How much tech do we need to know? no comments
© chrischappelear
Its becoming clearer every day that we must know about technology to keep up. In past decades you could just know your business without the expectations of understanding complicated machinery outside your industry. Nowadays we are expected to have a computer, a mobile, a fax and numerous other devices. It seems that there is always something new to learn.
For example, what do you know about fiber optics? Most of us hear the word and have a vague understanding of what it is, a wire that transmits information through light. But did you know that fiber optics might be the next cable you buy for your laptop? It demands a certain change in our outlook to realize what this means. And to grasp it well, we need to read an article (or wikipedia) with an explanation and multiple links about how it works.
There is definitely a disconnect between how much we were expected to know in the past and how much we MUST know now. Information is free to everyone and easily accessible, its literally right at our fingertips. You can even text questions to Any Question Answered and immediately receive a response on your phone. That number is 63336 in the UK, if you need it, by the way.
But the Baby Boomers are at a disadvantage. Generation Y grew up digital and constantly expects to learn new technologies and upgrades. A video from Telecom Report talks about the "Button Theory" as a difference between the generations. When handed a new piece of technology with a button on it, younger people will immediately press the button to see what it does. Older people will instead ask what the button does.
So if you're over 40 will you always be behind? That's up to you. You will be expected to learn new things. Does that mean you need to understand every new device or website that pops up? No, but you probably need to find a way to be open to new experiences and prepare for a life of learning.
How much technology do you think business people need to understand? Is it okay to not know?