Innovation that Gen-Z just couldn’t do without

Innovation that Gen-Z just couldn’t do without

By Alastair Youngson, Business Analyst

March 2021

 

If we go back 20 years, chances are you’d be reading this article in a magazine or newspaper, no doubt whilst taking a break from your desktop, sipping coffee after giving your legs a stretch. Yet roll forward to today, you’re probably looking at your smart phone, sliding away notifications with your finger and your laptop within reach in the corner of the room. Technology has now become such an important, integral part of our lives, that its ease of accessibility and addictive nature mean it is firmly ingrained into almost everything we do. 

 

That said, for some of us, the idea of walking out of the house without your phone, turning off your screens and reminiscing of days gone by is a welcome relief to being permanently available. Yet for my sons, like millions of other teenagers throughout the country, this thought isn’t liberating but rather fills them with utter dread. They simply don’t know what life without technology is like, and almost without noticing gadgets like smart sockets, smart speakers, games consoles, computers, smart phones, smart lightbulbs, the list goes on and on, have materialised in each and every room in my house.

 

Lockdown, additionally, has put a new perspective on many things. We for one are grateful to the younger generation putting their lives on hold to protect the elderly and most vulnerable in our society. However, I have watched my youngest son’s screen time rocket from a few hours a day to nearly fifteen hours of classes, games and browsing. Broken up by intervals of eating or daily exercise that barely make a dent. Being online is, at present, the easiest way to talk to their friends, and they have thoroughly embraced it. So as parents, we’ve turned a blind eye to the excessive screen time to ensure they get at least some social interaction, so essential for their teenage development.

 

Here’s the issue though, everything in our house is managed through a single device - the router. And when the router isn’t working properly, as was the case yesterday, I had two children who literally didn’t know what to do with themselves. And although I might find it amusing to see them running up and down the stairs in sheer panic every time the Wi-Fi switches off, it did make me wonder which of these innovations are actually life enhancing, and which are not. And being an Analyst, it felt like a natural step to apply a MoSCoW rating to the technology we have and use in our house, with my boys’ input, to assess what they feel is genuinely useful.  

 

It was no surprise that their most key piece of equipment was their smart phones. Like me, they use them for multiple reasons, from schoolwork to entertainment and relaxation. What was surprising though was they were completely ambivalent to the smart TVs they have in their rooms. They would rather utilise their TV time downstairs, as a family, than sit in their room on their own. This was a stark contrast to when I was a teenager, and the TV in my room was the go-to form of entertainment at home and gave me some much needed time alone away from the many social activities I enjoyed.

 

It made me realise that regardless of all the technology now available , as humans we still have the same yearning for social interaction and closeness as when I was a child, even if it has taken on a different guise. Through embracing technology in a way that everyone enjoys, we can continue to create new kinds of memories with each other and still build those bonds which stay with us our entire lives.

 

I’ve therefore made the decision, for now, to suspend worrying about my children and their screen time, with the realisation that Gen-Z have found their own way to ensure some happiness. And through understanding WHY they do what they do, we can ensure there are suitable activities away from screens to try to create a balance. Who knows, next time the Wi-Fi switches off, they may even come downstairs and help with the dinner.

 

The results of the MoSCoW chart I did with my children can be found below.

 

 

Must Have

Should Have

Could Have

Would Like

Unnecessary

Smart Sockets

 

 

 

 

X

Smart Speakers

 

X

 

 

 

Games Consoles

 

X

 

 

 

Computers

X

 

 

 

 

Smart Phones

X

 

 

 

 

Smart Lightbulbs

 

 

X

 

 

LED Strip Lights

 

X

 

 

 

Wireless Earphones

 

X

 

 

 

Headsets

X

 

 

 

 

Web Cams

 

X

 

 

 

Smart TVs

 

 

X