The pandemic that might have turned Gen X tech-savvy
By: Anjali Dsouza
Tags: Covid 19, Design, Digital Experience, Gen X, Customer Experience

Photo by Ankur on Pexels

Humans are social by nature, and depriving us of human connection is harmful. During this pandemic, social distancing has become the new normal, urging primarily Generation X (born between 1965-1979) and Baby Boomers (born between 1944-1964) to be driven to the social confines of their homes. Ironically though, staying indoors gives them a chance to combat this virus, but it also leads to social isolation and anxiety.

When one thinks of digital platforms or applications, young adults scrolling on their smartphones comes to mind. But during this pandemic, there has been an increase in screen time amongst our parents and their peers. One reason older adults never adopted digital platforms as much before, might be that they never saw any relevance of it in their daily life, not because they felt too old for it. Unlike us millennials, our parents haven’t grown up interacting with technology on a daily basis. They prefer to socialize through human contact — be it a walk in the park with friends or attending a book club. Lack of exposure and technical knowledge to navigate through these unfamiliar waters were hindrances too. This unfamiliarity is because Gen X is said to be the last generation before the internet really took off.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

Embracing online platforms during this pandemic

It seems that COVID-19 safety will continue to haunt us for some time, and we can expect greater reliance on technology to stay connected. These past few months have seen a shift in the mindset of older adults towards digital platforms and technology. They’ve come to understand that being tech-savvy means, you can stay remote but continue with the activities you would do on a normal day. What gives Gen Xers the confidence now, is the added incentive of having their children and grandchildren around them to help them explore the digital world. These platforms now have a purpose for Gen X — to stay connected, making them more accepting and willing to explore. If we look on the bright side of this lockdown, more than a trap it seems to have turned teachers for many.

Personally I feel there has been a role reversal with the younger generation experimenting in the kitchen and the older generation taking time to familiarise themselves with technical knowledge.

From a recent survey I conducted with consumers ranging between their late 40s — early 50s and some between their late 60s — early 70s, the common consensus was that online platforms have won them over, giving them the confidence to continue using them even after this pandemic passes. The personas ranged from homemakers to academicians as well as working professionals. They all seemed to feel that the convenience in attending meetings from the comfort of their home or chatting with friends via various online platforms has eased their life in many ways. They seem to realize also, that as they age, mobility poses as an obstacle for them to perform activities independently. This is where technology-enabled services like grocery delivery, e-commerce, and in-home subscription entertainment can become relevant in their daily lives.

I also came to understand their hesitation towards online applications. Privacy and unfamiliarity were two key reasons for this hesitation. Another hindrance they faced was the lack of audibility and visibility on smaller screens i.e. mobile phones. They preferred larger screens like desktops instead, but either didn’t own one or were unfamiliar with operating them.

The other question I asked was how they feel being tech-savvy has benefitted them. The responses were positive, with many of them expressing how they have learned new skills or connected with friends and family around the world through these platforms. Many of the respondents of the survey, who were small business owners or work in corporate jobs said that working from home might reduce the hassle of commuting and traffic congestion, especially in the metro cities. Although working from home seemed convenient for most of them, the transformation from working on a desktop screen at their workplace to a laptop screen at home had its challenges but were overcome gradually.

Illustration by Anjali D’Souza

1.Staying connected and keeping active

As adults get caught up keeping the work-life balance and kids turn to online platforms to get them through this lockdown, for senior citizens — most of whom are technologically challenged — it is quite a milestone. But times are changing, the older generation seems to be keeping an open mind towards online media and platforms. Some seniors in quarantine are leading more socially active lives than ever before.

Zoom, a video and web conferencing platform has risen to the top and is being preferred by most of Gen X to stay connected. It seems to have become the go-to platform for official meetings, social gatherings, and connecting larger groups.

Since walks in the park are no more feasible, older generations are turning to these online platforms to stay active. Practicing Yoga online has substituted for that walk in the park, at least during this time.

