Can you dig what I’m saying (man)?

Shaking one’s head in amazement at the “younger generation” is a right that comes along with reaching a certain level of maturity.

No matter what age you are, you’ve certainly found yourself in this situation: You make a pop culture reference (Easy Bake Oven, Slinky, Edsel, whatever) in a conversation with a mixed-age group, only to find the youngest person replying with the visual equivalent of “huh?” Your choice is either to feel old, or to scoff at the young person for being a bit behind in his or her schooling. (Chances are, you’ll choose scoffing, at least for a while, to protect your ego.)

Wisconsin’s Beloit College has chosen a third option. Each year, the school distributes to its faculty a list designed to help professors better connect with the life experiences of those in the incoming freshman class.

Called the “Mindset List,” this exercise reminds educators at the school about what their new students have – and have not – experienced in lives which began in 1985.

The entire list can be found at: http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/releases/mindset_2007.html. But here are a few highlights:

Members of the class of 2007...are not familiar with the source of that “giant sucking sound”...have always bought unleaded gasoline...think of an automatic as a weapon, rather than a transmission...have never heard Howard Cosell call a football game or boxing match...have always had access to computers that fit into their backpacks...have never seen a basketball game without a three-point shot...have never had free directory assistance...have always had a PIN number.

Sobering? Not really. Just a fact of life. The defining moments of one generation become the “say what?” of another.

What does it mean for communicators? Plenty. All too often, communicators get stuck in a familiar, “everybody understands” rut. The culprits?

• Jargon. Every industry has its own language, but not every target audience within that industry is fluent. Slang, acronyms, and other insider words and phrases can inadvertently separate a company from those it wishes to reach. Only time will tell if today’s jargon will become commonly understood. When it doubt, leave it out, or define it clearly.

• Communicating way above (or below) your audience. Either way you look at it, it’s arrogance to communicate at a level that only a select few can understand, or at a level that doesn’t give your audience much credit. The test? Does what you communicate advance the relationship with the intended audience? If not, you’re either trying to impress or to lecture.

• Demographically insensitive language. Like the college professor (and not a history professor, mind you) who drones on making references to another era, communicators sometimes inadvertently exclude prime target audience members by writing copy that is too old or too young, too male or too female, or too focused on including (or excluding) a particular ethnic group. Asking a mixed group of people to double-check material for these slips can help avoid this issue.

The message? Make certain your communications are inclusive – rather than exclusive – for your target audience. After all, you don’t want to spend two hours finding that perfect twist of phrase, only to find out your readers have no clue who Ms. Pac-Man is.