Social Media and Generation Me

Social Media, in the last ten years, has changed the face of communication. We BBM instead of calling; we Facebook instead of meeting; and we post photos on Flicker instead of getting together for an evening to pass around the photo album. So what is it about Social Media that brings millions, if not billions, to its digital doorstep instead of to each other’s front doors in the tangible world? Where we once gathered in pool halls and local community centers, we now gather on Facebook and Match.com.


Social Media is defined on Wikipedia as “the use of web-based and mobile technologies to turn communication into an interactive dialogue. . . . media for social interaction, as a superset beyond social communication.” (para. 1, 2011) This medium has generated a whole new language of communication that must be embraced and adopted to continue to reach the Me generation of today. (For a description of the characteristics of the Me generation, visit http://classact.prblogs.org/2007/06/01/10-characteristics-of-generation-me/.) As Clay Shirky claims in his Web 2.0 keynote address in 2008, there is a cognitive surplus where free time in our everyday lives that has previously been filled by countless hours of meaningless television, is now being consumed by participation in web based interactions or social media. In addition, I believe that the digital tools that are increasing in their efficiencies on a daily basis are enabling Generation Me to be even more consumed by the social media that they engage in. This is the world that they live in: given the choice they would most likely choose the digital world over the tangible world.


As a marketer attempting to target this generation and an instructor attempting to teach them, interacting effectively in the social media world and speaking the language of the digital plain is integral to remaining authentic and gaining the trust of Generation Me. Erik Qualman’s book Socialnomics sheds light on the reality of the communication gap that exists for anyone targeting the Me generation. He claims that, “Social media is the new inbox: Younger generations find email antiquated and passé.” (2011) Qualman then goes on to say that, “The interpersonal communication skills of Generations Y and Z have been retarded by reliance on social media tools that aren’t face-to-face or verbal.” (2011) The disconnect that online communication has from the individual that it is aimed at is astounding; the fact that cyber bullying has become an issue for adults and children alike is a testament to that. This becomes compounded for a generation of youth who have grown up with a sense of entitlement and a fear of personal conflict. What was once said in the school yard and passed as notes in the classroom is now posted on Facebook for all to see. There is no lunchtime monitor to catch you there – yet.

The Conversation Prism

The comfort with the digital world and the cognitive surplus described above has led to an explosion of digital platforms through which the world can engage its global community. Brian Solis and Jesse Thomas have created a model called The Conversation Prism “that helps chart online conversations between the people that populate communities as well as the networks that connect the Social Web.” (2008) With so many options out there how do we know which ones to use for what and when? I think that it is fairly safe claim to say that Generation Me is likely the best consortium to answer this question. In my job, it relates to the question of the end goal. Individuals engaging in the digital plain are generally there for a particular reason – if you can connect that reason to your goal then that platform may be an appropriate tool to be utilized. The Conversation Prism is a great place to start in asking this question as it groups social media platforms by functionality. Perhaps this is one answer to the question of why we gather here: there are so many options for communication tools that can match the need of the individual. But in the grand tradition of the chicken and the egg, which came first: the platforms to fill a growing need or the need that facilitated the evolution of the platforms?

So what is the key take-away from all of this: a question. Is it possible to answer the question posed earlier about the draw to social media? Not tonight. Identifying who can answer that question is a whole other challenge in and of itself.

http://www.markevanstech.com/2010/06/28/whats-a-social-media-consultant/

Qualman, E. (2011). Socialnomics [Kindle Library].Retrieved from Kindle Library on Amazon.com  

Shirky,C.  (2008). Web 2.0 Expo SF 2008: Clay Shirky [Video File]. Retrieved from http://blip.tv/web2expo/web-2-0-expo-sf-2008-clay-shirky-862384

Social Media. (2011) Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media  

Solis, B. (2008, August 5). Introducing The Conversation Prism [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.briansolis.com/2008/08/introducing-conversation-prism/