Kids are fearless. They will invest time in doing the most stupid things that adults would never waste time on, because they want to be a part of their peer group and will expend a lot of effort on these sociological activities.

Kids will spend time learning how to txt and won't care what they look like walking down the street thumbing their way through a banal message to a friend who is probably round the corner. Kids will learn all the words and dance steps to the latest boy band tune.

Kids know how to have fun.

I used to bake horse chestnuts in the oven, soak them in vinegar, drill a hole through them, attach a shoe-lace, and then try to smash other kids conkers to small pieces. Many children are stopped from doing stuff like this anymore, so it is any wonder that they put more effort into the 'safer' technological pasttimes?

Posted by: Mac on December 16, 2002 08:52 AM

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I agree with some of the on-site comments: this analysis is a bit simplistic, and there are genuine differences in psychology and brain activity between younger and older users.

But at least one point was dead on-target: This "older users can't learn" excuse has been trotted out WAY too often as a rationale for designing and releasing crappy interfaces. It's regularly used to justify ignoring the needs and priorities of any users over 30 because that would be Hard Work.

Posted by: Calybos on December 17, 2002 08:45 AM

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