Technology (or IT) is for the young 1

[kHz]

Technology (or IT) is for the young

This is a phrase that I hear somewhat frequently, and have seen it posted on these forums a number of times. And it is intended to mean the age groups comprising the 20s and 30s.

What specifically does that mean? Does turning forty mean a loss of cognitive skills? Is someone who is 50 incapacle of now learning? Why is technology only for someone who is 25 years old?

The phrase is never used in regards to a medical doctor who has to continually keep up with the advances in medicine. Otherwise leeches would still be a primary method of medical treatment. A commander of a US Navy aircraft carrier has to keep up with new technologies and constant threats; and battle group commanders are not still wet behind their ears. Pilots are usually seasoned aviators and they have many things to keep track of while in filght with their many passengers whose lives depend on their skills and competence.

There are many jobs/careers that involve constant learning and exposure to new technology and that phrase isn't used.

So again, I ask, why is it used for IT?

 

[trollacious]

First, I'm 50, so this is from the perspective of an "older" person.

It's easier to learn new things when our brains are still developing and making the neural connections. Once we've learned something, it's not nearly as difficult to keep building on that area, but seems more difficult to develop skills in areas separate from what we started when we were younger. I've read a number of different things over the years about neural development and at how different times of our lives different areas of our brains are ripe for different skills.

I had a kind of aptitude for languages when I was younger. The sections of my brain where language skills are stored were open and receptive to development, where now they've set up the majority of the connections that they're going to, and I just don't have that many more to work with.

I started learning programming when I was in my late 30s. Much of that was built on concepts I'd learned earlier in life, so it wasn't like it was a whole new field for me. I find it more difficult to get started in some areas of programming because I don't see where the new things tie into what I've already learned. Once I make the connections, though, I can use the pathways in my brain to add to what I know and understand.

As far as your analogy with the medical profession, very few people start learning to become doctors when they're in their 40s and 50s. The advances doctors use are things they've learned in a field that they've already established an area in their brains for. Those sections of their brains are already primed for the subject, and they have a lot of connections built up they can use to make new ones.

Computer programming has developed far faster than most other technologies. It's the new subjects that we older folks don't catch onto as well, the areas where we don't have any pre-existing development inside that gray matter in our skulls.

Lee

 

[Thadeus]

My take is that I have never heard this phrase used.

If I did hear it from someone, I would classify that person accordingly within my head. Same as when I hear racial epithets or sexist humor or narrow life philosophies.

~Thadeus

 

[spamly]

I also find the quote unusual. The average age in my team is in the lower 40s.

 

[lespaul]

The only person under 30 in our office is the help desk tech. Everyone else is mid-30s - early 50s.



Leslie

 

[spamly]

To follow up to my earlier post, I think that many people in IT are skeptical of young IT professionals. I'm 14 years younger than the next youngest person in my department and I've seen a lot of subtle age discrimination. I've worked on high availability servers, databases, networks stretching across cities and countries, and with cryptology since I was 17 (military experience), but at this company they associate age with experience.

 

[amillia]

One possible reason is that most young people use computers like older people use a toaster. We have grown up with it and are not afraid to use it.

 

[dlongnecker]

I can identify a bit with Spamly by the fact I'm substantially younger than our MIS Department; however, I think that "thinkers" confuse technology and IT. I started into IT when I was 13 as a consultant (hey! I wanted money for a car at 14.. back in the day you could drive at 14(^_^)) and, still today, find myself amazed at what kids are learning today.

Technology is an insanly broad topic that, IMHO, includes everything from my computer and programming to the fact I can put my glass in the door of my refridgerator and water comes out--the innovations we have made over time. These innovations are typically adopted by the younger generations... my parents have no true understanding of why I like video games, chat with my friends online rather than pick up the telephone, and live and die by the cell phone. They're older (70s) and have used computers most of their working lives and, only recently, discovered computers are not a 100% work tool, but have personal and recreational activities. Children and young adults; however, focus in on the recreational activities first and then apply the real world and business aspects as they progress through school and into careers--thus entering with a comfort level that a generation ago lacked.

