Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog)

Baby Boomers: Millennials and Technology

Posted: 17 Jun 2012 04:01 AM PDT

The real BBUS post can be found here… Baby Boomers: Millennials and Technology by Joe Hauckes © Baby Boomers U. S. (The Blog) . Not on Senior Zen!

This is a Guest Post by Felicia Baratz-Savage of Eat, Breathe, Blog. If you would like to Guest Post for Baby Boomers US, check out our Guest Post for Us page.

Technology is everywhere. The world is at our fingertips literally. While my generation prefers gadgets like the iPhone and the iPad, my mom’s Generation X buddies could often do without their Blackberries and laptops. Growing up in a time where technology is changing about as fast as we change our hair color, keeping up with the newest thing is like a trip to adventure land. My generation looks at each new innovation to find out how we can adapt to it and include it in our daily lives. My mom looks at new technology like it is something from a Star Trek movie.

Our phones can do everything, including talk to us. Our lives are stored on our phones and notebooks. Everything is there: our class and work schedules, contact lists, photos and most importantly our media. Music and movies can both be received and stored on almost any electronic device, including our game systems. This is our world and we rely on our smartphones and laptops for almost everything when it comes to communicating or file sharing.My mom’s generation, the Baby Boomers, are a different story. They are adapting, some faster than others. Most of today’s Boomers find something they like and stick with it, instead of trying to keep up with the latest friends. While some may be quite happy with their 10-year-old, outdated flip phone, others have broadened their horizons and moved up to a touch screen that has Internet and computer capabilities. While learning the new technology is easy for most of us, Generation Xer’s tend to only adopt technology if it directly improves their lives. Most have a comfort zone and prefer to stay firmly within its boundaries, unless they reap a real benefit from it.

Meanwhile, we're saving everything we own into the cloud. Photos, videos, huge files, they're all going into cloud programs that allow us to share files with a touch of a button. We're not going to run to the post office just because we have to send out wedding invitations, family photos or dance recital videos. Instead, we just go to our trusty online sources for sharing. Our parents, however, like the feel of real, printed photos. They still see the value in having family photo albums and Christmas videos. We just see time spent assembling the physical, when it can all be accessed online.

The changes are especially apparent in mobile technology. In the past 20 years, we have seen the cell phone go from a box the size of your a forearm to a thin, flat square that more or less resembles an oversize credit card. Computers have advanced from huge monitors and bulky keyboards to folding laptops that take up no more space than a large book. My generation looks for electronics that have style, are easy to use and are portable. My mom on the other hand, remembers the time when if you wanted to look something up you went to the library across town. Her need to know is tempered by “the knowledge that the information will still be there when she gets home” way of thinking. We on the other hand, can't get past the fact that the information we want is at the tip of our fingers, just waiting for us to push a few buttons on our phone. Not pushing those buttons is almost unthinkable, leading us to a position somewhere between chasing knowledge and having issues focusing on the task at hand.

While the convenience of having a cell phone is something most Generation Xer’s embrace, my generation looks at a cell phone as an extension of our own bodies. Xer’s who have adapted to the newer forms of technology have expanded their boundaries to include smartphones, laptops and handheld netbooks as well, but they have a different view of them. It seems that those who have acquired some of the newer forms of technology have put their use into perspective. They are nice to have and easy to use, but when it all comes down to it, they can walk away from them if they feel the need. Baby Boomers don’t rely on electronic devices like the younger generation. They are a convenience that’s for sure, but to them, nothing beats sitting back and relaxing with a good book—the kind with paper.

About the Author: Felicia Baratz-Savage is the daughter of Baby Boomers who reads our blog to find out more about her parents generation. She is also a contributor for Eat, Breathe, Blog about healthy living.