Whether we like it or not, the 21st century is upon us & with it comes many societal advances. Whether it be in the field of medicine, healthcare, the sciences, etc., we owe many of these advances to one thing: technology. The importance of technology has exploded as the 21st century continues to evolve before us. In fact, our reliance on technology is simply unprecedented. In this sense, I’m referring more to electronic technology, including computers, the internet, cellphones & other multimedia devices, televisions, etc. Our society has transformed into a tech-savvy class, and we most certainly are not turning back.
One interesting question I’d like to pose is in regard to the relationship between technological intellect & age. In what year did the generation of tech-savvy adolescents emerge? I’ve done no official research on this, but my personal estimate would be around 1985. I was born in 1990 and I clearly recall being introduced to computers in elementary school. We were taught the basic fundamentals of computers, partook in numerous typing classes which consisted of lessons & speed drills, and were encouraged to develop our familiarity with computers. By sixth grade, I was a typing whiz and gaged a fair knowledge of computers — enough to perform basic operations with ease and navigate the internet.
As I grew older, more advanced technologies were introduced and I was always able to adapt with ease. I can say with confidence that I have never once been intimidated by technology. I possess a strong ability to adapt & embrace new technology as it’s introduced — whether it be a cell phone, iPod, new operating system, etc. Within a few hours of toying around with it, I can gain a relatively strong gauge for how it operates.
This is my perspective on technologies and how I personally handle them. The main question I’d like to propose for this entry is: How long will this generation’s pace with technology remain strong? Is there going to be a point in the future where the majority of us fall off the bandwagon and lose touch with technological advances? Will I reach a point where I look at a new technology and say “What is this?” and admit defeat? Or alternatively, will this generation be able to keep up with these technological advances since we have developed a strong backbone of it since early childhood?
Working in the technology department at my university, I often sympathize with some of the older customers I assist. While the simple response to their often sub par technological capabilities would be frustration or anger, I often take a step back and realize the difficult position they are in. Previous generations grew up without technology. Children in the 1970′s did not return from school to check their e-mail & Facebook. These new technologies were introduced to them at a significantly later point in their lives, making the adjustment much more difficult. While I’m no psychologist, I can assume that it is most likely much more difficult to acquire a skill such as technology later in life rather than learning it as a child. From my perspective, this concept is applicable to just about any skill. One example from the top of my head is language — if you are taught two languages from birth, it is much easier to learn them then versus attempting to acquire fluency in a language later in life. Having been exposed to technology since childhood, I find it much simpler to adapt to.
I believe that the various age cohorts have adapted their own general perspective to technology. Obviously, there are outliers which either agree or disagree with my general perspective, but generally I believe that anyone born in the mid-1980′s and forward have a strong technological backbone, utilize technology by incorporating it into many aspects of their everyday lives & adapt relatively easily to new technologies.
Going backward, those born between 1950 – early 1980′s are the middle-age to borderline elderly cohort and most likely have been forced to adapt to technology. As the workforce moves forward in a technological direction, old-school approaches are being redefined to incorporate technology & many people are being left with no other alternative but to adapt. For this cohort, technology overtook their lives and now they are being forced to adapt to keep up with the pace & stay afloat. They have gathered a technological competency consisting of the essentials, but may not be fluent enough to perform advanced tasks. New technologies may overwhelm them at first and a greater learning curve is present.
Finally, those born before 1950 may be refusing to adapt to technology. These are your traditionalists who believe that their lives function just fine without technology & see no need to overwhelm themselves with something they have no desire to incorporate into their daily lives. They look at computers, throw their hands up in the air & immediately proclaim their dismissal of technology.
Now, I am aware that I may be generalizing & stereotyping with this breakdown of perspective by age cohort. This analysis derives from my observations at my job & the perspectives I’ve observed by dealing with countless members of the university, whether it is undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, etc. I have sensed a general theme amongst all of them.
Personally, I’ve acquired a deep respect for graduate students aged fifty and older. I am often asked numerous questions by them as they attempt to adjust to dealing with coursework online. My university utilizes Blackboard, which gives each class its own “hub” where assignments, course documents, grades, announcements, etc. are posted. These older-generation students struggle to adapt to this technological advancement and are often intimidated and taken aback by it at first. I respect these individuals because in a sense they are taking two courses: their expected coursework & a “crash course” on technology. These are the outliers who are pushing hard to adapt and stay current, and for that I give them respect & my patience as I try to assist them with their needs.
Segueing back to my original point, I speculated about the possibility of the current generation eventually falling behind in technological advances. Will we eventually be overwhelmed and submerged in new technology that we do not understand? Will we be forced to fall back on the technology we are already familiar with, and eventually refuse to adapt to anything new?
I believe the answer to this is no. Already possessing a strong backbone in technology, I believe that this generation will be able to adapt to anything new that is thrown at us. Of course, I could be proven wrong in 20 years. But at this point, this is where I stand.
What do you think? Please vote in the poll below or leave a comment. I’d love to hear some input from others!
