energy 211

Chapter 18 Future Forward: Virtual Natives and the New Tech Landscape 225

Epilogue: Invisible Architecture 237

Notes 243

Acknowledgments 279

About the Authors 281

Index 283

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.