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Hilarious Baby Boomer Stereotypes

Open Forum, 8/18/08

Abstract:

I am of the Baby Boomer generation and I’ve been using technology for 25+ years.

So I have to laugh when I read articles suggesting Baby Boomers are a bunch of old, tech illiterate dinosaurs.

OK, maybe the calendar doesn’t lie and we are getting up there in years.

But what’s with this tech illiterate stereotype, already???

What prompted me to write this is a recent blog post I read about entrepreneurs and technology. The post basically made the point that you should dumb-down technology for Boomer entrepreneurs. It was written by a 20-something tech blogger. (Said blogger shall remain nameless to protect the guilty.)

Here’s a news flash for Gen Xers, Gen Yers and Millennials:

Millions of Baby Boomers have been using computers, software, and other technology for more years than you have — in some cases since before you were born.

For example, I have many more years of experience under my belt using computers, software, and telecom technology than the younger people who work for me. And I started back in the day when technology wasn’t nearly as user-friendly as it is today. Two decades ago we had to overcome a HUGE learning curve just to do simple activities that today most people take for granted — like number crunching, or creating a presentation, or setting up a computer network, or emailing, or building a website, or setting up voice mail for your company.

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