What Gen X Wants In Digital Healthcare
When it comes to digital health apps, the two groups I typically hear talked about the most are Boomers (They’re aging! They need health care!) and Millennials, the first digital natives who expect there to be an app for everything — by the way, we’re now in our 40s.
But as per usual, Generation X is forgotten. Xers, now approaching 60, have an acute need for digital healthcare. They also tend to be early adopters of technology and have had to learn to use new tech in their adulthood over and over again. They’re adept at it, but only care to do so if there’s an obvious material benefit. This is why the iPhone was not a hard sell for them, but the Apple Watch can be.
Earlier this year, I sat down and interviewed a sample of Gen Xers and a few younger Boomers on their relationship to digital health, their desires in health apps, and what motivates them to adopt health technology. Here are some of the most important insights from those interviews.
They Don’t Care Too Much About Data Privacy
Not a single person I talked to in my interviews said they would hesitate to give personal medical information to an app. They assume that either their data will be safe and cared for, or that if it is shared with third parties it will be done so in an anonymized way that will not be used against their interests. They also view health data as less sensitive than other kinds of personal information such as financial information. In short, they don’t want the data from their yearly physical posted for all the world to see, but they also don’t view it as much of a risk. Either it won’t happen, or won’t harm them if it does.
The bigger block to having a Gen Xer share their health data is time and effort. If the data can be shared seamlessly, such as by interfacing with another app or API, you will make it much more likely that they will share. Whereas if information needs to be entered manually or the syncing of data is clunky, it will seem like too much trouble.
But even if it is inconvenient to share, they still might! IF there is a strong reason to.
They Want Personalized Feedback
OK, you have all their data. What do you do with it?
Gen Xers are pretty savvy when it comes to both technology and health. If they have basic medical questions, they’re very likely to google it, and pretty adept at parsing out good information from bad (at least according to them).
So why would they want to download an app that can give them the same information they already know, or could easily find?
The key to offering Gen Xers news they can use is specificity. If you can give them feedback based on their specific chronic conditions, family history, symptoms, and habits you are giving them something they can’t just search for themselves. This means personalization.
This is driven in part by anxiety over aging. People over 45, deal with many mysterious ailments in their day-to-day. The need for personalized feedback is born from a desire to know: “Should I be worried about this?” Of course, this question can’t be answered in the generic, only in the specific.
A health app can never fully replace a doctors visit, but it might be crucial in getting some one to schedule one.
They Want The Real Thing
Gen Xers have a highly refined bullshit detector. They can tell when you’re blowing smoke, and they’re skeptical of corporations and mediated messages. The health information you present to them needs to be authentic. No, you can’t take general advice and present it as “personalized.” And you can’t present generic content and call it “AI” or “Algorithmically generated.” They know the difference, and they hate being jerked around. If they detect even a whiff of bullshit, they will churn from your app.
They’re Realistic About Their Vices
Like everyone, Gen Xers have their vices, and they will give them up dearly. They were brought up in the time when “sugar” wasn’t a dirty word, over-drinking turned you into a Sex Pistol, it was still cool to smoke, and you could get a pack out of a vending machine.
But they’re also acutely aware of their own mortality and want to put it off as long as humanly possible. They’re at a time in their lives where they’re viewing their own health problems through the lens of older family members who may not be around anymore, and they want to be there for important milestones in their own children's’ lives.
I asked my interviewees the following blue-sky question:
“If you had a crystal ball that could tell you anything you wanted to know about your own health, what would you ask it?”
A surprising number said something to the effect of, “I’d like to know how much I can eat/drink/smoke before my heart explodes.” Basically, they don’t want to know what vices to give up, but instead want strategies to moderate them. They’re essentially running the numbers on “enjoyment of life” and “length and quality of life” and to them, their vices factor strongly into the former.
So don’t tell a Gen Xer to quit cold turkey, even if it’s the best thing for them. Be realistic about vice.
Final Thought: On Mass Appeal
I hope you found these findings insightful. It’s easy to forget about Gen Xers, but you do so at the peril of your mission. If you want your health app to thrive, make sure you appeal to them. They have many of the same needs as Boomers and are just as savvy and discerning as Millennials, so if you can appeal to them, chances are you will see ripple effects onto your other demographic targets as well.
Sam Liberty is a gamification expert, serious game designer, and consultant. He teaches game design at Northeastern University. He is the former Lead Game Designer at Sidekick Health.
