- Which one are you?
We've all heard about "The Greatest Generation," "the Baby Boomers," and Generations X, Y, and Z. These are all labels used to describe and contrast the characteristics of the various age groups of people. I've used it myself in my writings to describe the behavior of different classes of workers, but recently I had someone in an Internet Discussion group tell me there was a easier way of differentiating people, namely Analog versus Digital. I found the description to be simple, yet profound, in terms of differentiating people. To illustrate:
| ANALOG GENERATION understands... | DIGITAL GENERATION understands... |
|---|---|
| Super 8mm movies | DVD's |
| Turntables, 45s & LPs | CD's |
| Rotary telephones | Cell phones, iPhones, and BlackBerrys |
| Rotating knobs for Radio-TV tuners | Radio-TV Scanners and remote controls |
| Clamation and cartoon animation | Pixar Animation |
| Black and white TV | High-Definition TV |
| Magnetic Tape | Flash drives and memory sticks |
| Carburetors | Electronic fuel injection |
| Cash | Electronic banking |
| Monitors | Flat screens |
| VHS and BETA | MP3, WMV, MPG, AVI |
| Cards, Monopoly, Chess and Checkers | Video Games |
| Land Line | Wireless |
| Rand McNally | GPS, Mapquest |
These comparative lists could go on and on, but basically, under this approach you are not differentiated by age, but by how well you have adapted to technology, and there appears to be a lot of truth in this. Those people shopping for jobs acutely understand this. On your resume it is becoming more important to list the technology you are familiar with as opposed to your command of the English language, or your understanding of business and management. In other words, the person who is proficient in the use of MS Office or Adobe Photoshop stands a better chance of being hired than someone who possesses good business and communications skills. This is like being rewarded for your skill in the use of a calculator as opposed to your basic comprehension of math.
The point is, we are defined more by our ability to assimilate with our technology than by age or any other factor. This emphasis on technology is another indicator that the human being is being subliminally programmed, not just the computers and equipment we use.
A lot of people are unsure as to which generation they belong to. I guess the best way to discern whether you are of one generation or the other is whether you can competently program a cell phone or change the clock in your automobile. If you rely on a son or daughter to program it, you're probably Analog.
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 30 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
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Copyright © 2013 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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- Bigotry exists and it isn't going away any time soon.
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