Chapter 02
Gen One and Technology
Summary
01
“Technology should be embraced, not feared.”
Gen One are at ease in their relationship with technology and its pace of change, confident in its positive influence on their day-to-day life and long-term ambitions.
In contrast, Digital Adopters struggle to balance technology with daily life and are concerned about the consequences of being left behind.
Technology’s day-to-day impact
02
Gen One and Digital Adopters alike recognise the need for a balanced approach to technology use.
Gen One and Digital Adopters alike recognise the need for a balanced approach to technology use. Gen One claims they are more confident in managing their technology use, appearing more adept at integrating it seamlessly into their lives while maintaining a focus on physical and mental well-being. They appreciate technology in enhancing convenience, efficiency, and connectivity in their lives, and are cognisant of maintaining a healthy balance between online and offline activities.
Digital Adopters, on the other hand, are engaged in a tug-of-war with technology.
While acknowledging its many high-level benefits, they describe many perceived downsides, including the increased prevalence of mental health challenges, and limitations on emotional connection and privacy: these are the costly trade-offs to themselves and society for the many benefits it offers.
Interestingly, there was consensus across generations that technology has a net positive impact on everyone, particularly for older people. This belief is founded on the potential for technology to enhance various aspects of life, from health and transport to personal connections.
“It feels like it's addictive sometimes and you know, sometimes you're like, oh wrap it up or whatever, and then you can't like then something else jumps to mind and then you're like, oh OK, look this up. I gotta do this. So yeah, it's sometimes a bit of a love hate relationship with it….it's finding that sweet spot, I guess.”
Human connection in the digital age
03
When considering the impact of technology, personal connection is a recurring theme among both groups. While social media offers unparalleled opportunities to stay connected, it also raises concerns about the erosion of face-to-face interactions and cyber-bullying.
Gen One sees the benefits of remaining connected in real-time using social media and other technology, and were not as worried about 'too much' time spent online - they accepted that as inevitable and used their devices to connect with friends socially.
Members of Gen One see the benefits of remaining connected in real-time using social media and other technology, and were not as worried about 'too much' time spent online - they accepted that as inevitable and used their devices to connect with friends socially.
“I guess we've become more attached to our phones and less to each other.”
“And it's just like you don't wanna lose human interaction either. I think that's the main thing that I am like, it's not trying to lose this. I mean, now we have robots, like cleaners that clean the plates of restaurants. Like here we go: no more waitresses, no more waiters”
“A lot of stuff is shared online as well. Not more to show off, but more to just keep it connected with other people close around us and they're like, hey, you know, everyone's still connected. This is what we've got going on in our life right now.”
The Future of Technology
04
Gen One are far more enthusiastic about the potential for technology to create a better future for everyone.
Gen One are far more enthusiastic about the potential for technology to create a better future for everyone. In particular, they look forward to advances in eCommerce, AR/VR and streaming technology, but are also less concerned about negative trends like misinformation, data breaches and scams.
Digital Adopters, while also looking forward to technological advancements, express more caution. They are more likely to worry about the long-term impacts of technology on physical and mental health, particularly for younger people.
“Because someone like Apple doing [the Vision Pro] means that it's gonna just go crazy and expand. Like it's like we're seeing a new introduction, like when they released the first iPhone, like that would have just been crazy and it just kind of feels like that. It’s like a new wave of technology is coming.”
Accelerating Artificial Intelligence
05
A sense of tech optimism among Gen One extends into their perception of AI, but they can recognise some downsides. Gen One are generally more accepting of AI's role in their lives, seeing it as a tool that can enhance convenience and efficiency - but worry that will make people less motivated and make the digital world more boring to interact with.
Digital Adopters, however, are more concerned about AI's potential to disrupt job markets and devalue human skills. This highlights a fear of losing the human touch in various aspects of life and work.
“You can see AI is creating videos and digital images, and you don't have to do anything. You type in like a search bar, what you wanna see? Bang, it's there."
"So I think there will be like other apps out there that are probably gonna be more AI generated. Depends on what it is because there could be people making stuff that's easier in the future or stuff that's kind of ruining it at the same time.
“They won't actually need to learn anything because of Google, which isn't the best thing because it is ruining what we can do… if we don't have to write then we won't be, then we won't be good at it if we ever need it.”
What it means for Gen One Design
06
Gen One Design should be balanced, considering the perspective of both Gen One and Digital Adopters.
The nuanced understanding of technology among Gen One equips them to navigate the digital landscape wisely. They embrace innovation while being mindful of its potential downsides. We should focus on creating intuitive, user-friendly experiences that cater to this generation's confidence and comfort with technology.
Gen One's comfort with technology pervasiveness opens the door for the integration of new technologies into various aspects of their lives, enabling the exploration of more innovative approaches that Digital Adopters would be hesitant to embrace.
In addition, their greater enthusiasm for future advancements makes them more likely to adopt new approaches that enhance convenience and efficiency in daily life.
For Digital Adopters, a more cautious approach is necessary. Addressing concerns about privacy, data security, and the addictive nature of technology is crucial. Solutions should include features that enhance usability and accessibility, helping this group feel more secure and confident in their technology use.
However, once something new is introduced to Gen One, Adopters will follow, by their nature, or by fear of being left behind.
Implications for government-to-citizen engagement
07
1.
Be brave
Gen One is attracted to new and innovative technology, willing to take a chance on something groundbreaking but unproven. As with any new technology, getting early adopters excited will ultimately attract the masses.
2.
Be balanced
Any technology advance should be tempered by ensuring privacy, security and malicious actors are addressed, particularly to keep Digital Adopters confident in its long-term net benefit.
3.
Be human
Gen One believe that technology will ultimately bring people together - if we dehumanise our experiences, making them more like processes or forms, they will feel less connected to the benefits and less likely to use them.
Case Studies
08
01
#farmers #cop26
Representatives from 197 countries gathered in Scotland for the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). The conference was a focal point for activists pushing for more robust climate action and aggressive mitigation of carbon emissions, with over 100,000 marching in the streets of Glasgow.
On social media, a different type of activism was unfolding. An analysis of COP26-themed TikTok posts created by farmers was published in the Journal of Rural Studies in 2023, finding that:
- Emotional reactions to the TikTok videos facilitated a higher level of empathy between farmers and the audience
- TikTok is an effective platform to share beliefs, gather knowledge from different sources, give advice, and share perceptions and understanding
- TikTok offers significant potential for discussion among non-experts, and can particularly raise engagement into “sensational attention” with short, experimental, and dynamic style videos
Lesson for Gen One Design
Farmers who embraced an imperfect and relatively new communication tool like TikTok were able to forge human bonds that created meaningful engagement, raising empathy and leading to greater understanding of their perspectives in the climate debate.
02
Apple Vision Pro
Released in 2024, the Apple Vision Pro is a mixed-reality headset based on iPadOS, but with several innovative interface features:
- Personas - a digital simulacrum of you that can appear for others when you FaceTime or engage in shared experiences
- Shared experiences with family and friends - Vision Pro allows you to meet, collaborate and watch with others using your Persona
- New interaction modes - the interface is controlled with users’ eyes, hands and voice for natural interactions
Lesson for Gen One Design
The Vision Pro is an early & audacious attempt to humanise mixed reality, but is a useful blueprint of the recommended approach for any new technology: consider the most important elements for users to feel connected to the benefits and each other.
