Earth-Shattering Study Confirms Young People Dig New Technology

from the now-that-that's-put-to-rest dept

Tue, Aug 1st 2006 7:56am — Joseph Weisenthal

A trend may be afoot to bring social networking to the older set, but according to a new study from Forrester, it's actually -- get this -- young people who are more inclined to use social networking sites, IM and SMS. Think that seems obvious? It gets better. Among baby boomers, younger ones use new technologies more than their older counterparts. It seems these analyst firms just can't resist putting out painfully obvious studies relating to internet use. It's not clear exactly what purpose a study like this serves other than to grab a few headlines and confirm the old saw that if you want to learn how a new device works, you better find a kid. Of course, if you do find this useful, a fuller explanation of these insights are available for a mere $995.00.

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24 Comments

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s, 1 Aug 2006 @ 8:14am

who buys these studies?
I'd like to see who buys these studies. My guess is 75% government associated firms.
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Gabriel Tane (profile), 1 Aug 2006 @ 8:45am

Or...
Maybe it's a study within a study. Maybe the real study is to see how many people buy useless information.
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cmc, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:05am

studying the obvious
I think it was a bunch of old people who did this study, who at first thought that they may find the information that they needed on the internet, but the kids would not get away from the computer long enough to let them get online.
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Steve, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:06am

haha
Only because I'm going to graduate school to eventually work for a market research firm or continue on to complete my phd I feel sorry for the individuals who can think of nothing better to research other than that information which is utterly obvious. In turn, I don't think we'll see the generation before mine (im 22) be using SMS and IM with near the severity that those individuals in my generation have and will. It will change how business is done in the future, with many decisions being quickly made and transmitted via cell phone to whatever parties are awaiting that information. Too funny that they would charge near $1000 dollars for these studies, it doesn't cost anything to tell people what they already know.
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Lay Person, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:13am

It has been shown
It has been shown that 9 out of 10 studies are pointless.

Oh and the latest report shows that it's unsafe to fall down staircases.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:15am

No news here... Move along...

er wait a new toy.... Yeaaahhhhh
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:19am

man, I need a job like this (getting paid to do "research". My first study should be how many people hate their jobs (I will go out on a limb and say 90%)
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:30am

This just in! 90% of people hate their jobs!
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SPR, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:39am

Re: It has been shown
Who paid for the study to study studies and study who uses studies?
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Brutal_Kanoodle, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:42am

ha
dang now I have been reduced to a statistic twice in one thread
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:49am

NEW TECHDIRT ARTICLE: Earth-Shattering Study confirms that 90% of people hate their jobs. //sarcasm

Slow day at techdirt? cmon, try sending something juicy down the tube. I'm getting hungry for another Republicans are evil, Google is now God argument.
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 9:56am

Sigh.
OK, so you find proving and documenting tedious.

So get a life then. Be happy someone did it for you.

SOMEONE MUST PROVE AND DOCUMENT things (and be held accountable for any conclusions drawn). We can't walk around in life saying well of course, thats painfully obvious to everything. Some things are painfully obvious. Some are not. Some things are inadmissable in court unless there is an expert to back it up. Some things are inadmissable in a boardroom unless there is evidence to back up a strategic move.

Sure, flame someones career because you think that what they did is worthless. Meanwhile, they ARE doing something useful for society (and for future generations, they are DOCUMENTING what life was like now) and your bitching that you think they are not is definitely NOT USEFUL.

People though Newton was wasting his time by documenting the effects of gravity and coming up with some basic theories on why. Later someone else was able to take his doucmentation, and determine something else about it.

Face it, we live in an information age. We NEED things documented. We ARE GOING TO document them. Yeah, it sure can be tedious at times. That makes it no less significant or important.

Oh, and this just in... 90% of the 90% that hate their jobs are too lazy/smug to find a job they like.

Leaving 10% in a job they like, 1% not capable of finding a job they like. BUT THE OTHER 89% JUST SIT AROUND BITCHING ABOUT THEIR JOBS and whining about someone else's easy job.
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but, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:21am

Re: Sigh.
they didn't prove anything. we already knew this information. actual research doesn't even need to be compiled to understand that individuals growing up on computers and cell phones will use those uniqure devices more than older individuals who had to adopt them into their lives. gravity is one thing, telling me that 14 year olds text, IM and use myspace to get laid is nothing new to me
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shableep, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:21am

Re: Sigh.
I completely agree with you. Things definitely do need to be documented. Significant things. But when the obvious makes headlines, that's pretty ridiculous.

