One of the strengths of any church is the ability to bring together a congregation across all ages for a common need. A hallmark of Christmas Eve services is the opportunity for an entire family spanning three, four, or even five generations worshipping together in a shared environment. Being able to bridge this age gap remains a strength of the church.
At Here I Am, we focus on creating an app that all age groups and demographics within the church will be able to use in a simple and intuitive manner. We do enjoy talking with our users to understand how they engage with their smartphone and the app and thought we would share the biggest differences we see between age groups when they use technology. Everyone is an individual and we do not intend to stereotype, but thought we would share some general observations as we design Here I Am.
1) Trusting the X button. The 30 and under crowd views this feature as an easy and simple way to exit any part of the app they want to leave. On the other hand, we have seen the 60 and over crowd hesitant to tap the X thinking that it will result in an undesired action occurring.
2) Terms and Conditions. In most instances the 30 and under crowd rarely read these and are quick to scroll through to hit ‘continue.’ The older crowd is more likely to read through this document to know what they are agreeing to. If it is long and complex, they will not continue to the next step.
3) Font Size. This is more related to eyesight (which somewhat correlates with age). The 30 and under crowd anchors on the small font size and can handle a packed screen. The 60 and over crowd loves the bigger font sizes – leading to a much less congested screen. As a side note, we believe every developer at Google, Apple, and other tech companies is 30 and under as the default is always small font size.
4) Fear of the Password. The 30 and under crowd has no fear of a password and picks the pre-selected password or enters one they use for numerous accounts. We see that the 60 and over crowd will stop a registration process once they see password required.
5) Finding an app. App stores are overrun with so many applications, many of which invade the privacy of the phone. The 30 and under crowd eagerly downloads a new app, tries it out, then deletes it if they don’t use it. The 60 and over crowd tends to download an app only if recommended by someone else and they are completely sure it is the app they wanted. Trial and Error is not a method employed.
We like to adhere to the view that great technology, like great churches, will bridge the age gap accordingly. Check out our Here I Am app and let us know any feedback as we continue on our journey!
