Originally posted by Bronwyn Spira, PT, and Alexis Fotiu on Advance for Physical Therapy & Rehab Medicine, August 2, 2012
The future of healthcare is reaching a turning point as digital technology begins to play a bigger role. As smartphone adoption increases, patients are beginning to expect service and treatment focused on accessibility and increased communication. These expectations will only be amplified as younger generations, who rely on digital technology in almost all aspects of their lives, begin to age.
Generation Y, generally people born during the 1980s and early 1990s, are also referred to as Generation Next, Millennials, and the Internet Generation. Generation Y’s tech-savvy abilities result from their familiarity with communications, media, and digital technology. Generation Y grew up when these innovations took place. Defined by Nielsonwire as 18- to 24-year-olds who were born “sometime between the launch of the VCR and the commercialization of the Internet,” their constant connectedness has changed the way companies market to their customers and the way companies provide products and services.
The most recent U.S. Census finds 18- to 24-year-olds make up 23% of the population, yet they watch 27% of online videos, constitute 27% of visitors to social networking sites, own 33% of tablets, and use 39% of smartphones. With 1.8 billion mobile phone owners aged under 30 around the world, the youth mobile market is worth $360 billion annually — 10 times the size of the global recorded music industry. According to MobileYouth Research, this number is expected to grow by 50% in the next 4 years, with emerging markets making up a significant proportion of the growth.
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