Work

The development of just-in-time information acquisition behaviors in Generation X

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: The ways that humans acquire information is undergoing a fundamental change comparable to the introduction of Gutenberg’s moveable type and printing press and the development of broadcast systems in the twentieth century. In the Internet Era – the first decades of the twenty first century – individuals seek information on subjects that are salient or important to them from sources they trust at the time that they need or want that information. In this analysis, we use a 33-year longitudinal study of Generation X beginning in middle school and extending to midlife to describe how youth and young adults in Generation X build and use the skills and interests necessary to function in a just-in-time information acquisition system.

Source: The Information Society

DOI: 10.1080/01972243.2025.2590506

Authors: Jon D. Miller, Belén Laspra, Carmelo Polino, Mark S. Ackerman, Glenn Branch, Robert T. Pennock

Institutions: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research, Universidad de Oviedo, Michigan State University

Language: English

Topic: Library Science and Information Literacy

Subfield: Library and Information Sciences

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Institute on Aging

Award: G4600821665