MformationThe mobile device management software company

The Herald: Keep I.T. Simple, Stupid

I once had to go to a meeting where the cringeworthy "ice-breaker" was that everyone had to say something about their mobile phone. What followed was a battle of onedownmanship, as everyone took turns to boast about how much cheaper, older and more basic their phone was. The few people who did have snazzy models were forced to invent alibis such as "it was a present" or "it was the most basic one that came with my package".

Needless to say, everyone at the meeting was over 40, and safely in the category of what Marc Prensky calls "digital immigrants": people who didn't grow up in the IT age but now find themselves living in it. "Digital natives", in contrast, are so used to technology that they can do things with their texting thumbs that older people literally cannot.

If there is any shame, then it is misguided. It turns out that most people are baffled. A survey commissioned by mobile device management firm Mformation suggests that 61% of people find it hard to set up a new mobile handset, while 95% say they would use more features, if only it were easier to do so.

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