Sorry, Young Man, You're Not the Most Important Demographic in Tech

[seabeyond]

If you're a man between the ages of 18 and 35, you used to be tech industry's most coveted prize. You were the one who decided what products failed and what products succeeded. That's why companies like Asus tweet ridiculous, sexist stuff. That's one reason why less than 10 percent of venture capital-backed companies have female founders and there is a massive gender gap in tech. The technology industry's focus on men is reflexive and all too intuitive to the men who run the companies. And it's built on a plain wrong reading of the reality of the market. I hate to tell you/us, but we're not as important as we thought. The body of evidence amassed by Intel researcher Genevieve Bell indisputably shows that men's role in technology adoption continues to be overstated. Here's a summary she gave of her work in a "Big Ideas" talk last month at Australia's Radio National:

It turns out women are our new lead adopters. When you look at internet usage, it turns out women in Western countries use the internet 17 percent more every month than their male counterparts. Women are more likely to be using the mobile phones they own, they spend more time talking on them, they spend more time using location-based services. But they also spend more time sending text messages. Women are the fastest growing and largest users on Skype, and that's mostly younger women. Women are the fastest category and biggest users on every social networking site with the exception of LinkedIn. Women are the vast majority owners of all internet enabled devices--readers, healthcare devices, GPS--that whole bundle of technology is mostly owned by women.

Sit with this for a minute. Let me break out the categories where women are leading tech adoption:

Internet usage
Mobile phone voice usage
Mobile phone location-based services
Text messaging
Skype
Every social networking site aside from LinkedIn
All Internet-enabled devices
E-readers
Health-care devices
GPS

*

Even advertisements that nominally target both genders sometimes do so in ways that are subtly sexist. Take this analysis by Emma Nicoletti of Apple's ads introducing Facetime, which featured a series of four vignettes. "Two are a man reassuring a woman regarding her looks, one is about a woman procreating, and one doesn't have a woman in it at all," Nicoletti wrote. "Was the assumption that we, the female iPhone consumers, would think 'well would you look at that. If I buy an iPhone, my boyfriend/husband/whoever will be there for me when I need him! And maybe even tell me my hair looks cute!'? If so, did they think that that would be enough? It's not, Apple."

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/06/sorry-dudes-youre-not-techs-big-demographic/258087/

[ManyShadesOf]

1. "advertisements that nominally target both genders sometimes do so in ways that are subtly sexist"

"Even advertisements that nominally target both genders sometimes do so in ways that are subtly sexist."

[seabeyond]

3. lol

btw... i liked your post in GD yesterday. sorry no one jumped on with insight. but, it was appreciated, the time and insight you put into it.

busy yesterday. busy today.....

[ManyShadesOf]

5. oh thanks!

positivity so boring ...........

[seabeyond]

7. exactly. nt

[glowing]

2. Interesting study...

I'd have to say I use my devices for interacting with family and friends at a distance, I use the exercise aps for working out, I use the phone all the time for directions (instead of installing tom tom or what not- the phone uses my current location GPS and shows the directions to where I need to go), I don't use linked in at all... And I barely FaceTime my husband.. My son and him do so when my husband's at work and he's at home before bed, but for the most part, I use it for talking and seeing my nephews, in-laws, and niece from a distance... so I don't miss out on their growing up... Travel is expensive and time coordination off of work is difficult these days.... Its about the only way to keep an eye on how fast babies are growing and doing all their cute stuff without actually being their in person to squeeze their little cute selves.

I have never used FaceTime to call my husband to ask him if I'm looking ok. I've got a mirror and a general sense of style all on my own for that sort of stuff. If I'm headed out on the town for the night, I may ask him what he thinks of an outfit, but that normally has more to do with my ascertaining how how hot he thinks I'm looking and how awesome sex will be at the end of the evening LOL...

[seabeyond]

4. I may ask him what he thinks of an outfit

lol

i dont even bother with that anymore, lol lol. he is so obtuse and not thinking, i have found that without a consideration from him, i really dont need to worry or be concerned. it is funny. i use to think about him, getting my hair cut. women get pissed when hubbys dont notice something done. i have learned to appreciate that. has taken off all pressure, i can do what i want, and i know he isnt gonna notice, so really rather freeing.

it just isnt about the physical.

[glowing]

12. Agreed, but on special occasions he still pimps it up for me and I still glam up for him.

We are 11 yrs of being together and 7 being married.... sometimes its good to stop being parents and worrying about jobs and go on out for some fun, flirting, and good sex... We work at hotels.. so sometimes, we don't even have to go home to look at the dishes in the sink or a pile of clothes needing to be put away.... Sometimes, its good to just have some fun like we did when we were 22 again...

[seabeyond]

13. i agree. i learned though,

i really do it for myself, cause he is always ok when i dress up, ect.... or not. i can say i am dressing for him, and present well for him, but HE doesnt see it that way, which i think is neat. it takes all pressure off and i get to do it for me.

[JustAnotherGen]

6. I've seen it in practice for some time now

I work for the 'Evil Empire Wireless Provider'. Initially started in Telecom in the Carrier side of the house in the late 1990's. Something happened in 2007. A Game Change if you will. Someone started listening to women - to include me. I remember 'feeling' the iphone in my hand in early 2006 (was one of 3 device launch people at EEWP at the time . . .

And 9 months later 'feeling' an HTC Eris in my hand. As a person who was responsible for literally 'feeling' the customer experience and relationship to the device, working with the engineering, testing, Marcomm, PR, Go To Market Pricing people, etc. etc. - the HTC Eris 'felt' better in my hand. The landing page upon turn on looked better, the 'keys' felt better, the experience was solid. My native apps made sense - for my space and place in life in general.

From device I went into origination outside of the US Services with EEWP. Now i'm in a 'Finance' org within.

In my time with said company, I've seen 97 go-to-markets on devices and integration with services. Very few id women who are NOT soccer moms as the target. . . except for the ones I influenced. Very few target/identify women as the lead market. But this is changing and will change . . . because every Device/Feature lockdown is getting progressively more 'feminine' as the years go by. As are the 'decision makers'. It's not perfect - but It Does and WILL get better.

It's going to get better - because of recent trends that show that women are the 'lead earner's and decision makers in their families. Americans are delaying marriage or not getting married at all. The single never married no children woman is carrying the same burden as her 'family' peer in regards to elder care (see health care, gps, lbs services/apps). She is traveling abroad - by HERSELF more. Her life is full - so she needs native apps that correspond with her calendar and social networking sites. She's more likely to use an online banking app - because she is still paid less than men with less credentials so she really watches her bank/finances like a hawk. SHE is driving the need for a smartphone to be a wallet.

It's not perfect - but SHE is making it better. And as I look at the recent influx of MBA, Engineering, Human Factors, and Marketing majors who happen to be 20-something women -

She only cares about herself. And what is in it for her. And how SHE can use it. A LOT of feminine energy in these groups as I walk through the building. It's not perfect -

But I promise - we are going to do better. Our Female CMO and COO prove it.

[seabeyond]

8. excellent points you make all the way around. very positive

which i always like and appreciate, value. thank you for you post.

[msongs]

9. so men create and women utilize...stuff made by men lol nt

[CrispyQ]

10. When cell phones first came out they were all black, maybe dark grey.

I worked for a lady exec & one day she & some of the other upper level mangers, who had company provided cell phones, made a comment that if women were involved in the design, the case would be a bright color, so that you could easily find your phone at the bottom of your bag.

It took the industry about 3 more years to offer that!

[seabeyond]

11. isnt that interesting.

ha ha.

that is cool.... that you were in place to hear and notice that.