The Future of Amateur Radio is with our youth . . . not!

How many times have you seen the messaging in Amateur Radio that it’s future is with the youth and how the Amateur Radio community should engage them in teaching or demonstrating technology to them?

It’s bullshit !

How many Hams find themselves in the situation where youth is showing them how to use technology from latest cell phones, social media, maker tech and how to use videoconferencing to join their local Ham club meeting. How embarrassing!

Our youth has surpassed the Amateur Radio community in its engagement of technology making Amateur Radio look like the CB of decades ago. Mull that one over.

Is Amateur Radio doomed? Far from it

With the Amateur Radio population predominantly consisting of long-time pensioners it has forgotten about the “middle child” of generations in its perpetuation — Gen X and Millennials.

Does your club still present the same introductory presentations, do technician license classes, “covered-dish” events, little change in leadership, few activities outside of Field Day and Hamfest? If your club has this wood paneling veneer it is time to change it up with younger leadership.

A succession plan needs to exist for clubs where leadership transition to the role of “village elders” passing on precious tidbits of “tribal knowledge” to the younger generations. We all have seen too many “silent keys” that embodied such knowledge pass without clubs maximizing their value and cherishing their contribution.

While Gen Z and younger generations may be well ahead of older generations in technology adoption and usage (how many clubs still struggle with Zoom?) knowledge transfer of tradecraft is always valued!

For what it’s worth,

Joe, NE2Z

UPDATE: Since this post, I have seen an excellent response to it on another blog. Be sure to check out Sterling’s N0SSC rebuttal.

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