Growing Up with Big, Beige, and Boring Technology
Our tech savvy son at 1 year old.
“It is painful to watch Boomers use technology,” my 30-something son told me as I tried to reset the internet. Although I think I am pretty tech-savvy, I grew up with Big, Beige, and Boring technology. He, on the other hand, was raised with high-tech gadgets. What earliest technology do you remember? How old were you? Was it boring or fun?
The first personal computer I remember using in the 1980s was definitely big, beige, and boring. The operating system it used was MS-DOS which used the language called BASIC (Beginners' All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code). It was a huge advancement for me since I was programming in FORTRAN on a mainframe that accepted keypunch cards. Did I say I was old?
Fast forward to 1985, when Microsoft’s Windows was released. Having just graduated from Georgia Tech, where I spent hours in a computer lab, I started my new job using an IBM Computer with windows. Talk about mind-blowing. No longer did I need all the coding I used in college. Just clicking on an icon did an enormous amount of pre-programmed work.
However, these computers were extremely slow, taking all day to run macros. And what would be considered a portable computer weighed 20 pounds! Yes, still big, beige, and boring. They used floppy discs, which didn’t have a lot of storage capacity. In 1990 CD-ROMs were then introduced. By then, I was working in Boston using computers that needed to store a lot of data. This new technology was revolutionary. I remember clearly my colleague introducing me to this new way to store data. I quickly adopted its use to help with my work efficiency.
My work as a management consultant needed the latest technology. We were using Apple’s Macintosh and began to transition from Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets to Excel. Our presentations were done in PowerPoint in the late 80s and early 90s. But we still had to FedEx presentations since this was the pre-internet era.
Working in the downtown Boston office, jetting all over the country, and working with senior executives gave me great exposure to the newest technologies. However, all my technology applications were for work. Shortly after our first son was born, when I was a stay-at-home mom, I still tried to keep up with technology. We had our own computer, just one, but how many did you need? I used it to track finances with Quickbooks and word for writing. It was the first time outside of the work environment that we used technology.
Many from the younger generation typically assume that Baby Boomers are stuck in their old-school, traditional ways and want nothing to do with any modern features in technology. But we were early adopters of all kinds of technology. My husband had a cell phone for work that was mounted in his car. I had a cordless landline too. We got a big screen TV which had rear projection. It even had a VHS so the kids could watch movies. All these things were Big, Beige, and Boring still. It isn’t that our generation doesn’t like technology; it is used for functionality. It wasn’t until Apple revolutionized design that it changed the world of technology.
Distinctive design—clean, friendly, and fun—would become the hallmark of Apple products under Steve Jobs. He had the vision for a friendly computer, a very forward-thinking view. No longer is a computer just about function, but about having fun. Introducing the distinct differences between young vs. older users.
Youngsters typically use their forms of technology to “pass the time” and use social media platforms to interact with people. Older people primarily use technology for more functional and business purposes to connect with people and learn how to market their companies. So how do you bridge the technology gap?
Millennials and Gen Z grandchildren are the natives of technology. They can use their expertise to help grandparents become more technologically familiar and fluent in the latest “fun” technology. This would allow everyone to understand and use technology efficiently for both personal and career life.
As baby boomers, if you are heading into retirement age, it would be advantageous to learn to use technology outside of the workplace. Not just for functional use but to enjoy life. What lessons would you like to learn from your grandchild? They would be happy to help. Break out of the Big, Beige, and Boring world and trade in your flip phone for one that is fun. Consider one with bling, a selfie stick, or other gadgets.
