The Millennial way of life with technology

If one had to describe millennials in one word, it would be - Global. Millennials are global in every perspective, the world is smaller, diverse and hyperconnected for the young generation. They are the internet first, data first and social media first generation. Millennials are the largest living generation and categorized as children born between 1980 and 2000. Growing up with cable TVs, mobile phones and the internet, we have witnessed the rise in the use of technology in every aspect of our modern life. Evident in academic, work and personal settings, advancement in technology has optimized and offered a structured way of life to the tech-savvy generation.

Millennials are often critiqued with regards to their dependency on technology in their everyday lives. However, we would be doing a disservice to one of the most disruptive and innovative revolutions that technology and digitization have brought about. Prior to the boom of digital devices, the internet was pervasive and used as a platform to exchange ideas and knowledge. Millennials incessantly groomed in technology and innovation and imbibed its relevance in multi aspects of modern living. Presently, reliance on technology has been prevalent in every aspect of our lives; from healthcare to entertainment, to education, to finance, to occupation. Because of its endless applicability, technology has become less of a luxury and more of a worldwide necessity now.

Highlighted in the routine of an average human; technology is progressively becoming intertwined into our everyday lifestyle. Living in a hyperconnected world, one can enjoy the latest episode of their favorite series at the same moment as it is telecast across continents, in real time. It takes a second to upload and send photographs around the world, and less than a minute to book travel tickets.

Dependency on technology has caused a substantial shift in our world perceptions and altered our consumption patterns. It has given rise to a systematic way of life by altering the way the current generation thinks, learns and retains information. For instance, unlike the older generation, millennials have started using technology as a purchase vehicle rather than just for the consumption of content. The boost of e-commerce has changed the purchasing pattern of consumers. Brands are now being thrust towards online and change their traditional business methods. The advent of advancement in mobile technology has also created a shared economy. The provision of services and commodities as a collaborative consumption has revolutionized the travel and tourism sector of the world. This active participation in shared services has changed the whole paradigm of consumer behavior.

Hand in hand, social media channels and smartphones have become central to the Millennial tech experience. It has also created unprecedented doorways for creating an interpersonal relationship between brands and their consumers. Ironically, the current young generation prefers to utilize the mobile phone for everything except making and receiving voice calls.

Conclusion

With the rise of cellular phones, the Internet, and later, social media; technology revolutionized our world over the past 2 decades. The leaps and bounds have led to amazing advances improving the quality of life for millions or even billions of people. The internet and computers are daily changing our lives and improving efficiency. It has changed communication, both individually and business-wise. With the ease of flow of information, the world has become smaller and businesses have broken barriers with high efficiency of operation. Financial transactions and business deals have transcended to global transactions.

The current generation can be defined by three things - Automation, Instant Results, and unparalleled flexibility. Readily available information, personalized services, and the power and knowledge to control and create our own user experience have turned the internet into a global village.

Abhinav Girdhar
Founder of Appy Pie