In his report The Hounded Generation - From Hunter to Prey, Ericsson Consumer & Enterprise Lab researcher Erik Kruse rejected the general preconception that twenty-somethings are only out for fun, but are instead worried about their future and challenged by a societal expectation that with so much available to them, they will succeed beyond all previous expectation.

Consequently, consumers born in the 1980s feel driven to always be doing something, having access to media and being in contact with their peer group. They are stressed by the requirements of always being reachable and having to make decisions quickly.

As one respondent said: "When I came home from Spain I was really stressed out. I didn't have internet access there, I felt like I was lagging behind, it was very unpleasant."

Kruse determined this attitude was reflected in the usage of communications devices, contrary to the commonly held view that youth decision-making was entertainment based. He found the postmodern consumer believes mobile phones are essential for maintaining relationships but they can be "stressful" as social norms dictate that all calls must be answered and messages and missed calls must be returned - the phone must always be on.

Computer communication, including instant messaging, on the other hand is less personal and provides freedom of anonymity so users can experiment with different personalities and so on. It is also socially acceptable to not respond, so computers can be turned off or put into "not available" mode.

"This is a generation of people who believe they have to be logged on because they are angst-ridden, stressed and hounded by an endless number of choices that have to be made," Kruse states in the report.

"There is an underlying desire for stability and rest, but the urgency of life makes it unattainable. Individuals must keep consuming information."

It is this love-hate relationship that drives actual consumer habits, rather than the stereotype of a generation just wanting to be entertained. It is not surprising then that Kruse found that despite popular belief, postmodern consumers don't just latch on to any new technology, but are quite discerning. They:

• are skeptical of new technology per se;
• demand that new services have real and lasting benefit otherwise they are abandoned;
• base their decisions on whether to adopt new technology on the attitude of their peer group;
• do not stay loyal to brands or solutions; do not tolerate poor functionality; want solutions that are useable immediately, and will be turned off by time-consuming instructions or explanations;
• and want services that save time, not steal time.

Kruse concludes that the quest for control over technology will be an ongoing one. Respondents clearly voiced that they did not want to be slaves to technology, but have the power to decide where, when and how much they would use devices.