It stands to reason that in a world infused with ever more technology, our choices and our facility with technologies would begin to play a bigger role in defining age-appropriate behaviors.

Anthropologists have observed that the age at which parents give cell phones to their children illuminates interesting boundary and life-stage issues. One sociologist believes that for kids, receipt of a cell phone is "a matter of coming of age."

As interesting as all this might be, what practical applications does it carry? Here's an interesting exercise that the IT Leadership Academy has conducted with MBA students, social scientists, medical researchers and political scientists: Have your team choose ages of interest -- say, 5, 16, 21 and 40. Then ask them to write down the age-related expectations they havefor each, including their age- related technology expectations (tools, preferences and behaviors). You will be surprised at what you learn about attitudes toward age groups. And that's something that's important to know.

In the workplace, there is a widely held misconception that technology is a young person's game. We are told bypundits that digital natives -- thosewho grew up after computers, cell phones and the Internet had become widely available -- are destinedto be the new masters of the universe. But is this conventional wisdom the real truth of the matter? I don't think so.

In reality, we live in an age in which old forms and traditions are breaking down. Thanks to technology, old people don't act like old people anymore. Biases based on chronological age are disappearing.