Mobivox Hopes to Bridge Generation Gap

Younger people hooked on instant communications like SMS and IM communicate differently with their grandparents, a new survey by Mobivox finds. That there are clear generational differences in how we communicate with family and friends will come as no surprise to just about anybody.

Almost 60 percent of people under 35 say that they communicate differently with older, less tech savvy family members and friends. The reverse might also be true: parents sometimes communicate with their children using different modes than they do with peers.

But the gap probably is widest between teenagers and their grandparents 65 or older. Older users are two times as likely to say that technology "gives me a headache" (less than 10 percent of those over 65 use SMS or IM regularly and over half still use letters).

And the impact of these barriers on relationships is felt across generations, says Mobivox. One in three Americans, regardless of age, say that they don't connect as often as they would like with those they love because they don't use the same communications technology.

The poll also reveals that 60 percent of those under age 35 said that family and friends call them for help with their technology woes.

Mobivox has launched GiftVOX to lessen some of those woes.

GiftVOX lets every family's "go-to technologist" set up free international calling for family members. All the recipient has to do is call their local Mobivox access number and, during that first call, opt-in to activate their account.

GiftVOX eliminates the need to ever go online, program a contact list or learn to use a new gadget, Mobivox says.

What's interesting here is the pre-programming of accounts on behalf of other family or social group members who might not be motivated to do so themselves (I have encountered this problem myself, trying to set up a family calling group).

The new program is about as simple as it could possibly be. Group members don't need a computer, a credit card or even a calling card number. All they need is a mobile or landline phone.

Because Mobivox allows members to connect from any phone, it is especially easy for older generations to use since eight in 10 of those over 65 rely on home landline phones to communicate, compared to 50 percent using mobile phones and only one in three on email, Mobivox says.