# Youth in Tech (ft. Olivia Bissett)  ## Episode metadata - Episode title: Youth in Tech (ft. Olivia Bissett) - Show: Underrepresented in Tech - Owner / Host: Michelle Frechette - Episode publish date: 2023-07-28 - Duration: 30:36 - Episode URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/episode/86f59d3a-22b6-4417-9037-0a67f4aa7f58) - Show URL: [Open in Snipd](https://share.snipd.com/show/68e431fa-0342-4cbe-8c03-d38d7df60113) - Export date: 2026-02-17T23:29:48 ## Snips ### [Gen Z's Tech Preferences](https://share.snipd.com/snip/f560c98c-5133-4290-bb3a-9cec06958d6c) 🎧 03:45 - 09:13 (05:27) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/55b260b0-9b6f-46da-9627-f97417b7f63b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Olivia describes her generation as native tech users who prefer Instagram, TikTok, and Threads over Facebook. - They engage with technology effortlessly and favor spontaneous, authentic content over curated posts. #### 💬 Quote > The whole thing is that you can't. It's not staged. It's just you in the present moment. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett on social media use in her generation #### 📚 Transcript Oh, one thing is that whenever I hear some of my says I use Facebook. I'm like, you know, you use Facebook because the whole like I've never been on Facebook. The only person I know who uses Facebook is my mom. Because it's always in the means where the moms put some face to my foot. Like my daughter. She's growing up so bad. Yes. So I'm not. I don't use Facebook at all. So it's the same, but I'm like, all my friends are on like Instagram. Some on BBO, some on threads. I deleted BBO because it was annoying. Yeah. I never heard of it. Oh, BBO? Yeah. It's so basically I have random point during the day. It gives you, it sends you a notification saying, Hey, it's time to take a picture. So it's so with your phone and take the picture with the back camera and front camera. But you have to do it within two minutes. Oh, wow. Or else they'll say they posted late. So it's a really, it's a cool social media. The whole thing is that you can't. It's not staged. It's just you in the present moment. But I didn't like the random notification. That would annoy me too. That is so funny. So if you're not on Facebook, it kind of makes me think about the fact that for technology, especially in WordPress, you and I believe that you're not on Facebook. It kind of makes me think about the fact that for technology, especially in WordPress, you and I both work in WordPress. There are so many Facebook groups that are centered around building community around different. You know, plugins, different themes and things like that. Like there's a divvy builders community. There's a WS form community. There's a learn dash community. So all of these WordPress communities or groups that have been built up. To have like support and also kind of some built in marketing and those kinds of things. If you're not on Facebook, where do you find groups and community around different products that way? Or don't you? Well, I wouldn't say products, but we're on TikTok. There's a lot of different. We say sides of TikTok. Whereas like there's the Taylor Swift side. That's the side I'm on. And there's the like cleaning your house organization side. And it's amazing to me because I go on TikTok and like I'm watching these videos that are curious for me to me about whatever topic I'm interested at time and get to learn new stuff, new things about that. And you can reply to videos with a video or you can reply in the comments. Because my generation, but we'll just pick up a camera and start recording. I feel like some of us. Others of us just like in the comments and say like, that's happening. Oh my goodness. Ah, so we do that. Some of us like we're also on Twitter, which is it's weird because we're also on Twitter, but we're not like we're on Twitter. If that makes sense. So are you like scrolling Twitter and just looking or you like do you just have a presence there? Do you tweet sometimes? How does that work? For me and like my friends at least like we all have Twitter accounts. We tweet once in a while. We look at tweets, but it's not like our main app. Gotcha. Is that makes sense? So what is your main app right now? Um, as a generation, I feel like it's tick tock. Yeah. But me personally, I've been getting into threads more. Okay. I just, I just like what's on my home screen of threads. It's just like the most random content. The most like. You'll, I don't know. You see some random companies saying the most random things. I love that. But I have a threads. But I haven't done anything with it yet. But I haven't even looked at it yet to be honest with you. I'm on it every day. Well, maybe I'll have to connect with you and you can show me the ropes. I'll be like, what's Olivia looking at today? I'm trying a little bit more. Yeah, I feel like threads is more like relaxed. Meanwhile, when I'm on Twitter, I'm like, I must do three paragraph essays that