Listening to the Brian Lehrer show this morning on NYC, and hearing the discussion about how young people have become the experts in this new Web 2.0 world, I wrote a comment to the author, Jeff Jarvis (What Would Google Do?) being interviewed (http://www.buzzmachine.com/2009/02/06/on-brian-lehrer-this-morning/#comments)
basically saying that young people are always ahead in a time of change.
But then how do we make sense of the woman who called in, retired or out of work at the age of 55, who started on the Google 'give it away free' model and is now doing well.
Or the students in my WriteSpeak classes (www.writeyourownsuccessstory.com)most of them between the ages of 40 and 65, many of whom have become experts on Web 2.0 itself, and are, for instance, in the top 50 on Twitter, etc.
Maybe the answer is that people who must learn (like the woman who called in to the show) and people who love to learn (like the people who signed up for my classes) have pounced on the new toys with the fascination of children. Maybe the internet starts the same dendritic fireworks as learning a new language -- at any age -- as Betty Freidan's sources said in her great book, The Fountain of Age.
I'd love to know what you think.
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4 comments:
Intriguing article, Barbara! You keep standing conventional wisdom on its head, and you continue to strike a chord with those of us who think (and feel) outside the box.
One of my many career strands a while back was as a trainer of IT end users in programs such as MS Office. It was right at the time Windows was first introduced so even those of us with experience of DOS-based systems were not at an advantage.
I was in my 30s, and went into it assuming that the 'older' people (by which I meant those in their 50s as I am now...!!) would be slower learners.
Not so, it was exactly as you describe: the curious, and those who love learning, took to the then new technology with glee. Those who were fearful of change, including many in their very early 20s, did everything they could to resist.
I'm part of an online community called Elderwomen, started by British writer Marian Van Eyck McCain who is in her 70s. Some people on the site are more technically adept, some less, but all are engaged in building community and using Web 2.0 tools to do it.
Bring it on, I say!
Hi Barbara,
I can't find the stats right now but a recent social media survey actually indicateds that there is a high percentage of boomers and beyond who are getting into social media as a way to connect and explore.
Patricia
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