Comparisons Among the Generations
The Growing Number of Older Internet Users—and Susceptibility to Scams
Q:
Tammy,
I have run into more of a personal generational difference for the first time that has completely thrown me for a loop (even with all the tools I have in my belt to understand the differences in the generations!)
As a member of Gen X, we are really experiencing the full-on “Sandwich Generation” squeeze right now. In dealing with my Boomer mother, we recently had an issue come up that she could not comprehend… Internet safety/ Internet scams. My children would think this is just crazy, others my age would appreciate that they are out there and we have to be cautious, but my mother just cannot comprehend that scams are out there. (This was the one that comes from a “lawyer” on “Lloyds of London” letterhead telling her that she has just come into $6 million.)
We all know that anyone who is slightly Internet-savvy can create Lloyds of London letterhead, even create an email address that looks like it is coming from them, claim to be a lawyer (or even better yet, just a real person) and convince people that it is all real. HOWEVER, as someone who only knows how to use the Internet to get email and order from Amazon, she cannot comprehend that scams like this could even happen. She truly believes that “if it is on the Internet, then it must be true” (probably as she believed that if it was on CBS Evening News or the NY Times, it must be true).
Do you have any research about Internet safety and the older generations? I would have to imagine she is not alone! How do we as those more familiar with the Internet let them know that there is a lot of garbage out there that can even hurt them?
Erinn
A:
Hi Erinn,
I haven’t seen anything specific on Internet scams, but I suspect this is just the latest incarnation of older people’s susceptibility to scams of all kinds – phone, Internet, someone dressed as a repairman at the front door, and so on. I’m afraid just as we have to help our children understand the implications of their online activity, we also need to help our older relatives – or ourselves – become increasingly savvy.
It’s clear that your mother is part of a growing trend in terms of Internet usage. Today, women over 55 are the fastest-growing demographic group of social network users; 41% of all Boomers (men and women) have visited online social networks. According to a 2009 Pew internet study, more than half of all Boomers are online on an average day, and more than a third go online several times a day. Forty-one percent of Boomers say they go online just to have fun. The NPD Group found that 61% of Boomer Internet users in the U.S. have visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video.
There’s no turning back – it’s time for us all to learn the Internet ropes.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Warmly,
Tammy
Tammy’s Presentation Cited in Forbes: The Challenge of the Changing Workforce
Q:
Tammy:
Thanks for your work.
Kenneth G. Brill at Forbes recently wrote the following in an article:
I have found Tamara Erickson’s Challenge of the Changing Workforce very interesting, especially as it relates to projected skill shortages in the workforce and generational differences between traditionalists, boomers, Gen-X and Gen-Y. According to Erickson, “Ys desire big important tasks ... but they don’t necessarily want your job!” They are “happy to do the task, but not the time,” and “they are not the slightest bit deterred by what older workers might perceive as a lack of experience or even limited qualifications for the task at hand.”
I tried to find the cited work and have not. Where can I find the article or book? Amazon did not have the title.
Thanks,
Bill Doran
A:
Hi Bill,
The research that I’ve done on the generations threads through a number of the books and articles I’ve written. I’d suggest you start with Plugged In, which I wrote for members of Generation Y, but have had many older readers tell me they find very helpful in understanding Y’s’ perspectives and strengths. I also write about these topics often in my blog “Across the Ages,” which appears weekly on Harvard Business Press’ website: http://discussionleader.hbsp.com/erickson/.
“The Challenge of the Changing Workforce” is the title I frequently use for the speeches and workshops I do with senior executives. I’ve added the slides from a session I did last fall for the Harvard Business School Reunion classes to the downloadable documents on this site, and invite you to explore that, as well.
I hope that helps. Thank you for asking.
Best,
Tammy
Differences Between Younger and Older Gen Y’s
Q:
Do you know of any relationship between the career choices of the generation 13-17 years old and 18-25 years old and their technology preferences and use? Either through psychometric research or otherwise?
A:
I haven’t seen any data that shows dramatic differences between these two ages groups. Older Gen Y’s (those, say, 25-29) do have different technology use patterns—surveys have shown that they’re less likely to use social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace and less likely to send text messages than those under 25. Anecdotal evidence would lead me to believe that the major difference with the youngest Y’s will be an intensifying use of those technologies.
The biggest inflection point—in fact so big that I believe it will mark the beginning of a new generation—comes with those around age 13 or 14 today. Individuals this age and younger formed their conceptual models of how the world works over the past several years. They’ve been heavily influenced by the recession, resource shortages, and concerns about the environment. They’ve come of age doused with a cold bucket of reality. I believe this age group will approach the world with an emphasis on renewal and conservation, and have suggested that we call them the “Re-Generation” or “Re-Gens,” for short.
Generational ROI
Q:
Hi Tammy.
In your opinion, which of the generational cohorts produces the greatest ROI for large enterprises? I know that’s tough and there probably isn’t a perfect answer, but I’m curious what your response will be… Nice new site!
Susan
A:
Hi Susan,
That is a great question . . . and I don’t have a quantitative answer. I’d love to do some research to pin that down some day.
Here are some thoughts: First, we’d have to agree on ways to judge “return” for various activities. What’s the return on an executive who guides others vs. a call center rep who handles direct customer inquiries, for example? The theoretical answer would be that, in a perfect world, we pay people commensurate with their contribution, meaning that the “return” from each individual would be equal to the “investment” we make in them. If you believe this, then the ROI for everyone would be the same.
But, at a generational level, I do think the overall contributions have been a bit different. There’s no doubt the Boomers have been a highly “productive” generation—Boomers were in leadership roles when we saw some of the most significant increases in productivity rates in the U.S. economy, as the technology was first substituted for highly labor-intensive tasks. Boomers have also put an extraordinary amount of time into work—leading the increase in hours worked. So, on a time-based return for the company’s compensation investment, Boomers have been a great deal.
X’ers arguably have worked smarter—and have been more concerned about balancing the time spent at work with that spent with family. In that sense—including time as one of the investments—I’d have to give them the nod over Boomers. And, in another possible generational measure of contribution, X’ers founded many of our most innovative and successful (and highest market value) companies today—including Google, YouTube, Amazon, and Wikipedia.
Y’s are just getting started. There is anecdotal evidence that they are able to perform many tasks faster than any generation yet. Managers tell me stories of hiring a Gen Y for a 10 week internship and running out of work for them to do after only 3 weeks, for example, because they are so speedy. The jury is still out on this, but Y’s may up the ante on ROI still further.
Thoughts?
Thanks for asking such a provocative question.
Tammy
