Technology in the lives of Millennials vs. Boomers
Photo by Kevin White
“For Millennials, a lot of the technology we have today was always there for us growing up, so it was easier for us to utilize the technology into our everyday lives. But for boomers, they had to retire old ways of doing things and adapt to entirely new technologies (which is definitely not easy by any means). So for boomers, they would rather call than text. They would rather get together in person, than Skype. Boomers want to interact in person and verbally than Millennials. Millennials are content without direct interaction.”
“Millennials consume news and media through their phones in small increments here and there, not while sitting down for dinner and turning on Fox News for hours at a time.”
“Also, as Gen Xers and Millennials are having kids, those kids’ lives are displayed all over social media. While the rest of us grew up only seeing people grow up through Christmas cards.”
“Working with Boomer managers and co-workers I do notice the different ways we approach problems, especially when it utilizing technology in solving those problems.”
“I think boomers know how to socially interact better at work and with friends. It has already been proven that Millennials have a shorter attention span because of the over exposure to so much communication. (Put down the phone and go DO something!)”
“Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of cell phones, but they’ve also killed the art of conversation. Before I was retired, we’d talk to one another during our lunch break, now the kids are texting, playing games, or checking Facebook. How do they get to know one another?”
“Millennials are generally better connected with people around the world, and often more in-the-know with current events and varying views. But I’d say Boomers had/have deeper relationships with fewer people.”
“Millennials may lack face-to-face social skills. They avoid uncomfortable and/or intimate interactions in favor of online communication. They always have their phones with them yet never answer them. Proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation have gone by the wayside.”
“Boomers were/are more regional than Millennials—news got out slower; travel took more time and was less efficient; pictures and visuals of other parts of the world/universe could not get localized.”
“I have joined the tech generation with great enthusiasm myself, so I am shocked when people my age don’t use the best aspects of technology. Moderation is best, of course—I think many younger people rely too much on staring at their little devices rather than looking their friends and family straight in the eyes—in ‘realtime.'”
“If Millennials are overly confident then it is to their advantage to have that behavior as a reflex. In several cases that I have had a close-up observation, the success that happened couldn’t have been imagined without that confidence. Boomers could do with a dose of this to keep trying.”
“Boomers know how to write letters and spell and hold conversations in person. Lol!”
“Boomers had limited choices. Unless they lived in a very dense city, they could watch 5 or 6 channels on TV, had a phone with a cord, could send mail through the US Postal Service, and could only watch movies by walking or driving to the local movie theater. This lack of choice gave them time, although they didn’t even know that yet.”
