Between 1977 and 1997, a new era of technology was born. And so were
Millennials. As the first generation to grow up with cable, Internet,
and cell phones, many say Millennials were born with technology, to an
extent, in their DNA. Nielsen
reports that 24 percent of Millennials list technology use as the top
reason to what makes their generation unique, followed by music and pop
culture.
Despite being termed “digital natives,” Millennials aren’t as tech-savvy as the nickname suggests. A report by Change the Equation, a group that researches STEM education, reports that while Generation Y spends an average of 35 hours on digital media each week, almost six in ten can’t do basic tasks on email or spreadsheets.
This may come as a shock to those who see Millennials as glued to their smartphones, tablets, and gadgets.
Brandon Smith, the director of academic project support at the Ball State Digital Corps, said oftentimes, there is a pressure for Millennials to get the latest gadget or try the latest social network, but that the tools are more powerful than people realize.
“You should not expect a young person to pick up their mobile device for the first time and know how to navigate everything they now have access to,” Brandon said.
To him, there is a certain expectation to own and be engaged in new technologies. Because of this, sometimes young people will own technology but still not completely understand certain programs and skills.
Change the Equation’s report found 58 percent of Millennials have low technological skills when it comes to solving problems. In this study, test takers were ranked as Level 3, Level 2, Level 1, or Below Level 1. Nineteen percent of Millennials scored below Level 1, meaning they would have trouble sorting email responses to a party invitation into folders to keep track of who can attend.
The results of this study line up with the changing landscape of the workforce in America. Higher technology skills are necessary to solving problems, but many Millennials haven’t yet fully developed these skills.
Despite Millennials lacking some technical competence, they are still learning about new technologies and adapting to them faster than other generations. A study by Barkley, a marketing and communication service, found that Millennials are more than twice as likely to be an early adopter of technology. Fifty-six percent of Millennials say they are a part of the first group to try new technology, while 35 percent of non-Millennials report they usually wait a year before trying new technology.
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