Whose Space Is It?
By Laura DL Bracken
In recent months, baby boomers have been joining social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, but it's not
where they belong. Unless boomers are interested in marketing a product or getting gigs for a cover band, MySpace
and Facebook should be left to Generation Y or those born between between 1979 and 1994.
The reasoning is simple. How many people between the ages of 14 and 29 want to hang with - dare I say it - old people? Certainly, back in the day when boomers were about the same age, they didn't. In fact, in the 1960s and 1970s, anyone who was older than 30 was part of the "establishment" and could not be trusted.
Although colloquialisms have changed and boomers are now part of the "establishment", the idea of hanging out with your peers has not. In fact, connecting with others continues to be important for personal growth. It's that connection to like-minded people that has always helped young adults weave through the journey of self-discovery - a journey everyone takes.
Today, social networking refers to web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a profile that may or may not be shared with others, (2) hook up to users with whom they share a connection, and (3) navigate through a list of connections or "friends" made by others within the same system. So, instead of leaving the house and driving to a friend's to find out what's going on, anyone who is plugged in to a social networking site can find out if there's something to do within seconds.
When looking at the model created by MySpace and Facebook, it's easy to see that the standard of social networking has not changed. Only the medium has changed. Young people still want to find a group to which they can belong and, with Generation Y being the first generation to have had life-long access to computers and the Internet, they are learning how to use the tools they have been provided.
Thus, the interest in social networking sites. It's their place to be "seen or observed," says William Hall, a 24-year-old Spokane, Wash., computer programmer who has pages on both MySpace and Facebook. "It's where people can have their own space and still be out there. Everyone wants to be connected these days," he adds.
Still, current trends indicate that latest members of these free, social networking websites are aging. In fact, since September 2007 when Facebook began allowing anyone over 13 to register, it has seen a surge in people 35 and older signing up.
The recent rise in older Facebook users may be because more parents are signing up in order to learn more about who their children are, who they know, and what they are doing. But many 18 to 24 year olds see parental involvement as intrusive, and many are refusing to acknowledge their parents as "friends" who may join their network.
But clearly, just surfing social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook proves the platforms are for the Y-Generation to experiment with different personas before they go out into the world. There are personal profiles. There are stories of angst. There are pictures of parties. There are poems. There are youthful diatribes. There are videos. There are prayers. There are gossips. And, yes, there are conversations.
Indeed, the idea behind social networks is to stay connected. But boomers don't have to be involved in the growing trend to have a MySpace or Facebook page. Instead, boomers need to find their own place on the web. After all, there are sites like Eons.com or boomerj.com just for them. Boomers don't need to recapture their youth or show how cool they are by using the trendiest website. They already made their mark. Just as boomers created an entire generational identity, Generation Y will find their way to leave their mark. The difference will just be in how it occurs.
The reasoning is simple. How many people between the ages of 14 and 29 want to hang with - dare I say it - old people? Certainly, back in the day when boomers were about the same age, they didn't. In fact, in the 1960s and 1970s, anyone who was older than 30 was part of the "establishment" and could not be trusted.
Although colloquialisms have changed and boomers are now part of the "establishment", the idea of hanging out with your peers has not. In fact, connecting with others continues to be important for personal growth. It's that connection to like-minded people that has always helped young adults weave through the journey of self-discovery - a journey everyone takes.
Today, social networking refers to web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a profile that may or may not be shared with others, (2) hook up to users with whom they share a connection, and (3) navigate through a list of connections or "friends" made by others within the same system. So, instead of leaving the house and driving to a friend's to find out what's going on, anyone who is plugged in to a social networking site can find out if there's something to do within seconds.
When looking at the model created by MySpace and Facebook, it's easy to see that the standard of social networking has not changed. Only the medium has changed. Young people still want to find a group to which they can belong and, with Generation Y being the first generation to have had life-long access to computers and the Internet, they are learning how to use the tools they have been provided.
Thus, the interest in social networking sites. It's their place to be "seen or observed," says William Hall, a 24-year-old Spokane, Wash., computer programmer who has pages on both MySpace and Facebook. "It's where people can have their own space and still be out there. Everyone wants to be connected these days," he adds.
Still, current trends indicate that latest members of these free, social networking websites are aging. In fact, since September 2007 when Facebook began allowing anyone over 13 to register, it has seen a surge in people 35 and older signing up.
The recent rise in older Facebook users may be because more parents are signing up in order to learn more about who their children are, who they know, and what they are doing. But many 18 to 24 year olds see parental involvement as intrusive, and many are refusing to acknowledge their parents as "friends" who may join their network.
But clearly, just surfing social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook proves the platforms are for the Y-Generation to experiment with different personas before they go out into the world. There are personal profiles. There are stories of angst. There are pictures of parties. There are poems. There are youthful diatribes. There are videos. There are prayers. There are gossips. And, yes, there are conversations.
Indeed, the idea behind social networks is to stay connected. But boomers don't have to be involved in the growing trend to have a MySpace or Facebook page. Instead, boomers need to find their own place on the web. After all, there are sites like Eons.com or boomerj.com just for them. Boomers don't need to recapture their youth or show how cool they are by using the trendiest website. They already made their mark. Just as boomers created an entire generational identity, Generation Y will find their way to leave their mark. The difference will just be in how it occurs.
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