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Despite the fact that the generation gap is a little more than 10 years, Millennials and Gen Xers differ significantly in their behavior, and some differences are still of great interest to scientists. Especially significant differences connect with the use of technology, data value in the life and also the importance of advertising and brands.
Millennials are much more engaged with technology than their slightly older peers. One could even say that they are on the verge of depending on these technologies. Mobile technologies, in particular, perfectly demonstrate this dependency and generally a distinction between the generations. That is why it is worth paying attention to the way of shopping of today’s young generation and a clear contrast with the previous one.
Young shoppers are more likely to be smartphone shoppers.
56% of U.S. Millennials say their smartphone is the most important tool for making purchases. And it is compared with the 28% of U.S. Gen Xers that said the same. Furthermore, 59% of Millennials use their devices to check the price, while the number of Gen X in this case is 41%. “Says Jason, 22, a law student at UCLA, “There’s a barcode scanner where you can scan any item and it takes you directly to Google Shopper, and Google Shopper will find you the cheapest price. And you say “Hey, I’m paying $50 at Macy’s for this comforter. It’s on eBay right now, brand new, for 20 bucks. I don’t need it right away. I don’t mind waiting. I’ll purchase it on eBay.” Also, 66% of U.S. Millennials are interested in mobile payment technology compared to 46% of the older Gen Xers.
In the U.S., Millennials are less interested in the privacy of their personal life than the older generations. In this case, we can speak about a combination of trust and resignation. 74% of U.S. Millennials trust brands to protect their privacy compared to 63% of Gen X. Others simply have lost faith in their ability to control confidentiality of their privacy. “Millennials like Kamilla, a 33-year-old Londoner working in the fashion industry, appreciate the two-way benefit of giving a brand their information. “It’s helping the brand to actually see what type of customer I am. And again they send me offers to that, but it also helps the shop, which I’m going to buy my shoes from. They’re going more personal now, and this is what I like,” says Kamilla.”
In light of the general dependence on the technology, Millennials have a more emotional relationship with their devices. 78% of U.S. Millennials and 72% of U.S. Gen X recognize a sense of dependence on technology. The certain functions of modern mobile technologies significantly affect it. For example, 53% of the Millennials can’t imagine their life without mobile apps on their smartphones.
To summarize, we can notice that Millennials continue to look for ways to integrate technology into the life. Nevertheless, many of Gen X are not ready to give up their positions and are not willing to accept the new in their life.
