Slides from a presentation to WIAD Milwaukee (World Information Architecture Day) 2016

1. Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D.
Aka “The Brain Lady”
@thebrainlady
susan@theteamw.com
WIAD, Milwaukee, February 2016
From Sock Hop To
Snapchat: Truths
And Myths About
Generational
Differences

2. People Have Mental Models

3. “Greatest”
over 90
“Silent”
70 to 89
“Baby
Boomers”
50 to 69
“Gen X”
35 to 50
“Millennial”
(Gen 1.0)
20 to 34
“Gen Z”
(Gen 2.0)
5 to 19
“Gen 3.0”
0 to 4

5. You May Not Be Your Target Audience

6. “Baby
Boomers”
50 to 69

24. “Gen X”
35 to 50

39. “Millennial”
(Gen 1.0)
20 to 34

47. “Gen Z”
(Gen 2.0)
5 to 19

49. “Gen 3.0”
0 to 4

50. 36% of babies had swiped a touch screen before age 1
36% of babies had used an app before age 2
38% of toddlers had used a mobile or tablet device for at least an
hour a day
(Hilda Kabali, 2015)

51. The median age of someone in
the US is ___.

52. The median age of someone in
the US is 37

53. The median age of a person
on the planet is __

54. The median age of a person
on the planet is 29.9

57. Myth Or Truth?
There are more Americans over
the age of 65 than under the
age of 14

58. Myth Or Truth?
There are more Americans over
the age of 65 than under the
age of 14

59. Myth Or Truth?
0-14 make up 20% of the population (~60 million)
65+ make up 13% of the population (~40 million)

60. Myth Or Truth?
Baby boomers don’t use
Twitter as much as
younger generations

61. Myth Or Truth?
Baby boomers don’t use
Twitter as much as
younger generations

62. Myth Or Truth?
The majority of “rich” people
(over $200k/year) are Boomers

63. Myth Or Truth?
The majority of “rich” people
(over $200k/year) are Boomers
(30% are Gen X’ers)

64. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials don’t have money.

65. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials don’t have money.
If you have net worth of $10,000 than you are
wealthier than half of everyone under the age of 35

66. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials are so bored with life
most of them just look at their
phone for no reason at all. They
just stare at it.

67. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials are so bored with life
most of them just look at their
phone for no reason at all. They
just stare at it.

68. Myth Or Truth?
76% of cell owners ages 18 to 29 use their phone
at least occasionally in public for no particular
reason, just for something to do.

69. Myth Or Truth?
Half of Millennials still live with
their parents

70. Myth Or Truth?
Half of Millennials still live with
their parents

71. Myth Or Truth?
26% of Millennials still live with their parents
(the same percentage as in 2007)

72. Myth Or Truth?
Half of independent Millennials
(not living in dorms or
w/parents) live with a roommate
who is not a spouse or partner

73. Myth Or Truth?
Half of independent Millennials
(not living in dorms or
w/parents) live with a roommate
who is not a spouse or partner

74. Myth Or Truth?
Baby boomers use Linked
In less than Gen Xers

75. Myth Or Truth?
Baby boomers use Linked
In less than Gen Xers

76. Myth Or Truth?
More than 90% of Internet Gen
2.0 (under 17) have a Facebook
account

77. Myth Or Truth?
More than 90% of Internet Gen
2.0 (under 17) have a Facebook
account

78. Myth Or Truth?
71% of Gen 2.0 have a
Facebook account

79. Myth Or Truth?
2016 will be the first election in
which all Millennials will be old
enough to vote

80. Myth Or Truth?
2016 will be the first election in
which all Millennials will be old
enough to vote

81. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials read, on average,
fewer books than previous
generations (includes e-books)

82. Myth Or Truth?
Millennials read, on average,
fewer books than previous
generations (includes e-books)

83. Myth Or Truth?
More than half of Internet Gen
2.0’rs (under 17) use Instagram

84. Myth Or Truth?
More than half of Internet Gen
2.0’rs (under 17) use Instagram

85. Myth Or Truth?
More Internet Gen 2.0’rs (under
17) use Snapchat than Twitter

86. Myth Or Truth?
More Internet Gen 2.0’rs (under
17) use Snapchat than Twitter

87. Myth Or Truth?
41% of Internet Gen 2.0’rs
(under 17) use Snapchat,
only 33% use Twitter

88. Myth Or Truth?
27% of all video game
players are over 50

89. Myth Or Truth?
27% of all video game
players are over 50

90. Myth Or Truth?
27% of all video game
players are over 50
There are the same number of people over
50 who play games as there are people
ages 18-35, or under 18

91. Myth Or Truth?
By 2025 40% of all
consumers will be Gen
2.0’ers

92. Myth Or Truth?
By 2025 40% of all
consumers will be Gen
2.0’ers

93. For a Resource list send your email
address to:
info@theteamw.com and reference:
Generation Resource List

94. Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D.
@thebrainlady
susan@theteamw.com
www.theteamw.com