Americans have changed dramatically in the past 30 years. Technological innovations, increased interest in human behavior and a renewed interest in ethics have provoked younger Americans to think and act differently from their older colleagues. There is an increasing and encouraging division between the older generation and the concept of the “New American.”

The New American is tech-savvy. Skills such as “burning some MP3s,” programming a TiVo and using a PC are innate knowledge. And if the New American does not know how to do these tasks, a simple Google-based Web search can reveal the answers. This individual embraces technology both as a convenient tool and as an inseparable extension of their own abilities. Hand-held computers keep them organized in a busy world while cell phones keep them in touch with all of their colleagues on demand.

Interest in human behavior has also increased over the last few years, with human ingenuity developing new concepts for testing human behavior. Reality TV shows such as “Survivor” test the human condition under physical conditions, while “Average Joe” openly seeks to answer the “nature vs. nurture” question posed by biologists for centuries.

For better or worse, the American population has definitely paid attention to this new type of show. But the key is that this new generation of Americans concerns itself with understanding human behavior at an intimate level.

Between 1880 and 1950, America had what some historians called certain core values that made us the virtuous ones in a world filled with nepotism and severe bias. Although the civil rights movement was not (and has not been, some might say) completely resolved, many would argue that Americans were among the most honest and ethical people in the world.

However, the world has changed. Executives at Enron, WorldCom and accounting firm Arthur Andersen (a supposed enforcer of ethics) shortchanged millions of investors in order to pursue short-term personal gains. Their behavior has had severe consequences for this country’s financial and business environment — in the form of new lockdowns on business operations — and has caused both domestic and foreign investors to think twice before trusting the financial statements and goodwill of companies in the United States. Even Martha Stewart, despite her famous name, is subject to the strictest interpretation of the law when it comes to securities dealings. No one can be exempted from the law, or else the historical “American Ethic” will cease to exist.

The New Americans are a generation of people who hold different views than other generations in three areas: technology, privacy and trust in relationships.

Other generations may be reluctant to use the newest gadgets, or may oppose the voyeurism that helps make reality TV so popular. They may consider “a person’s word” as permanent as a signature on a contract. However, the New American sees these older values as weaknesses in their pursuit to understand the world around them.

The New American is not only good for our society but also inevitable. Regardless of how the process began, it is important to recognize and live with the changes that society brings, no matter how you feel about them.

Kan Cheung is a senior studying history at Sacramento State.He can be reached at [email protected].