Gen Y and Baby Boomers Hold Similar Attitudes Toward Technology

While baby boomers report less ease with technology than their generation Y counterparts, both generations agree that experience is more important to business success than being tech-savvy, according to a recent survey.

American Express released a survey last week showing that 66% of generation Y entrepreneurs consider themselves tech-savvy compared to 47% of baby boomers. Still, 59% of generation Y respondents said older entrepreneurs have an advantage because of their experience, according to the OPENAges Survey by an American Express team dedicated to small business owners. Eighty-eight percent of baby boomers agreed.

Generation Y business owners were more likely (86%) than baby boomers (76%) to agree with the statement "Technology is vital to my business." Sixty-nine percent of the younger entrepreneurs agreed that technology is vital to their personal lives, compared to 54% of their older counterparts.

Both groups agreed that it is important to disconnect from technology during parts of the day. Seventy-one percent of generation Y respondents and 74% of baby boomers said so. More than half of respondents in both groups said technology intrudes on their personal lives, but benefits their businesses (56% among generation Y respondents and 58% among baby boomers).

The generations disagreed on America's global status in technology innovation. Only 38% of generation Y respondents said the U.S. is the most technologically advanced country in the world. Fifty-seven percent of baby boomers said they believe the U.S. has retained its lead in the forefront of technology innovation.

The survey, conducted by telephone by International Communications Research between March 8 and March 23, polled 602 business owners from companies with less than 100 employees. Half were between the ages of 18 and 29. Half were between the ages of 42-64.