I've been trying to get my dad go online and learn how to email.  My Dad is a brilliant writer and a wide reader.  How I would love for him to have his own email address or even a Facebook account and keep in touch with his siblings and my Kuya who’s in Australia and my other bro Joel in Los Angeles.  That would certainly cut down the phone bills to almost nil, and hasten up the snail mail.

Technology of course would be facilitating all that but as eager and dependent as I am on technology, my Dad has yet to make that first step of --- yup, having the interest to learn and be on the net. 

My Dad isn’t alone in this. In fact, I’ve found out that a lot of elderly folk have lesser interest, in fact, how you perceive and use technology reveals your age.  This I found out to be true most evident at the work place. 
In the recent market survey conducted by WorldOne Research, they discovered that age plays a big factor in the way professionals today embrace technology at work.

A huge gap among three different generations of workers exists today when it comes to technology adaptation. Based on the Lexis/Nexis Technology Gap Survey, the Baby Boomers, workers born in 1964 or earlier, consistently reported less passion for technology at the workplace compared to those classified under Gen Y, workers born from 1980 or later, who voraciously use the latest technologies all the time. Between these two groups is the Gen X, people born between 1965 and 1979 who generally use gadgets and online tools in moderation, the survey shows. 

This survey was conducted in the United States, but its results easily mirror workplace conditions in other countries just like ours where young professionals bond with new technologies faster and stronger than their older counterparts.

It’s amazing to note that all 700 survey respondents use technology and software at their jobs, with almost 100 % penetration of the most important forms of hardware and software; 100% use either desktop, laptop or both, 100% percent use e-mail and calendar programs, and 94 % percent use an Internet browser.  While these percentages seem high, Philippine computer and internet users follow right close to these numbers. 

This survey stated that most of the respondents agree that new technology and software applications have made it easier to get up-to-the-minute information (95 percent agree), perform research (94 percent agree), improve productivity (90 percent) and manage information (87 percent).

In addition, 88 percent of the respondents think that devices such as laptops, PDAs and mobile phones make people significantly more productive.

What causes disparity or the “generation technology gap” so to speak, is the frequency and the variety by which the three age groups use technology at the workplace.  For example, the survey found that the most junior workers (Gen Y — aged under 28) and even Gen X workers (aged 29-43) use a far wider range of software and programs on the Internet at work than the most senior workers (Boomers aged 44 to 60).

Why, it’s almost like pulling teeth trying to get your dad to even turn on the pc much less learn an application or use a program! The use of programs and software for personal tasks while in the office is even more pronounced among the younger generation.  (to be continued)

I love hearing from yah! techiemommy@gmail.com.