The Data Only Generation

I was travelling for the last two weeks and I suddenly discovered that I have stayed connected quite regularly with colleagues and my near and dear ones every day and yet my phone bill wasn’t overwhelming in any way. I was mostly communicating through Wifi and consuming data. I was, as I discovered, a member of the Data Only Generation.

This is a generation that intuitively relies on data and algorithms to drive just about every choice they make. From researching high-ranking restaurants on Trip Advisor, to harnessing crowd sourced GPS data to optimize their driving route on Waze, millennials don’t view data as a nice to have; rather, they see information and analytics as necessary resources to help them thrive as citizens and consumers. They want data available to them at all times to make the most informed decisions possible, and they expect the same access to information and insights to guide decisions in their professional lives. They won’t accept an organization that chooses to go with their gut instinct over data to drive key business decisions. 

And technology has done more than simply build a generation of data-dependent decision makers; it is also responsible for creating the most collaborative generation in history. Immersed in social media, millennials are accustomed to being connected at all times. They eagerly publicize their choices and opinions online, and they crave constant dialogue and feedback from their personal and professional networks. They expect the same data-backed, cross-departmental connection and collaboration to help them drive innovation and optimize outcomes in the workplace.

This has been fueled by the growth in smartphone usage. It took over five years to reach the first billion smartphone subscriptions, a milestone that was passed in 2012, and less than two years to reach the second billion. This growth will continue, fueled by massive growth in markets such as the Middle East and Africa, where smartphone subscriptions are expected to increase more than 200 % between 2015–2021, according to Ericsson Mobility Report.

According to Deloitte Global more than a quarter of smartphone users in developed markets will not make any traditional phone calls in a given week. They are replacing traditional voice calls for a combination of messaging (including SMS), voice and video services delivered ‘over the top (OTT)’. A couple of years ago only about 11% used these OTT communication services.

The Ericsson report indicated that total mobile data traffic is expected to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 45 %. This is forecast to result in a ten-fold increase in total traffic for all devices by the end of 2021.

What is even more interesting in this trend is that the emergence of the data exclusive generation is happening at an extremely early stage. I have noticed that in most affluent or even middle class homes, children are being given tablets as a learning or entertainment device. At times it is even weaning them away from watching TV.

The device, the tablet in most cases, is the child’s first communication gadget. More often than not the device comes with a WiFi capability and can access the Internet, but lacks a cellular connection therefore has no capability to make phone calls. Children are using these devices for messaging, downloading games, using apps, taking pictures and other activities which consume data only. So by the time they progress to own a smartphone, their minds are already conditioned to a data only environment as the default communication system, with limited need for voice communication. No wonder I see young couples in a park texting while sitting next to each other.