By Ray B. Williams
In 2011, approximately 30% of the U.S. population will be over the age of 50. Yet, in 2010, they are expected to outspend younger adults by $1 trillion. Boomers are not going away quietly into the sunset.
As Steve Lohn reported in The New York Times, Boomers show a great deal of interest in purchasing consumer electronics, more than any other age group. Focus groups, aged 50-60, and organized by the AARP and Microsoft, gathered together in San Francisco, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York to discuss the issue of future trends in technology. Contrary to many public and media perceptions, Baby Boomers have a real interest in continuing adoption of technology.
Michael Rogers, an author, futurist, consultant and former Vice President of the Washington Post's media division, led the focus group discussions. He concluded that the Boomers will be a driving force behind the use of information technology in the next decade, particularly in the health care industry, one of the largest in our society. He commented further, that Boomers don't want technology products that are complicated and cluttered with excessive features.
