• by Aaron Baar , December 5, 2009

Desire for continued connectivity is no longer a generational issue. According to a consumer survey commissioned by Motorola's Home & Networks Mobility business, members of the largest generational categories -- Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers -- all desire to be connected equally.

According to the survey, 70% of all Americans said it was "important for me to always be accessible." Broken down by generation, 80% of Millennials, 78% of Gen Xers and 78% of Baby Boomers say it's important to be constantly connected. Similarly, 79% of Millennials, 66% of Gen Xers and 65% of Boomers view accessibility as a necessity.

Nearly 80% of all respondents said technology was allowing them to feel closer to friends and family regardless of their physical location. And they have a strong desire to remain connected: two-thirds of the respondents (66%) said they expect to be able to access the content they want no matter where they are.

What's more, the sphere of influence is shifting. While Millennials have traditionally been thought of as the "tech generation," the survey found that parents -- those from the Baby Boom and Gen X demographics -- are influencing their children as well. According to the survey, 87% of Gen X parents and 79% of Baby Boom parents feel they are influencing their children's tech habits. At the same time only 62% of Gen Xers and 76% of Millennials feel they are influencing their parents' habits.

"Service providers and technology companies are starting to deliver video, communications and information services more aggressively across multiple devices," said Eduardo Corrado, chief marketing officer for Motorola's Broadband Mobility Solutions business, in a statement.

"However, if the key to success for these new services is consumer acceptance, adoption and loyalty, then it's critical we understand the consumer influence model -- which has obviously shifted -- and then also shift our development and marketing strategies to align with consumer influences and habits."