The other half of the question is IT... information technology, internet technology, however you coin that acronym. At this point, I believe IT does not reside with the youth, but with the experienced. While the youth can master technology, I believe it requires someone with life experience (saying this can be someone 20 or someone 70) to use that technology to accomplish a goal for the betterment of something. For some of the older professionals out there, the "old ways" tend to be comfortable for them and they're viewed by the young professionals as "out of touch with technology." I believe they're not so much out of touch, but either lack the desire, knowledge, or justification to change. I've learned a lot over time that "new and fancy" isn't always the best way to go--even though it's a newer, more high-tech solution. That experience to see those differences is what sets technology apart from the IT industry and IT professionals.

My 0.02$.

Cheers!

-David

---
David R. Longnecker
Web Developer
CCNA, MCSA, Network+, A+
Management Information Services
Wichita Public Schools, USD 259

 

[MasterRacker]

It comes from the workload. I used to hear the variation "a programmer will be burnt out by 30." When I did programming in the late 80's, early 90's, a 50 hour week was a short week. The dot-com era was worse, because so many of the companies were in start-up mode where everyone was working 80 hour weeks.

If you're going to look at that type of scheduling as normal, you're expecting your IT staff to "live the job". Older people have usually established lives outside of work and they also tend to value their vacations more. Older folks are generally going to resist endless 50-60 hour weeks.

I know I've gone through this evolution. (I just turned 44 to put this in context.)

[purple]Jeff
It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day

 

[svanels]

IT for only for young people? The key is how you apply it, and then experience come in.
My boss told me once his opinion about experience.

An old bull and a young bull once passed a place with a lot of (lady) cows.
The eager young bull: let's rush and pick one of them

The wise old bull: No! lets walk then we can have them all..

I don't consider myself old (42), like to play doom3, but I would walk...

Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[TruthInSatire]

I have a lot of friends in the young teen area that are doing wonderful things with the tools available. I started with basic on a TRS-80 when i was 8. we have a couple of "young" people in our org, I'm the baby at 27, 30, and 32. However the people we look to for guidance and knowledge are the "older" individuals. I'm not sure how much older they are exactly, but they're pushing 50 and very smart and good at what they do.

I think the 50-ish year olds had it harder than we did, and the real young kids have it real easy. PHP and asp are readily available for almost nothing, making it real easy to learn. what's the average number of computers per household? I'm sure more than one, a small network waiting to happen. They have the tools to learn with so yeah i think IT is getting a younger work force, due to availablity (my first wyse 386 cost almost 2k when it was new, i got it passed to me after the 486 came out). I do think with the older generation having it harder to learn and apply, (stories of punch cards and dumb terminals come to mind) are still our role models and wouldn't trade their knowledge on our team for 20 fresh individuals.

If you don't ask the right questions, you don't get the right answers. A question asked in the right way often points to its own answer. Asking questions is the ABC of diagnosis. Only the inquiring mind solves problems.

-Quote by Edward Hodnett

 

[langleymass]

I don't believe any of this GARBAGE about not being able to learn when you get older. It's all GARBAGE. But first, you have to BELIEVE that you are capable of learning.

 

[trollacious]

And how old are you? It's not that you can't learn, but that you have to learn differently, and some things are more difficult to learn if you don't have any previous experience in that area.

Lee

 

[eleos]

This topic has been going through my mind alot! I am 50 and studying for the A+ certification (N+ next). This is a career change for me and I've noticed how much harder it is to study now than with education I've done in my 20s and 30s. Conceptualizing is easy, but the memory challenge is very much a reality, at least for me. I've been concerned that perhaps this was not such a good idea.

The age-related benefit is my plan for the ticket to get in, that and the certs of course. Years of administrative experience, working with people and using a variety of applications have a useful place in the workforce. How much so is the big question.

Technology is moving so fast. It's very competitive. In some ways it seems that youth have that in their favor, if they can be patient a few years while building a strong experience base. They are so far ahead of me!

