For the class of 2012, Caller ID always existed

Beloit College (Wis.) released its annual Mindset List – a pop cultural look at the lives of incoming college freshmen. Meant as a resource for faculty, the list promotes an understanding of the new students’ cultural frame of reference. The list gained popularity outside the college, serving as a reminder of how rapidly our world changes (and giving everyone past the collegiate age a reason to feel old). While many adults still consider advancements in technology and communications as “cutting-edge”, the incoming class of 2012 views them as “the norm.”

With telecommunications technology, today’s college freshmen boast technical savvy, an uninterrupted wireless connection and an expectation of seeing the calling name on almost every home telephone call. The rest of us remember the days when kids passed notes in class instead of sending text messages, and instead of screening calls using Caller ID, we answered every ringing phone with curiosity. With mobile Caller ID capabilities now possible, it might not be long before we see the Mindset List tackle the topic of kids who don’t remember a time before you could see the name and number of every incoming caller on your wireless phone.