Education and technology go hand in hand

Kids across the country are firmly planted back in school by now. As I got my own two kids ready to return — one to college and one entering high school — a couple of things struck me that had dramatically changed, some things even since last year.

Our August 25 issue was all about technology, both in product manufacturing and the use of mobile devices, online activity, software and more. We talked about today’s consumer using the Web to do research prior to coming into a physical store. And that is more often than not done on a mobile device.

Well, things in high school have changed as well. My son’s very large backpack is quite empty. All his textbooks are loaded onto a school-issued iPad. All forms to be signed by the student or parent are also on the iPad. No more 10-pound hardcover textbooks or reams of paper coming home.

The lesson: Kids are actually being educated to be mobile.

Just a couple years ago when my daughter was working on her college applications, the same school introduced an entirely online process. The school’s web-based system not only helped identify schools to apply to giving her average SAT scores and GPAs of accepted students, but it allowed her to apply through the same program using the Common Application. And then it directed her to fill out any special applications or compose essays required for a particular school.

Kids are being taught to do things through web-based programs and count on software to handle research, sorting and sending of documents. The days of dog-eared homework and term papers physically handed to the teacher are over as well. Emailing documents directly to teachers and professors or utilizing “e-backpack” is the norm.

Kids are living in a paperless world.

Why does all this matter? Both of these kids are your future customer. And they will, because of their education, be utilizing mobile devices, streamlined software programs, online information and most likely will want a paperless process. Macy’s and Apple stores already email receipts to customers.

I get that seeing kids walking around glued to their cell phones — maybe on Instagram or Snapchat — may seem like a fad and appear antisocial. But it is so much more than that. They are being wired to new technology at every turn and at every level for just about everything they do.

This is our annual education issue and certainly RSA product knowledge is an important part of that. But the other part should be learning about and using every piece of technology available because tomorrow’s consumer is already using it for just about everything they do. FCW’s Oct. 13 issue will look further at some of the things manufacturers are doing to support retailers in their online efforts. If you partner with these folks, take advantage of the programs they offer; get educated.
 
— Amy Joyce Rush

Amy Joyce Rush