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Three kids sitting on a couch using various tablet devices

Part 2: The “tech savvy” phenomenon

What it is, what it looks like, and what it means.

Graph that shows one-third of responders to a survey believe they are "tech-savvy"

Not tech savvy?

Only about one-third (34%) of our respondents said they’re “tech savvy” or feel comfortable with tech projects, which means that the remaining two-thirds are less than comfortable with tech.

  • Gender split. 50% of men say they’re tech savvy and only 22% of women say so.

  • Generational gap. There are twice as many tech-savvy Millennials as tech-savvy Boomers (44% vs. 22%).

  • Kids vs. no kids. 40% of those living with kids say they’re tech savvy compared to 32% of people without kids.

  • Location, location, location. 42% who live in cities say they’re tech savvy vs. just 28% who live in rural areas.

What tech savvy looks like

What does it mean to be tech savvy? For starters, it greatly increases the likelihood of owning 13 of the 21 smart devices we focused on in this study. Plus, tech-savvy consumers are more likely to own devices that fall into the realm of cool, contemporary tech.

A couple looking at a phone together. "46% tech savvy, 54% not tech savvy" caption overlay

They may not be in charge ...

More than half of those who are not tech savvy (54%) are also the primary tech decision maker for their household.

Group of students sitting on a stoop with "33% tech savvy, 25% not tech savvy" caption overlay

... but they like buying gadgets

One-third of tech-savvy consumers will buy tech because it's new and exciting versus just 1 in 4 not tech-savvy people.

Graph that shows tech savvy people vs all people. 38% of tech savvy people first to try new tech compared to 23% of all people. 27% of tech savvy people wait to try new tech until it's popular vs 39% of all people.

Speed of tech adoption

Most people wait until new tech is popular before they try it. But within the tech-savvy group, the majority claim to be either the very first (30%) or among the first (38%) to try new devices. But less adventurous users wait until devices are popular.