From smartphones to wireless keyboards, young people are embracing and benefitting from 21st century technology. Unfortunately, there is an assumption this is not the case for their older counterparts.
Younger people remain wary that older family members may not be as tech-savvy as they are and will need support to use devices and gadgets. But this means parents and grandparents are missing out on receiving the latest tech in their Christmas stockings. Kaspersky has discovered millennials are refusing to splash out on technology products as gifts for fear of becoming full-time family tech consultants.
Nearly half (47%) of tech-savvy millennials have admitted they avoid buying their parents or older family members technology presents as they will not be able to set it up themselves. Kaspersky’s ‘The Rise of Can You Just…’ report, shows that this age group feel burdened by requests from their loved ones as they are so often asked by family members to help with technology.
These findings are well supported, as 49% of surveyed parents with children over the age of 16 classify themselves as tech novices. More than a third (35%) of these parents admit to struggling with daily technology challenges without their children’s[1] support.
“The abundance of technology products on the market make them the ideal gifts for loved ones. However, our findings reveal how that despite the technological evolution helping young people flourish, they don’t want to waste their own time setting tech up for others, meaning they simply won’t purchase tech products as gifts. Their elders are missing out on many benefits,” comments David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky.
“Technology does change rapidly, and this means adapting to new gadgets and software on a regular basis. However, this doesn’t have to be as scary as it may sound. Older people who perhaps aren’t as well-versed at using technology as their younger family members can be empowered if they are initially given the right guidance.”
To avoid any long tech tutorial sessions this festive season, Kaspersky has released a series of guides that young people can give to a family member alongside a technology gift, so they can set up their own new technology gifts.
[1] Children aged 16+
