Random Thought about Gen X vs Millennials (and the new "iGen" or Gen Z)

[makattak]

I've been hearing complaints (i.e. this is a bunch of anecdotes) about how young people who grew up around computers have been ill-equipped to use most software when put in a business environment. (Note, I'm merging and summarizing the complaints)

I'm wondering if the average person for Generation X is better at using a computer than the average Millennial or iGen. Gen X grew up without computers but their formative schooling or business years were done with the growth of computers. Back when using a computer was not very user-friendly. Most people in Gen X, even those who aren't programmers have likely had to do quite a bit of work to understand computers. There was no "tap this button and open your app".

The younger generations, though fluid with the user-friendly iPhones and tablets haven't ever really had to use a computer as Gen X did.

Note: I'm not saying that the actual programmers and designers from iGen and Millennial are worse than Gen X programmers and designers, but that the average user from Generation X is more savvy than the average iGen or Millennial.

I have no studies, just a gut feeling. Any anecdotes from the people who do support on which is more likely to understand vs mess things up?

[mtnbkr]

I work in tech (IT security service design) and work with a few millennials.  I haven't witnessed any issues of that sort, but these folks are engineers and would likely have understanding beyond using computers as appliances.

The team I'm on at the moment has a couple kids (still in school, part of our apprenticeship program) who are quite adept.

Chris

[Ben]

I work in tech (IT security service design) and work with a few millennials.  I haven't witnessed any issues of that sort, but these folks are engineers and would likely have understanding beyond using computers as appliances.

The team I'm on at the moment has a couple kids (still in school, part of our apprenticeship program) who are quite adept.

Chris

There may be some social environmental factors, or how brains are wired, and sure, maybe some gen "whatever" (but see "social environment"). However for my single data point in the work, and I guess private as well worlds, I saw knuckleheads across the generations. Also people that could handle tech across the generations (though "knuckleheads" seemed to be the majority).

As Chris points out (and again, environment), it seems in part this has more to do with how various people need to interact with tech. I should be, marginally as I'm on the edge, of a generation that should not be adept at more than "pressing buttons", but generally know more about computers than the average person. On the other hand, I couldn't navigate twitter or facebook to save my life, but that's because I don't use them (beyond twitchy) and have no interest in doing so.

I guess in some ways what I just wrote reinforces the OP. I also got into computers when you had to know your way around the hardware and software, and for me at least, that led to a lot of experimentation that taught me a lot. More often than not through the school of hard knocks and fried equipment.    Had I just gone the Mac route, I would very likely be much less adept at computer tech than I am.

[230RN]

I was shocked in the early 80s when I found out Son1 was actually writing programs in Applesoft with a cadre of his friends.

Apple had donated Two-Eees  to the school system and the kids had glommed onto that.

I had had a computer course in college and had written a large program in Fortran for the class project, so I went out and bought 2 Two- Eees, one for me, and one for the kids (now grown men) and got rid of the TI99 4a on which I had been programming in BASIC.

Point and anecdote per OP's request:

Son1 has made a career out of IT from his experiences in the 1980s and has an honest-to-G-d BS degree in Computer Science.

I find it amusing that most many of the functions of DOS 6.X+  are still resident in machines as of Win7.  Don't know about later versions.

Terry

REF (Sample):
https://lifehacker.com/the-best-tools-hidden-in-windows-command-line-1553193077

[AJ Dual]

At 44 years old, and coming up with Commodore's in the 80's, and then my first 286 PC in '87, then having worked in some aspect of IT/IS since '92 I've seen it a bit of what makattak is talking about .

First there were a lot of older workers early in my career who struggled with computers. Understandable. I did about as much "functional" support as I did actual break-fix/technical.  Then as it got into the late 90's and early 2000's, it became kind of a PITA, because break-fix and troubleshooting work went way up. When someone called, you knew it was because they had some problem out of the ordinary. Now in the 2010's to 20-teens, it's fallen back a bit, and I do run into more younger users having functional problems, where they just don't know how to do XYZ, and there's no actual "problem", they've plugged something in wrong, or had something turned off. Or that they do something in a completely Rube Goldberg fashion, when there's a quick easy way to do something you thought everyone knew.

It's not a HUGE gap, but just enough that you notice it.

I don't know that it's so much an iOS interface that "dumbed them down a bit" but suspect it's more to do with the advent of later versions of Windows, late Xp and 7 where it was actually reliable, and you could have long stretches of uninterrupted use without needing any configuring or troubleshooting.

What I do notice is that when it's a "simple" functional support problem and not a troubleshooting issue, the younger people who had that problem don't ever repeat it.

[Sideways_8]

Meh. I'm a Millenial and I have no problem using computers. Even though I have grown up with tap a button to open an app, you can still put MS-DOS in front of me and I won't have a problem using it. Growing up and not having to use clunky *expletive deleted*it doesn't mean that I am unable to. If you go by that logic, the best sawyers would be guys that grew up using cross cuts instead of chainsaws. Clunkier, slower, and simpler (the good kind of simpler though.)

[Ben]

I don't know that it's so much an iOS interface that "dumbed them down a bit" but suspect it's more to do with the advent of later versions of Windows, late Xp and 7 where it was actually reliable, and you could have long stretches of uninterrupted use without needing any configuring or troubleshooting.

Regarding my Mac comment, I should have been specific that it was targeted at my experience in the 80s. Certainly I agree that newer versions of Windoze are comparable to Apple on the "click and go" thing.

[RevDisk]

Depends on the person, but yes, some of the newer kids entering the labor market don't have a lot of troubleshooting knowledge because technology actually became user friendly. It's not nearly as bad as some of our older users. So, minor dip, but not substantial.

We get far less extremely basic tickets from the younger users than the older hunt and peck crowd. 

[Scout26]

"I don't build 'em.  I just fly 'em."