Forrester Research report about US Technographics

Technographics, what a nice word. No idea what it means but it does sound important and something you and I should know about.

It is a survey about the adoption and use of technology by different generations. Since lifestyle (mainly education and income) is a huge determinant of technology use I am always sceptical about these types of studies.

Anyway, this report costs lots of dosh but from the sales blurb it seems to be peddling the same old messages.

Gen Y sets the pace for technology adoption. Nine in 10 Gen Yers own a PC, and 82 percent own a mobile phone. But it is technology use that sets this generation apart: Gen Y spends more time online ' for leisure or work ' than watching TV; 72 percent of Gen Y mobile phone owners send or receive text messages; 42 percent of online Gen Yers watch Internet video at least monthly. Gen Xers use technology when it supports a lifestyle need, while technology is so deeply embedded into everything

Gen Yers do that they are truly the first native online population.'

The fact that Gen Y is, and will increasingly be, under the most intense economic pressure with multiple demands on their disposable income is neither here nor there.

If you want a different take on the generational use technology then have a read of this article from the Sunday Times. It concludes Gen Y is a group of superficial technology users with the attention span of goldfish. Maybe the message for marketers who are targeting this generation is keep the copy short – 6 words max.

Note: You will see a reference to an article by Nicholas Carr (The guy who wrote IT does Matter). I winced as I read (scanned) it since I know exactly what he means about the way the Web changes how we consume content. Dick Stroud