I was wondering if there is any accepted “scale” of telling factors to assess and compare the extent to which people appreciate, use, and depend on modern personal technology. Or are you aware of any writings discussing the varying rates at which various segments of a society adopt various technologies? Or perhaps comparisons across cultures.
Is there a minimum use of tech below which someone is a Luddite, the Unabomber, or Amish wannabe? I would probably assign such terms to someone who did not own a cellphone, and did not communicate via e-mail or text.
At the other end of the spectrum is the kind of person who is lost when the internet goes down, checks their smartphone several times and hour…
Do you think there are any meaningful marks to differentiate among folk at various stages in between those two extremes? Someone who doesn’t text? The number of apps one has? Amount of time spent on Facebook? Twitter? Books instead of e-readers? Met their partner on-line? regualrly wears an earpiece? Texts while driving? Can write code? Any generalities depending on when a person was born?
Personally, I’m pretty close to the Unabomber end. I have a smart phone, but I downloaded 1 app - a notepad - which I rarely use. I frequent fewer than 10 websites - my most frequent searches are for weather and maps. Let’s see - I don’t have cable where I spend my weekdays, and my biggest TV is maybe 35" - with no external speakers. I prefer books to e-readers, and don’t own one myself. I think I have an iPod somewhere, but I haven’t used it in at least a year.
I’d imagine when Apple or Google develop a product/service, they differentiate among various segments of the potential market in some manner such as this. Do some folk readily adopt some technologies, while resisting others?
Sorry if this comes across as unfocused. I just started turning some of these things over in my mind after watching (I’m embarrassed to admit) The Internship - apparently a documentary about Google, and after a friend’s daughter left home for a job at Apple.
Let’s see if I can find the “submit” button…