Will the younger generation keep up with technology forever?

I am confident that I am well versed with technology at this point in my life.  I cannot say the same for my grandparents.  My grandparents on both sides of my family both struggle with technology in their daily lives.  My grandma does not have wifi, a laptop, or even a cell phone.  She is not interested in it at all.  My other grandparents have an early 2000s computer and a tablet, but do not have the knowledge to use it at an advanced level.  I am sure this is also the case in many families around the world.  I want to answer the question: Will the younger generation today stay up to date with technology for the rest of their lives?

Technology is advancing at an exponential rate.  With the pandemic, technology has changed forever.  Not only has it advanced during this time, but new forms of technology have also been developed.  No one knows what technology is going to look like in 20+ years.  

I have had teachers that used technology to enhance their class, but I have also had teachers that do not want to use technology at all in the classroom.  Usually the teachers that do not want to use technology are the ones that are in the later stages of their careers.  I think this is because they are used to the way they teach.  Soon many of my classmates and I will start our teaching careers.  We will all be able to use the technology that we have learned in class, but will we evolve with the technology in our classrooms once new technology arrives?  Will we be forced to change our classrooms as technology changes?  I want to think that I will be able to keep learning new technology, but the older generation says otherwise.  Many older teachers are choosing not to evolve with the times and implement technology in their daily classrooms.  This has changed because of COVID-19, but once the virus is controlled we may see more teachers going back to their old habits.  I know many teachers that prefer using a pencil and paper.    

Once my generation of teachers experiences new technology, will we be willing to learn something new and implement it into our classrooms during the later stages of our careers?  I hope that if this technology enhances learning, my generation will learn it and use it.  I think that teachers need to be willing to give up what they know and learn something new for a better learning experience.  Throughout my education some teachers have not changed in many years.  I want the new generation of teachers to learn new technology and never “settle” in the way they teach.  We need to be open to learning a new program or piece of technology even if we are 50-60 years old.  We need to change the stereotypical “older” teacher.  Also, since our students will most likely be using this technology we, as teachers, need to use it as well.  If we can understand the technology students already know, then both sides can create positive learning in the classroom.

Some older teachers have implemented technology in their classrooms pre-COVID, but not all of them have.  I want my generation of teachers to change their classrooms for their entire teaching careers as long as it enhances our students’ ability to learn.  Again, I think my generation of teachers needs to change with the times and not fall into old habits.  As the world’s educational technology changes, teachers need to change as well.