About a month ago there was a headline stating that maybe "dirty is better". It was an article about how dirty rats have a better immune system than clean lab rats. Jesus, this is 6th grade science. When exposed to things, you develop a stronger immunity. Hence, sometimes dirty is better. Well, now it's documented. But the act of documenting that specific is redundant.

I'm all for documentation, but redundancy is just crazy.
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?, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:27am

damit!
Why can't I charge $1,000 for stating the odvious? What am I doing wrong with my life? Who did I piss off, and who should I have been sucking up to?
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?, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:29am

Re: Sigh.
That does it!

I have assumed all my life that grass is green. Never mind that everybody tells me this.

I'm going to apply for a government grant, and PROVE it once and for all!
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Whatever he said, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:36am

It isn't completely useless. While Steve is sure it will speed up the business process as the younger generation ages, we have already seen in business that letting employees use IM is like letting them drive with cell phones -- it slows production and contributes to sloppy work.

Employers are seeing that technology can be a distraction for younger employees, even though the benefits of technology seem obvious. I've seen plenty of younger workers modifying color schemes, settings, and downloading gadgets while the guy next to them, 10 years older, never messes with it, gets his work done, and gets promoted, leaving his young neighbor thinking "this job is too hard" or "they want too much from me." And then they get seriously pissed (and hopefully quit) when we lock down their system.

The study may seem pointless, but it establishes a basis for the next set of questions; like how do we get young people to stop playing with toys and focus on making money?
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:40am

Re: Re: Sigh.
"I have assumed all my life that grass is green. Never mind that everybody tells me this.

I'm going to apply for a government grant, and PROVE it once and for all!"

uhm, there is an entire field of science for that. And horticulture is nothing but mundane documentation that gets most of it funds from government.

So, by all means, go right ahead.
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Jimmy Z, 1 Aug 2006 @ 10:49am

Re:
/point

LOOK! SOMETHING SHINY!
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KurtP, 1 Aug 2006 @ 11:16am

All very funny
Well, it's all very fun to talk about how painfully obvious this all is, but in fact it isn't all that obvious to get actual quantitative numbers. Really, your comment kind of a cheap shot. If you want to know how much more likely a young person is to use them than someone older, because you have a target demographic in mind, then this kind of study is pretty valuable. And not something you get by just asking your teenage son how much his friends like MySpace. Honestly.
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DreadedOne509, 1 Aug 2006 @ 11:38am

Re: Sigh.
Are you the one who paid for this study? Sure sounds like you are...
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Aug 2006 @ 11:48am

yawn
22nd post! woo hoo!
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chris (profile), 1 Aug 2006 @ 3:29pm

how do we get young people to stop playing with to
translation: "you whippersnappers with your fancy computers and your hoola hoops!! back in my day everything was about money!! when you made a lot you were better than everyone else!!"

the sooner the workforce is free of baby boomers, the happier we will all be.

why?

1) there are so many of them
2) they are at the peak of their earning potential, once they are gone there will be more payroll to go around
3) they expect to make more than any other generation in history which skews the average income for a given profession
4) many of them think technology peaked with email

i wish i had a dollar for every old white dude i have met who has his secretary print his emails.
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Whatever he said, 1 Aug 2006 @ 4:04pm

Toys for kids, money for adults
It doesn't have anything to do being better than anyone else; you don't factor into our lives at all.

I like money -- and I make more when my employees work better. If they would figure that out I WOULD PAY THEM MORE. But as long as they see work as evil, they get nowhere -- hear me Chris?

Every generation should expect to make more than the previous one -- that's called progress.

I don't work with boomers, we are all X'ers -- we love money and we love toys, but we don't rely on the toys to do our jobs. When I see the 22 year old IMing all day, and asking for better equipment, while the 32 year old next to him gets his shit done every day so he can go home and party, who do you think I will pay more? And who earned the upgrade?

Boomers and Xers don't hate technology, we use it to make money. But technology can be a distraction from the actual work, and thats a real problem.
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