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Generational thinking – comparing cohorts based on ranges of year of birth – implicitly assumes that individuals born within the same timeframe or generational cohorts tend to share common values and characteristics, such as beliefs, motivations, values, and behaviors, that set them apart from individuals born in different eras (Mitchell, 2003). As people are born between specific years, generations are frequently described by labels (Raphelson, 2014). There are several general categories, such as Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964), Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980), the Millennial generation (born between 1981 and 1996), and Generation Z (born in 1997 onward) (Pew Research Center, 2018).
In terms of engagement with technology, Gen X (and generations that preceded them) were not born into the digital world but adopted and adapted to new technologies later in life. These individuals did not have the privilege of growing up with technology as an inherent and integral aspect of their formative years. Instead, they have acquired technological proficiency during adulthood and late adulthood, in the case of Baby Boomers (Prensky, 2001). Members of Gen X did not have cell phones when they were growing up, took longer to adopt new technologies, experienced greater anxiety when using them, and used fewer different types of technologies (Volkom et al., 2014; Zickuhr & Madden, 2012; Olson et al., 2011). According to Calvo-Porral & Pesqueira-Sanchez (2019), Generation Xers’ motivations for information searches impact their use and interaction with technology.
Millennials were the first generation to have computers in their schools, and they became adults when the internet became widely used and tried to adapt to many forms of digital technology and social media. Their generation could be called “digital natives” (Prensky, 2001; Palfrey & Gasser, 2013). Compared with Generation X, Millennials perceive information and communication technologies more positively (Howe & Strauss, 2003). They incorporate technology into their daily lives to stay connected to social networks, creating, and sharing information on their blogs or social media (Hershatter & Epstein, 2010; Noble et al., 2009). Additionally, some Millennials have acquired the multitasking skills necessary to balance their personal lives, careers, and online communication. They can work, study, and engage in online social networking simultaneously.
The next younger generation is Gen Z – individuals who grew up with mobile devices as a central aspect of their lives and have been exposed to technology from a very young age, making them true digital natives (Schroth, 2019). Compared to Millennials, Gen Z started connecting to the internet earlier, with smartphones as one of their first displays, making them a generation primarily focused on mobile devices. Gen Z individuals maintain a perpetual state of connectivity and prefer communication through technology, prioritizing digital interactions over face-to-face encounters. This characteristic reflects their inclination toward digital communication channels and their comfort with technology as a primary mode of engagement (Poláková & Klimova, 2019).