Gimme a break! This is news? What cave have these researchers been living in?
This latest “revelation” appears in an article titled, “Busting myths about baby boomers,” published by Media Life magazine. They interview someone at Nielsen about that research firm’s new study that shows:
Just how off base some of our impressions of older people are. The research shows that boomers as a group are early adopters who consume huge amounts of media, including more time-shifted television than their 18-24 counterparts, and they comprise a surprising one-third of all social media users.”
Okay, first we have to get over being referred to as “older people.” Then we have to ask why on earth these research, media and advertising people find it so surprising that we boomers still love and rely on the latest technology.
The Nielsen guy goes on to say, “they’ve adapted to computers and everything else after that.” Well, why wouldn’t we? Where is it written that the day you turn 50, you suddenly become techno-phobic and shun any new innovation or change from that point on?
Just take a look at how we’ve adapted to changes in the music industry over the years: When we were young, we had record players…first mono 45s, then stereo albums – remember quad? Then we all had 8-track players in our Mustangs and Cameros…or maybe it was a Pinto or a Vega. Anywho, then we all had to go buy cassettes. Then CDs. And now if you’re like most of us here at bohemianboomer, you’ve gone completely digital.
It’s a sure bet we’ll be ready for the next big music innovation that comes down the ‘pike. Although you may hear some of us grumble like Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black that this means “I’ll have to buy the White Album again.”
So we can’t understand why you “experts” tell us you’re amazed that your studies show:
But they’ve adapted to technology. Of all the technology we looked at, they’re using it. And as long as that continues to happen, they’ll adapt to new products.”
At least the guy from Nielsen got it right when he was asked why boomers are so quick to embrace new technology:
I think there’re two factors. Number one is they’re comfortable with technology because more and more has been launched as they’ve moved along.
And number two, they’ve got the money. They’re at the point in their careers where they have discretionary income, more than they did when they were 30 years old.
Both of those combined are driving it. And they also still have the millennials at home with them, so the technology kind of crosses over. In many instances the boomers are paying for the technology the millennials are using.
And paying….and paying…and paying. <sigh>
as a bohemian boomer, i do have to say that i don’t spend a lot of time watching television. in fact i only use my television for watching dvd’s, but i do spend a lot of time at the laptop, for fun (not including the time spent at work.) we may be aging, but we are open-minded, fun, and intelligent…. and we don’t necessarily rely on the ‘instant gratification’ that a lot of the technology provides. we may utilize the technology, but we are able critical thinkers….