Silicon Valley isn’t just consumed by youth; often, it’s blinded.
Look at Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg created the social network for college students, but Facebook has been struggling to hang on to young users for more than a decade; usage by people over 25 has steadily grown over that time, and along with YouTube, Facebook has become the internet’s most popular social network among people over 50. This wouldn’t seem terrible for a company that makes money from advertising, as Facebook does. After all, older people are the future of business: According to a recent analysis by AARP, people over 50 now account for more than half of the world’s consumer spending, and their share is projected to grow to 60 percent by 2050.
Source:
Manjoo, F. (2023, September 6). They love tech. they’ve got money. why does Silicon Valley ignore old people? The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/06/opinion/seniors-tech-silicon-valley.html?searchResultPosition=2
Analysis:
This articles provokes the reader to consider tech as an industry and reflect on how it markets itself to the different age groups. As Technology becomes more and more advance it is also continuously marketed to a younger audience. We have toddlers waddling around with iPads in their hands and yet our older, often neglected, people have a hard time navigating smart devices. This often isn’t the fault of the user, but rather the UI/UX designer who develops apps and software that cater more towards a younger audience. Older generations still have a lot to give, we cannot neglect them in favor of future generations. There has to be a balance that does not neglect either party. The puddle jumpers are specifically designed for younger audiences. How can we design something that is engaging and inspiring for wider audience?