Langleymass, you said it well. If someone wants to learn, they can. I absolutely LOVE all the learning I am doing, everything about computers, building and repairing them, troubleshooting, interacting with others on forums. Life and raising a family took priority in my youth. I wish I'd started this a long time ago, but I didn't - and so what?

 

[chiph]

Obviously, everyone is different, so far as their ability to learn new things as they get older.

But the stereotype still exists. Young people are willing to work insane hours for little pay, while programmers over 40 just want to do their 40 hours for too much money.

There is a certain amount of truth to it, and most of the time it's because the younger people haven't learned to work smarter, and spend a lot of time re-inventing the wheel, and exploring dead-end approaches to solving problems. So they have to work like maniacs in order to meet their deadlines.

The only time that age seems to be a benefit is when you're a consultant. Then, a few gray hairs make you more credible.

Chip H.


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[alexhu]

Young people are willing to work insane hours for little pay, while programmers over 40 just want to do their 40 hours for too much money.

True. because the young people want to progress their career, so that can be earning the big $ that come with experience.

Unfortunately in a lot of cases, us over 50s get replaced by youngsters purely because of the big $ we earn and not for any other reason.

Alex

 

[russellbcopeland]

Well.. I'm nearing 34 and really just starting to see the difference age makes. It's not that technology is for the young or that you need to be older be technically capable. The young are more adaptable, tend to dive into new technology faster and go forth blindly. This gets them into a lot of things faster than older technical people who have seen different tools and technology come and go and know that there are underlying reasons to use a tool other than just because it is the new wiz bang item of the day. You've got to have a business reason to use a new tool, not just a desire to use the tool. The end user does not care what tools are used to make their solution.. just that it works and stays out of their way.

I'm far from old... I'd say at my age I am just finally getting to the point where I can see more of the picture than I used to in my 20's. I imagine that as I get closer to 40 the picture I see will expand even more. As I get older I come to have more confidence and spend more time doing things that seem to slow down the speed at which I build solutions. Documentation, Project planning, Meetings to discuss archetecture, and time just plain spent rehashing what I am developing to make sure that it fits in with long term objectives. I don't see the 20 something developers spending time doing these things. They may build some cool systems but lack of planning and documentation can render a system useless or extremely expensive to maintain.

I say that any company who sees technology as being just for the young does not understand why we have technology in the first place and has no hope of managing technology successfully. Technology is not the product, it is the tool by which a product is provided. People buy cell phones, software and such for what they do, not for what technology makes them work.

 

[jaymaechtlen]

Well, we may have some changed or reduced abilities as the years roll by- but most of us had more than we needed in the beginning anyway!
Discipline, focus, perspective are all developed with experience.
What was that about "youth and skill versus old age and treachery"?

heh, heh, heh...

Jay

 

[crystalized]

I was in a class not that long ago where we discussed the differences in learning at different ages. According to the information I received there young people are generally still making their new pathways with learning - but often lack the ability to make the same connections between pieces of information that an older person can make.

So young people generally are better at acquiring new information but older people are generally better at making connections with information. So if you are older and learning something new it often makes it easier to retain if you spend a little bit of time trying to connect the new ideas to things you already know.

So I would say my response is very similar to one made by trollacious early in this topic.

But I do believe the ability is there for anyone at any age to learn new things, they just have to work at it differently.

I also agree that many tech organizations do expect the long hours - that leads to burn out which leads to a lot of people leaving the field. So if you start young but only stay in for a few years to be replaced by another young person - the average age will continue to be quite young. Of course there are also the organizations that want only people who will practically live at work. Thus they may focus on hiring younger people who are more likely to do so - BUT they sure are missing out by not having the balance between age and experience with younger people.



Crystal
--------------------------------------------------

Experience is one thing you can't get for nothing.

-Oscar Wilde

 

[chiph]

They may build some cool systems but lack of planning and documentation can render a system useless or extremely expensive to maintain.

I've seen that happen enough times!

Chip H.


____________________________________________________________________
Click here to learn Ways to help with Tsunami Relief
If you want to get the best response to a question, please read FAQ222-2244 first