Built Right Into DNA

Ten years ago I heard a banker say that the difference between someone who’s over 50 years old and someone who’s under 50 is that the former want the bank to mail them their cashed checks, and the latter just want fax or e-mail verification. Way before that, it was the older crowd that would bypass the ATM machines in order to stand in line for a “real” teller, while the younger crowd thought that it was pretty cool to just get cash real time. In today’s marketplace, youth drives the process, especially when it comes to technology. As I’ve pointed out in prior blogs, for the over-45 set the Web and related hardware is a fantastic add-on to our lives. For young people, especially those under 30, it’s not an add-on; it’s built into their DNA.My eleven year old received a Nintendo Wii for Christmas. Very cool product, filled with (for me) terrifying assembly instructions. My son relieved me of duty. He took the box downstairs, unloaded and assembled the contents, hooked the whole thing into a TV monitor, found some glitches, called tech support, worked it out with them, and now has a great theatre. He did it in half the time and one tenth the angst that I would have. I’m impressed. No, actually I’m in awe. But for him, no big deal. Readers of some of my prior blogs have chimed in. One wrote: "My oldest is 19 and I am 47. I read the Wall St. Journal almost daily. Occasionally I find articles that I think would interest him so, like most old folks, I hand him the article - usually I find the section of the paper on his bed room floor and I suspect unread. As an experiment I started sending him links to the same articles. Lo and behold these articles became the source of dinner conversation".Another reader wrote, in response to my (November 9, 2006) blog that explained why young people prefer Instant Messaging (IM) to old, stately e-mail: "It is easier for me to IM 3-5 people with the same question than scrubbing through a research report, weekly trade news, or my email box for an answer. I can present an easy or difficult question and immediately receive 5 high quality responses. You are exactly right in pointing out that the younger gen is accustomed to immediate feedback. It is a very collaborative dynamic that involves the diverse, fast-paced, and multi-tasking characteristics you identified."I experience information overload everyday and it is a serious problem. You should definitely understand this. The scale at which information is available now compared to 15 years ago is insane. IM-ing is a necessary and efficient supplement to achieving daily progress in the work environment".Big implications for marketing? Product development? Management? Life? You bet! 2007 is definitely a new world. Happy New Year!