age – what does it mean?
Last week I wrote about the stereotype out there that old people are not tech savvy. I want to go on record saying I believe this to be false. Most of the savviest techsters I know are around my age, meaning their 40s, 50s, and 60s. I do know plenty of brilliant younger techies as well – my fabulous tech master Victoria Potts Keale just one of the many.
But, I believe the stereotype that all young people are tech savvy is also false. Here’s my experience with the college-age crowd. While teaching at LSU, I gave a bonus point to students who connected with me on linkedin. I did it because many did not know what linkedin was and I thought they should. Very often I would be their first connection. As that was several years ago, I figured students were probably more current now. However, I recently met a new college grad who was in the job market and had only just discovered linkedin. She told me it wasn’t something covered in her degree program.
Now linkedin is not the be-all-end-all of tech knowledge, but it’s pretty useful if you’re looking for a job.
So many people just don’t ‘fit’ the stereotype that it’s hard for me to see age and tech hipness as related. It’s also more evidence that judging another based on a demographic characteristic is a bad idea.
Just sayin.
Would love to know your thoughts on age, technology and stereotypes.
This article made me laugh at first as I thought of my parents sending incomplete words via text or marveling at printing a piece of paper on the printer. However, I think that you raise a good point. If you really think about it the first tech people were people who would now be in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. If people would have had access to technology in the developmental stages they should, in theory, have a better grasp on it. I think that it is the people who do not stay current who give the stereotype lift.
Andy recently posted…Nowruz: A Persian Tradition
So true Andy. People who’ve been into computers for 20+ years have some really deep knowledge of technology. Like my husband – his first computer was a 386.