Whenever we hear the word millennial, the focus is automatically shifted to two words i.e. change and challenge. The emergence of the word change involuntarily led us to think about technology. The technology set to grow exponentially with a coming wave of automation and AI and so its use in our lives. Times are changing as we are living a very interesting period which brings in innovation, the innovation that is brought by technology. You know that the best and worst thing about the innovation is that it doesn’t care whether you ride its wave or not, in case you don’t, then it will trample you as if you never existed. Same goes for Millennials; they never get stuck in the Baby Boomers statement of “we have always done things this way”, though they hold with them a notion to learn from the past. Generation Y, the people born from 1977-1995 are said to be the first to experience the technology such as e-mail and instant messaging. They grew up in the era that was covered with screens all over. This tells us that they have been brought up in a lifestyle that embraces technology whole heartily. It is viewed as a natural part of their environment and life.
Millennia’s are said to be tech savvy, where these devices are attached to them making it a habit. This habit of millennial for constantly interacting with the technology is like a cable. It is weaved into a strand every day which can now not be broken. The addiction to checking our phone for every passing minute is very strong.
Millennial is the generation that is said to be most empowered, hardworking and hell-bent on fighting injustice and embracing change. But now they seem to face unheard amounts of negative comments about being lazy, entitled and tech-dependent. The notion that millennials are tech-dependent and laid back, assist them in fostering change and managing technology in a way that makes work more effective and efficient, demonstrating the fact that they are more creative than any generations before them. I don’t think we talk enough about the pressure we, as a member of Generation-Y, live up to be it someone else’s expectation or the expectation we have set for ourselves. The dependency of millennia’s on technology is because of the freedom provided, to view why we are technology dependent have a look at the following factors:
- Technology a source of communication
Millennial grew up in the era that is dominated by electronics. It was the time when the online market boomed and individuals formed the socially networked world. The technology is regarded as an effective means of communication. It serves as a source that allows them to communicate by means of a text, a call, an email or voice notes and more. For them staying connected is essential as they move throughout the day. Technology ensures that there are multiple devices that connect them anyplace and anytime. These various devices allow Millennials to dialogue in real-time from any place in the world. This technology is the foundation on which the long relationships prosper. The use of cell phone every day has made it convenient for them to use apps and remain in contact with people; this aspect of technology basically separates them from the previous generations that lack the resources. The 24-hour connectivity enabled through social media where younger Millennials use laptops whereas older Millennials use mobile phones. The millennial idea of relating to each other rather their parents or previous generation is also what makes them technology dependent.
- Technology as a source of multitasking
In contrast to the previous generations, Millennials don’t get star struck with the technology. They have this ability to multi-task things; consider their ability to text while also being attentive to their surroundings. They can lend their conscious attention to many things at a single time. Many Millennials listen to music while they work, or leave a television on in the background. The rewiring in the brains of the results of their major exposure to the technological strikes allows them to rapidly process multiple tasks. This technology provides them assistance to get hundreds of task completion is less amount of time as compared to the other generations.
- Technology as an adaptation of change for business
Millennials possess the capacity for the early adaptation of change especially when it relates to technology. When the question is about the change in the corporate sector, they are said to be the most productive players in the company. Their innate ability to adapt change occurring because of technological development and practical applicability aids them in effectively solving problems. The use of cloud technology in companies, IoT gadgets and augmented reality are a crucial part of any business makes Millennial an important part of the businesses today. For businesses today, it is essential for them to recognize the factors those tech-dependent generations want. Millennials allow businesses to adopt smart strategies and think about how technology is viewed by them and what solutions we can offer. Millennials now view businesses as the providers of customer service strategies and solutions they must connect with them in order to ensure that their set standard of customer service expectations is achieved. They offer new perspective to business as how to improvise, adapt and overcome which are applied not only to people but also to various scenarios.
- Technology as a change in corporate culture
Another means as to why Millennials are technology dependent is because they want to revamp the present corporate culture. They want to alter the conventional system of organization and make them adopt a more agile and fast-paced working environment. This can happen when the transition towards technology takes place at a fast pace in the organization, which ensures that it further boost the creativity and enthusiasm of the workers. The changing technological world demands high-potential employees who are nurtured upon the technological aspects and its correlation with the organizational goals. Also, it has been observed that Generation Y people don’t ask about the technology that will be made available at the work but instead they view technology an imperative thing to be included necessary for bringing about the change that previous generations could have never dreamed.
- Technology as a source of managing finances
Technological usage for Millennials is not only limited to social media. They also like to tab their finances through technology. In terms of finances, older Millennials utilize technology for checking their bank balance while the younger and growing Millennials are utilizing it for trading. A huge millennial force is related to internet banking and online insurance purchase. Keeping in consideration the fact that they are the generation coming after the Great Depression, they are price conscious and deal savvy for which they are using apps provided through technology where the Baby Boomer use to collect coupons for the Sunday magazines.
- Technology as a source of learning
The boom in e-learning has also contributed as to making Millennials technology dependent. The statements such as “I will Google it” or “I will Wiki it” have become common phrases in our daily life. They rely on their internet connection for learning from YouTube or seeking course guidance from an oversea facilitator. It assists them to express those ideas that were previously difficult for them to voice. In case, a trouble arises we use troubleshoot assistance to eliminate the issues raised. Further, the development of the websites and deeper understanding of programming and hardware issues also accelerates the learning supplied to us by technology. The technology has put the world at our fingertips. All the pertinent information one could ask for is in the pockets.
Wrapping it up
Millennials have seen many strides in technology throughout their life, which amazes them and compels them to try out the latest innovation or gadgets that are taking place. They are the first generation to have a lifetime of access to the internet and will be ones who define business. The thing that stands them apart is that they make use of the technology to grab the opportunities, make waves and achieve worthy goals.
About Author
Hina Eni is a specialist web designer associated with the best web design company in Dubai for 2 years. She design websites on WordPress and PHP and can also work on bootstrap templates. She has good command on Adobe products as well. You can follow her on FACEBOOK | TWITTER | LINKEDIN