At some point about three years ago I realized adoption of technology isn’t only a function of the individual person, it’s also a function of age. Generational differences between users plays a major role in how tools are implemented. Three users in different age groups will use the exact same technology three separate ways; depending on how they learned.
Smart phones started becoming widespread about five or six years ago. At that time I decided I should invest in one because it will store my calendar, contacts and offer more functionality. I’m a forty year old guy and I still use a paper calendar and write phone numbers on scraps of paper. Even though the technology has been around for years, I’m still used to the old way of doing things.
Customers look at me curiously when I ask how old the user of the machine is and what they’re doing with their life. School aged kids use computers differently than college students or adults. High school kids use their computer for social networking. To a college aged student living away from home, their laptop or computer is everything: entertainment, work, and socializing. Adults mostly use their machines for work and paying bills.
Online shopping seems to be primarily an adult activity. I was talking with someone my age shortly after Christmas who told me she does most of her shopping online out of convenience. Many younger people would rather visit the store. Arguably, online purchases require a credit card; however, I believe this has to do with age disparity. The thirty something who purchases used books on Amazon for Christmas presents may find it more convenient to shop online.
Communication seems to be another area where age plays a factor. Young people tend to text message and chat. Older people still chat; however, we use the telephone a lot more and communicate through voice. I met a forty year old salesman who adapted to text messaging because it’s the easiest way to communicate with his kids. Since writing about text messaging six months ago, I’ve had a lot of mid-lifers tell me they use text messaging when necessary.
Those of us who are twenty five and older grew up with notebooks and pens for our homework. Last year I dealt with a handful of customers who told me schools were moving to iPads and tablets for school work. Perhaps the uproar had to do with generational differences and willingness to change. Grammar school aged children were being forced to use technology to learn. From what I understand the expectation is to move away from traditional paper and pen; forcing young people to use technology.
Computerized e-books seem to be the latest rave for bookworms. I talked to a representative from Barnes & Noble over the weekend who told me many of their e-book customers are younger people. Older people, he told me, tend to want to read and flip through a paper book. Older customers will purchase the gadgets and use them for some reading; however, most will change back to printed materials.
As with everything, there are exceptions to every rule and not every use can be generalized by generation. Over the years I’ve noticed a trend and thought it would be enlightening to highlight some of them. How we use and manage the technology available to us seems to be a function of personal history and what we’re used to. From my observations, generational differences play a major role in determining the portion of technology we’re willing to adopt and use.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)