have been introduction have been ending include a GIF of some kind in there. So I'm like, Hey, guys, I'm on my lunch break and I'm having a mac and cheese. I don't know. Just the moment. So threads a little more laid back then that you would say them like Twitter or something. --- ### [Job Appeal to Gen Z](https://share.snipd.com/snip/83bb73b5-f71c-4f45-9255-873fd2cf9688) 🎧 09:23 - 12:11 (02:48) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/39fb4e4c-56a1-46b9-8db3-d8aea9f76fe2" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Offering remote work options and good benefits strongly appeals to younger job seekers. - Competitive pay and clear potential for role growth are also important when applying for positions. #### 💬 Quote > One of the things I really love is remote work, which I feel like our generation is very not split on. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett on job preferences in her generation #### 📚 Transcript When you're like when you're applying for jobs, right? So you're in college right now. And I know you have an internship and things like that. And so you've got to be thinking about the future a little bit. But when you apply for jobs, you're looking for jobs. What kinds of things appeal to you in your generation? What kinds of things are like a definite like no way would I ever go work at that company kind of thing. Don't name names necessarily. But what are the kinds of things that you're looking for? I promise. So if somebody is looking to hire your generation. How can they appeal to you? Hmm. That's a new question. Let me think. Well, I recently was just like applying to jobs. And when I said applying, I mean, like applying to every single one I see. Yeah. No matter if it's you're there remote, not remote. I just put in my application. Of course. I'm just like here. Take me. I don't care. I hear me. I'm high or low, right? But for me, one of the things I really love is remote work, which I feel like our generation is very not split on. Like a lot of us like to work from home. Cause like we figured out during COVID that we can work from home. Wow. This is a new. Amazing. We can like show off our desk set up. Still one another. I've yet to do that. But I'm showing off our desk. I'm showing off like what monitors like how everything set up. Well, the other part of us, like they work better in office. And they want to be around people because they're outgoing and extroverted. Gotcha. Yeah. So I feel like having a good having like good benefits plus like having the option to work from home is something that really appeals to me. Cause when I was looking for jobs, it was mainly like, can't work from home. Can I like, does it have good benefits? Good pay? Good. Whatever for an internship. Cause that was a position I was looking for. And something I'm thinking about right now is like whether or not in the future, I'll be able to continue with this company or like, how will it look on my resume when I go to either different companies or like extend my internship into either another semester or full time or whatever. --- ### [Work Perks vs. Remote Work](https://share.snipd.com/snip/795d0201-d9ca-479b-bbf3-8c88d8a6bce0) 🎧 12:20 - 13:05 (00:45) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/a53e14ad-7e87-4dcc-a242-93d888383f5b" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Workplace perks like games and snacks are less enticing to younger workers than flexible work environments. - The pandemic shifted priority towards comfort and autonomy at home rather than in-office amenities. #### 💬 Quote > That might not be as inviting now as work from home is. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett versus Michelle Frishet on changing workplace incentives #### 📚 Transcript is your lifetime and to me is like, Oh, not that long ago. But I think like 10 or 15 years ago. And I think of like when Google was trying to entice people in and they have like ping pong tables and like cereal bars and like all of these things in their workspace that make it look like so inviting to want to work there. And I think that things have changed a lot since then and of course the pandemic had a lot to do with that right with the work from home. And I just wonder sometimes about that like, like is your like 10 years ago, having your office look like a grown up playground was something that like literally enticed people to come to work for you. But I feel like that might not be as inviting now as work from home --- ### [Office Fun vs. Home Comfort](https://share.snipd.com/snip/8855f5f3-54a7-4432-9ee5-6a24992e7b45) 🎧 14:16 - 14:28 (00:12) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/2439ace9-9d62-4925-8d13-7756fdf3fcaf" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Olivia enjoys lying on fake grass at her fun office but prefers working from home daily. - She appreciates office perks but values personal work environments more. #### 💬 Quote > I like they have fake grass and I like to lie in the fake plastic code. Don't judge, it works for me. