By Tenley Wilson
They say that Gen Y is “no better or worse at using technology than the rest of the population.”
Wait a minute. Whoever said this wasn’t there when my Mom cried because she couldn’t figure out how to turn on her new computer. Or when my Gramma didn’t go on a trip because she couldn’t get her boarding pass to print. Or when my Dad asked me if I would like a “computer phone” for Christmas.
It isn’t that members of our generation are more knowledgeable about technology; it is that we aren’t scared of it. We’re quick to adopt and adapt to new technology because we grew up with it. And although we may not always take the time to most efficiently use the technology that we are familiar with, we are most likely to pick up on new technology en masse.
Gen Y, or the so-called “Digital Natives” grew up alongside technology. We were in school when the internet was first introduced as an educational tool. We argued with our parents until they finally let us have a MySpace profile, even though they had no idea what it actually was. And we texted and Gchatted through our college classes, usually without missing a beat.
So, not only is technology thoroughly integrated into our social lives and education, but our phones, computers and cameras reveal something about ourselves and serve as the ultimate status symbol. No wonder we are more comfortable, and therefore, better, at using technology than older generations.
However, just because we are familiar with it, does not mean that we are the best at using it. Gen Y, like any market, is still made up of a mix of early adopters, the majority and the late adopters. Therefore, some of us know about and use RSS feeds, wiki spaces and other productivity tools, but these technological tools are not the norm.
It’s true that many of us do not use technology to its full potential, especially considering we are the generation best-suited to fully embrace technology. We might be better at the basics of using the tools, but we are in no way experts.
That being said, there are generations behind us that are going to be much more comfortable with new technology if we don’t continue to adopt and adapt.
Photo Credit: wandering_angel
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I'm probably in the minority of my generation, but I've never felt like I've been any better or worse at using technology than my parents have. Granted, they both worked with computers in their careers, but when I have a computer problem, I usually wind up asking my dad for help…and it's rarely the other way around (except when I have to explain Facebook and Twitter to my mom)
Great article, Tenley! I completely agree. I wouldn't say at all that Millennials are more “geniuses” when it comes to technology. I won't lie, there are a lot of thing I'm not capable of doing on a computer. However, I embrace it and it is so integrated into my daily life that I don't think about it. We're always attached to our phones, at the very least. When it comes to my family, I definitely have some similar stories to the ones you mentioned. For example, my father bought a Blackberry and doesn't even know how to turn on his computer. As much as he may try to figure out technology, I think he'd still prefer to do it “the old fashioned way”.
I'm with Angela on this one. I work with the web. I'm inherently comfortable with all things tech, but at the same time, I grumble and moan (just as much as my parents do) when something new comes out that I have to learn how to use all over again. Gen Y is comfortable with the tech we grew up with, just like Gen X was comfortable with the tech they grew up with, and Baby Boomes are comfortable with the tech THEY grew up with (you ever tried working an 8-track player?). If Gen Y is any more comfortable adapting to new tech, it's just because the changes are incremental. The next generation will be comfortable with tech that we're going to be saying is “new fangled”.
I don't think that Gen Y is more comfortable with technology itself, but rather, they are more comfortable with the rate of change in technology. I believe that older generations expect they have more time to become accustomed to technology because of it did not change so fast. Gen Y, however, expects technology to change rapidly…