Chic Not Geek-The Age of the Digital Citizen

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

-- Maya Angelou, Author, Poet, Thought Leader

“Apple is always future focused.”

-- Tim Cook, Visionary, Collaborator, CEO, Apple™ Inc.(WWDC 2014 Keynote Address)

Time was suspended for many of us this past week, caught between the past and future; metaphorically and historically. Caught between a fading star and a rising one. We sadly marked the passing of Maya Angelou, thought leader for humanity and inspiration for aspiring women leaders and writers all over the world. We breathlessly marked the Apple WWDC Keynote Address yesterday in our calendars, awaiting news coverage, confirmation about the genuinely innovative tweaks we'll be seeing to the UI for iOS8 for iPhones and iPads, and OS X for Mac (named Yosemite), and showmanship. We were not disappointed.

We were schooled by visionary, unflappable, master of understatement, logistics wizard CEO Tim Cook on what the future of technology will look like, starting in the fall. We were entertained by energetic, humorous, master of the pause, engineering wizard VP Craig Federighi who regaled us with a mix of jargon and self deprecating jokes which included him getting a haircut with a chain saw and a photo of Jony Ive with hair. Both visuals have already gone viral.

The era of the literate citizen is over, but the age of the digital citizen is now upon us. Digital business is everyone’s business. It’s time to start thinking universal protocols and curricula that goes beyond learning to code. People in education and entrepreneurship, the two arenas I find myself in, are in a unique position to create a legacy for future generations. We are at the crossroads where we need to make decisions and cognitively harness time. We need to actively pursue balancing humanity and technology for the greater good and future of work. We need to rethink the economic supply and demand seesaw that spurs the One Hit Technology Wonder re: disruptive innovation but not much else. Maybe greed. Maybe wars. Maybe fear of education, especially for girls.

Tim Cook is on everyone's radar after yesterday's big reveals. But as an ed-tech consultant someone with social entrepreneurship leanings, he's been on mine for some time. While everyone's been focused on Apple acquiring Beats and yesterday's news, others have seen how Cook has quietly gotten Apple back on track since taking the helm. He has restarted Apple’s philanthropic arm and has brought collaboration back to Apple culture and policy. The way he handed over the mic to "Superman" yesterday, and shared the stage for most of yesterday's keynote, proves that he really does walk the walk. It also proves that there is much we can learn from Apple about best practices re: innovation, collaboration, conduct, and digital citizenship.

We all have an opportunity to think “We” instead of “Me” and act on it. To create a seamless, user-friendly, collaborative and self-sustaining technological ecosystem that benefits all mankind; economically, educationally, physically, emotionally, and geographically. It’s something that Tim Cook understands well, when Scott Forestall, one of the creators of the iPhone, was famously shown the door for not “playing nicely with others”. Cook showed it again at yesterday's keynote address, in a display of teamwork never before truly seen at that venue. He exemplified the kind of leadership we all need, the kind of mindset more of us need; no matter our industry and culture.

It’s something that resonates deeply with those of us who value the shared economy and social entrepreneurship, thus making collaboration and the pursuit of profit and purpose both priorities.

The main takeaway I gleaned from the wonderfully executed, entertaining Apple Event was this:

Digital citizenship starts with blurring the lines between app developer and consumer of products/services.

So that there is a blurring between the physical and digital environment; something which will be interesting to see applied with HomeKit, HealthKit, and the new programming language, Swift. So that there is more authentic “ownership” of one’s device; psychologically and financially; something which will be interesting to see in action with new and better iCloud pricing plans, Family Sharing, and the tweaks to Mail and Photos.

Digital citizenship flourishes when information is made readily and unobtrusively accessible; something Apple understands well. It’s why Spotlight Search will be reconfigured to include web-based content for both OS X Yosemite and iOS8, pervasive Mail Drop and Air Drop will soon be the norm for file transfers across Apple devices, iCloud Drive will soon work with Windows, and threads in iMessage texts will now be able to be named, not to mention typed with a more agile, almost sentient keyboard (Quick Type).

The 2014 Apple WWDC Keynote Address will long be remembered for its game changing news, it’s playful tone, and its new commercial foreshadowing Apple’s new mission to make technology and the tweaking of it, accessible to all. It reminds me of another watershed moment in Apple history, the introduction of the iMac G3 in 1998 without a floppy disk drive, a strange port known as the USB port, a translucent case showing the inner workings of creativity in action, and a brilliant marketing campaign:

Chic. Not geek.

The words are timely and relevant again today. Apple has officially heralded in the age of the digital citizen, whose visible work/life balance and digital avatar/real life reputation balance can be more effortlessly and creatively achieved. We are getting a glimpse of the potential for educators and entrepreneurs, not to mention marketers, to take customization and human learning to a whole new level. Something that was also hinted at in the recent New York Times Innovation Report.

Everything that we know about Theory of Mind, learning styles, multiple intelligences, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Bloom’s Taxonomy, behavioral economics (including social media buyer personae/archetypes), branding, The Internet of Things, machine learning, and design will soon change.

The question is, will you?

What are you doing to secure your digital citizenship in the iEra we're in?

Penina Rybak is the founder/CEO of Socially Speaking LLC, and the creator of the Socially Speaking™ iPad App. Penina is a national speaker on the topics of social communication development and strategies, iPad App integration into professional workflows and educational curricula, and practical and psychological aspects to female entrepreneurship. She is the author of The NICE Reboot-A Guide to Becoming a Better Female Entrepreneur: How to Balance Your Cravings for Humanity & Technology in Today's Startup Culture. To learn more, visit her websites: www.niceinitiative.com and/or sociallyspeakingLLC.com, and follow her on Twitter: @PopGoesPenina.