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett sharing office vs home work preferences #### 📚 Transcript the fake plastic code. Don't judge, it works for me. If it works for me. It is cool, but like I will say that for my generation. --- ### [Generational Views on Tech & Inclusion](https://share.snipd.com/snip/856b0a69-1052-4ed2-b912-b147ed6b8adc) 🎧 15:13 - 19:11 (03:57) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/75a8d5bc-80ed-4d91-b37b-bc4a8d0fa5b6" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Olivia surveyed coworkers about generational misunderstandings on technology and workplace inclusion. - Responses highlighted older generations' different views and the need for better minority representation. #### 💬 Quote > They have very different per step, which makes them look down, which I can say I see where they're coming from. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett discussing coworkers' feedback on generational differences #### 📚 Transcript I'm curious what questions you asked them. Because I want to know like what were you thinking when you started asking those questions and then like what were some of their answers to your questions. Can you share some of that? Sure. The first question I asked is. So I had a different, a big heading, which is basically like what's one thing you wish the older generation gen X and millennials are just about our generation. That was the first question. And I should have read over the more, but this is where they got to say the truth. The first response said they have very different per step per step, about technology, which makes them look down, which I can say I see where they're coming from. Sometimes, sometimes I'll be in a car ride and then someone would say like, we didn't have phones. So what do you mean, you know, what do you mean? Meanwhile, I literally like to walk from my house across the street. I rely on like. No, not literally, but you get the bigger idea. Someone said someone also that the experience that we are exposed to our lot are largely part of the way in society was when the older generation for our age. Society changes it. And as do the people the way that they experienced life. Again, it's like, yeah, car ride. It's like, I didn't have phones. And I'm like. So it's just like. I feel like with the technology, like our generation is a whole new ball game. It's a whole new. Thing, because we literally have information in the palm of our hand. And look up anything from an Uber ride to like what was Taylor's who is last surprise song. Right. So it's like, yeah, it's funny because like the meme for my generation was the teacher would say to you, you got to learn how to do this. It's not like you're going to have a calculator in your pocket when you grow up. Right. And like, of course, we have smartphones now that have the calculator right in our pocket. Yeah. So like that's, that's the joke, right? You all didn't say that to you all because you literally went to school with calculators with many computers right in your pockets too. So it is definitely different. I won't lie. They definitely did try that on us. And then like me, like me and my classmates and friends are like, we will have the iPhone like 20 by then. Like, we'll have one. A calculator, we'll have a whole like. A whole calculus notebook in our pocket. It's like, and you kind of do anyway, because you could access anything on the web through your phone too. So I know I like my phone too. Don't get me wrong. I'm not necessarily the people of my generation. I'm attached way more than I should be. It's always with me as well. So, so what's the next question you ask people. Our experiences in the tech community. It's in the same field. So one said that even though there's, there is more minority --- ### [Power of Technology Use](https://share.snipd.com/snip/6a9c5c31-5818-4ceb-b393-bc4172fc0a42) 🎧 21:40 - 22:24 (00:44) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/e9e0a9ec-fe86-4b8e-8757-c9d8b89756f6" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Technology can unite or divide people depending on its use. - Younger generations leverage rapid info sharing to influence events and culture. #### 💬 Quote > Technology is ever advancing and it has the power to bring people together or divide them depending on how it's used. