Boomers – Using Technology to Bridge the Gap Between Generations

How does my 77-year-old father-in-law stay in touch with his eight grandchildren?  The answer may strike you as a little surprising: through Facebook.  Of course, it does help that he’s relatively computer literate—after all, he was an early adapter of that revolutionary Internet invention, AOL dial-up! However computer literacy doesn’t always translate to understanding the intricacies of social media. For that, it takes a knowledgeable son-in-law and a father-in-law eager to learn.  The outcome? A grandfather who, with the simple click of a mouse, is now in touch daily with his grandchildren, ranging in age from 14 to 25.

Whoever would have guessed that Boomers like me, the sandwich generation, would come to serve as the catalyst uniting parents, in-laws, and children—through email and Facebook. After all, despite the fact that I was an ad guy at a cutting-edge Boston-based agency, in the early 1990’s when my first child was born, email was barely in my vocabulary. Facebook? Not even invented!

And it’s not only computer-savvy seniors like my father-in-law who’ve come to embrace the Internet. I realized a couple of years ago that my mother was very interested in getting online with a computer of her own.  After all, my kids frequently shared their favorite websites with her and read emails to her that they received from other family members.  So on her 80th birthday we bought her an iMac and brought her into the 21st Century – quite a leap for a Silent Generation denizen who remembers listening to FDR’s fireside chats on a Philips radio. As with my father-in-law, we were able to introduce her to a whole new world with the stroke of a key and a click of a mouse.

Two years later, via email, my mother delights as her oldest grandson begins his college years. She is thrilled to death to receive his emails and respond back to him with her pearls of wisdom. And she’s not alone: computer usage among seniors is growing. Studies indicate that it can help reduce loneliness and isolation and improve mental acuity. In fact, seniors can continue to live on their own without having to feel separated from their families. Witness Carolyn Rosenblatt’s experience of acquainting her elderly mother-in-law with Skype in her article “Can technology save an aging widow?”

All this demonstrates that I’m not alone in seeing the opportunities for using technology to cross generational lines and bring families together. And it’s proof that companies that are developing these products should be marketing to Boomers, too. After all, Boomers have not only embraced the benefits of technology for ourselves, we’re using it to connect the generations on either side of us. And when it comes to the senior market, for the most part, we’re the gatekeepers.

What’s more, new product opportunities will only grow as Baby Boomers cross over into their mature years, demanding the comfort and benefits of technology, plus a desire to stay ahead of the curve. Just make sure any technological enhancements have a purpose. One thing to keep in mind: Boomers expect that bells and whistles will make life easier and/or better, not just be there for their own sake.

Posted by – Tom Gorski