Peter Schwartz

Peter Schwartz is the founder and president of Global Business Network, an organization in Emeryville, California, that studies business and demographic trends. In the following viewpoint, Schwartz argues that the early twenty-first century will bring a global baby boom and the emergence of a two billion-strong “global teenager” age-group. According to Schwartz, the large number of teenagers around the world will be linked via new information and communication technologies. Schwartz contends that as consumers and workers, these teenagers will greatly influence the global economic and political conditions of the future.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Schwartz, where do most of the world’s future teenagers live?
2. How may teens interact in future “video cafés,” according to Schwartz?
3. How must future immigrant...