Technology generation gap quantified by Lexis
Jinfo Blog

20th April 2009

By Nancy Davis Kho

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If you ever needed proof that Gen Yers and Boomers approach technology differently in the workplace, LexisNexis released its Technology Gap Survey on April 15th to prove the point - the press release with summary is at http://digbig.com/4yqas, and the full study is available at http://digbig.com/4yqat. Key findings include the fact that while over two-thirds of all Boomers agree that Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs, such as BlackBerries, Palm Treos) and mobile phones contribute to a decline in proper workplace etiquette, and believe the use of a laptop during in-person meetings is “distracting,” less than half of Gen Y workers agree. Furthermore, only 17% of Boomers believe using laptops or PDAs during in-person meetings is “efficient,” while more than one third of Gen Y do. Finally, only 28% of Boomers think blogging about work-related issues is acceptable, while 40% of Gen Y workers do. The study also found that the lines between home and office blur to a much greater extent for Gen Y workers than for their older counterparts, with 62% of Gen Y professionals report accessing a social networking site from work, versus only 14% percent of Boomers. Multi-tasking is a fact of life for Gen Y workers, who reported logging a cumulative total of 22.9 hours across four types of applications during an average work day (e-mail; internet browsers, instant messaging, and Microsoft Office), versus 10.3 for Boomers. The implications for managers - who tend to be in the Boomer generation - are stark. It's critical to recognize that younger workers have an expectation for multitasking, and to invest in technologies that can turn that tendency into increased productivity. Communication and enforcement of acceptable technology use is also important, to clarify the grey areas around social networking, blogging and online collaboration around corporate issues. Recognition that connection and community are key motivators to Gen Y workers is important for companies interested in attracting and retaining young workers is the. Sales contest prizes that work for older workers may not have the same lure for younger employees; better to find out ahead of time that your staff would prefer a gift card to a video gaming store than to a restaurant.

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