Tech: Does it unite or divide the generations?
When I was growing up in the 80s the great divide between the generations was the video recorder. An almost magical piece of technology that revolutionised the movie viewing experience for families throughout the nation.
It seems incredible now, but people were happy to pay an annual membership fee for the privilege of joining a local video store. Then, when you wanted to rent a movie, you would have to drive to the store, browse the shelves for films that had not already been rented, make your selection, then pay a rental fee and a deposit to borrow a movie recorded on a VHS or Betamax cassette that you would have to physically bring back 24hrs later. If you returned the cassette late or forgot to rewind it (!) you would be fined.
However, the generational rift was caused not by movie hire, but by the other great feature of the machine. You could record programmes broadcast on TV and view them later at your convenience. This was revolutionary at the time!
The problem was that the timers on the video recorders were fiddly to use and not very intuitive. Many a family argument, and perhaps the occasional divorce, resulted from favourite programmes not being recorded. In those days if you missed a show that was pretty much it. There were just three or four channels. No +1 or +24. No Dave or Gold. No YouTube or iPlayer. No Netflix or Amazon Prime. And programmes were rarely shown again.
Because the timers were so tricky to use, in my home, and I think in households throughout the country, they became the exclusive domain of the teenager. Parents would happily delegate all responsibility. Family harmony was restored. The funny thing is that I was happy to programme the timer. Why? Because I found it easy.
And this, I think, has been a defining feature of new tech for generations. Teenagers and those in their twenties have always welcomed new technology and generally found it easy to use. Older people have been more cautious and are more likely to struggle to use it.
When I was growing up it probably didn’t matter too much. New technology, as it affected the average person, moved at a snail’s pace. The video recorder was a rare example of tech that impacted the lives of most of the country.
Today we are inundated by new technology and the pace of change is explosive. Think about things we use every day. Facebook started in 2004. The first iPhone was launched in 2007. WhatsApp began in 2009. Instagram in 2010. Uber launched in London in 2012. Deliveroo was founded in 2013. Alexa / Amazon Echo was available in the UK from 2016.
How soon before we are all riding around in driverless cars, have meaningful conversations with chatbots and have robot companions in our home?
But my question is this: Does today’s tech unite or divide the generations?
Is modern tech easy to understand and to use and does it benefit everyone? Or is it confusing and hard to use for older people? Is it the glue or the solvent between the generations?
And then, of course, there is tech that is easy to use by all but may be seen differently by the generations.
For example, is it a wholly good thing that parents or grandparents can keep in touch with their children/grandchildren via Skype or Facetime? Or is it a poor substitute for the real thing? Does it give the younger generation an excuse not to make a physical visit?
I don’t know the answer, but I would love to hear your thoughts.
Or if you don’t’ have time please take 10 seconds to add your answer to our simple yes/no poll.
Originally published at jsixq.com on May 29, 2018.