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett reflecting on technology's societal impact #### 📚 Transcript one more on TikTok. It's weird because we're on TikTok and Twitter and all that stuff. It's like, you can share information like that. Taylor Swift, new leg of tour. Everybody knows what's in the back. Yep. Um, if you. Rumors about something else like information spent so quickly. Yes. It's. It's powerful and it could either be used for good neutral or bad. Yeah, unfortunately. No, that's true. Absolutely. --- ### [Youth Digital Activism Example](https://share.snipd.com/snip/07a388ad-8cb0-4f7e-9a36-ad352b009c5c) 🎧 22:13 - 23:09 (00:56) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/7854ba6f-5ffc-49fd-8f22-b9a33cdd2ef2" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Younger people disrupted a political rally by flooding it with fake ticket registrations. - This showed digital savvy can tactically influence real-world events. #### 💬 Quote > It was literally the teens and twenties [...] said if we can hack this and we can have an impact on this. > — Michelle Frishet Michelle Frishet recounting youth activism during a political rally #### 📚 Transcript It's powerful and it could either be used for good neutral or bad. Yeah, unfortunately. No, that's true. Absolutely. It was the, it was the younger generations that realized that tickets to Trump rallies in 2020. Could were free and that you could sign up for them from anywhere in the world. And so people were signing up for those tickets on mass and literally not going. And then they would have this rally with only like a third of the stadium filled in because all the tickets got snapped up by people who were anti Trump instead of pro Trump. And so like, it was literally the teens and twenties of some things of the world at that point in time that said if we can, we can hack this and we can have an impact on this. --- ### [Value Diverse Perspectives](https://share.snipd.com/snip/b8d23561-7265-47ae-b00e-175ab875d5ac) 🎧 23:23 - 24:59 (01:36) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/50660773-cc35-42db-9734-65cd429ea9fe" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Diverse perspectives help solve more problems and create more innovative solutions. - Generations should collaborate and value each other's insights to improve tech and society. #### 💬 Quote > I can only solve a problem that I can see. But you can help me see more. > — Michelle Frishet Michelle Frishet on the importance of diverse viewpoints in problem-solving #### 📚 Transcript I was going to say, as we're closing in on our time, what's like one or two more things that you'd want to share from either you or your coworkers to help people in my generation and even like a generation or two below me because I realized I'm kind of at the top of that list. And so we really want us to know and be aware of to make things better for y'all coming up into technology, graduating from high school, graduating from college and joining the workforce. I don't know. Maybe something I would like to say is that we are brains are different. Like some people find like one solution to be that this is it. This is perfect. I love this. Let me pass this down to my children and my grandkids. We will really come in within five minutes with our cell phones and I'd be like, new solution. Yeah. It's like, I think it'd be cool if we can all just like work together to just like you. Everyone had a different brain when she's so cool. And just, yeah. What is that? I know I think that's perfect. I think one of the things that I've always said is that I can only solve a problem that I can see. But there, there, if you look at the room around me right now, if I wasn't looking at a camera, I would only be able to see this much of the room around me. But you're looking behind me if you're standing in front of me, you can see problems behind me that I can't see. There's a whole sphere of issues to solve, but I can only solve the ones that I can see --- ### [Using AI for Productivity](https://share.snipd.com/snip/9350be08-0c07-4bfe-8195-2cace21394ee) 🎧 26:31 - 27:28 (00:57) <iframe src="https://share.snipd.com/embed/obsidian-player/snip/887f211c-8f93-4686-a9db-8e4772c6a3ed" width="100%" height="100" style="border: none; border-radius: 12px;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-popups allow-clipboard-write" ></iframe> - Olivia uses ChatGPT to help write code and improve article titles. - AI tools assist her creativity and productivity but require user oversight. #### 💬 Quote > When I'm programming, I have a problem. I go to ChatGPT and be like, Hey, I can't do this. > — Olivia Bissett Olivia Bissett discussing how she leverages AI tools at work #### 📚 Transcript And then I chat GBT. Oh my goodness. That was something else I forgot to mention. I'm like, we're all obsessed with chat GBT now. Yeah. When I'm programming, I have a problem. I go to chat GBT and be like, Hey, I can't do this. Please help. And he's like, okay, Olivia, here's a three step process. I'm like, I don't think it. I forget to use it. But today somebody challenged me. I wrote an article. I had a very lackluster title for it because I couldn't think outside the box of what else to put as a title. And they're like, we need this title, you know, the post title to be better. And I was like, I don't even know what to do. So I did. I was, Oh, chat GPT could help. So with the chat GPT, I said, give me a title for an article like this. And it was like this one, I'm like, no, that's not good. I hit like, you know, read it, regenerate. And the next one --- Created with [Snipd](https://www.snipd.com) | Highlight & Take Notes from Podcasts