Among the social media platforms, Facebook is the most popular among Gen Xers. Older adults might use Facebook to connect with a long lost friend or follow the lives of their younger family members. What drives them to choose Facebook over Instagram or Snapchat is the familiarity of the application. Google Duo and Whatsapp are keeping parents and children connected through video chats. Curiosity seems to be a driving factor for the older generation to adopt these online applications.

Everyone needs entertainment, be it watching a TV series or an occasional movie. The older generations have come to realize that online platforms are a brilliant tool to stay entertained. During our daily video chat, one of the mandatory questions from my mother is “What movie should I watch on Netflix today?”

2.Learning new skills for mental stimulation

Gen Xers have shown us that they can do amazing things with technology, and even though they might express love as well as resentment to the digital world in the same breath, they live fine with these contradictions. Many of the older adults have chosen to learn new skills through online courses. They use platforms like Zoom, Google Duo, and Skype for music and singing lessons and then to practice with classmates.

Online gaming also seems to be drawing some of the older generation aging between 40–45 years, towards it. Games that include action and puzzles are the most favored genres. Amongst this age group, men are seen to be the more likely target audience for gaming online, as opposed to females.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels

Assisting Gen X through this transformation into tech-savvy individuals

Having lost touch from the outside world and relying completely on our smartphones has created an urgency to educate the older generations on online platforms.

Explaining the ease at which activities can be performed on these applications, just might give Gen X the push they need.

There are a few methods we could adopt to make the shift towards online platforms easy for older adults. Helping them understand how to navigate through these platforms is of key importance. Something as simple as scrolling upward or downward on a mobile screen is not something that is intuitive to older adults. My grandmother, when using her tablet for the first time asked me “How do I read the things at the bottom of the screen which is partially hidden?”. Teaching her how to scroll changed her experience completely. Explaining the use of a search bar as well can help them find things in times when we are not around to assist them. Another way to help older adults understand would be to see their peers using these platforms. This gives them the confidence that it isn’t as difficult or complicated as it looks.

For a long time what posed as an obstacle for accepting technology was the lack of relevance of it in their lives. Making them understand that it can ease their life in many ways puts things into perspective.

Initially, the need for one to assist them in times of confusion might be reassuring, but also reinforcing that they need to try and navigate through these platforms on their own is important.

Creating applications or customizing online platforms for this target audience might just have a promising future since Gen Xers are at a high risk of isolation and immobility during this pandemic and otherwise.

Illustration by Ankita D’Souza

Our world has never seemed to be more connected than it is during this time. With an increase of users plugged in to stay connected, online platforms are seeing a growth in the number of Gen X users.

During this pandemic as well as post, it is very important for us as a digitally advanced generation, to help the older generations familiarise themselves with the digital world.

Post lockdown, we can anticipate that the world will see many changes, and Generation X will seem to emerge more tech-savvy, increasing the scope of innovation for building products to cater to them.

As a visual designer, I feel we need to ensure that the online platforms place more emphasis on involving and engaging the older audience while designing services they might want to use. Here are some points to keep in mind:

Use of text in larger sizes for easier visibility

Displaying minimum content that is relevant to the screen

Limiting gesture control for older adults to navigate through online platforms

Avoiding too many fast-moving animations

Sticking to minimal design, this will prevent cognitive issues for older adults while plugged in

Privacy and security are also issues to educate older adults about while using online platforms. Making them understand that creating strong passwords and using discretion on what news to believe and what can be fake, is very important. We should also make them aware not to click on vague advertisements and pop-ups that might lead to unwanted sites. The internet can be a great world to explore, but it has its dangers, and Gen X and Boomers can fall prey to them if not well informed.

Until then, encourage your parents to stay active with online yoga and video call them once in a while to check in on them!

Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Tech-Savvy!

Note: The survey was done out of individual curiosity, and hence the observations are drawn from persons known to me and trends observed from a lot of peer stories they shared. The demographic was working professionals, small business owners, homemakers, and academicians in their late 40s — early 50s and some between their late 60s — early 70s. All participants were from urban areas, more specifically metro cities.