Okay Geek Farm
social Networking - Not just for Kids anymore
Ricardo Trejo
Photo by the Consumerist
I've been following a few articles in the past few weeks on TechCrunch and CrunchGear about the recent decline of younger users on Facebook and Twitter. Is it a matter of 'now that it's popular with adults and the mainstream media (no, not movies advertising on myspace, but rather CNN asking you to follow them on twitter) it's no longer the cool thing to do?' Is there something going on that's making young adults get turned off on social media. Maybe overload? Over exposure? Perhaps they felt it was their's, and now that it's not they've abandoned it?
Whatever the case maybe I think the younger generation is starting to feel the pressure of social media in their lives ease up. Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, it's old hat. Maybe it was fun to come up with new ways to "pimp out" your Myspace page, or race to see how many "friends" you could rack up against your real friends when we were younger, but all that magic, a gimmick really, has worn off. When social networking was introduced it was shiny, new, and full of customization. But if you look at how it works now, it's more about it being streamlined and efficient. Twitter isn't winning any sexy ui awards (if there are any), but its simple design is probably what has drawn so many to it - including those older folks. To the younger crowd it's become a second nature thing to leave a message on facebook for your friends, or a tweet letting everyone know if anyone wants to go to the movies tonight. In other words, it's ingrained in daily life so much that it's not anymore special as watching tv or answering your cellphone for a call.
Now here's where the generations clash. The "oldies" never caught on with Myspace, in fact years ago they felt social networking was dumb, a kid's thing, and most of all: a waste of time. Media however has tried to hit at every opportunity that new services come out. It just so happens that Twitter was at the center of a few media driven stories. First, we had Ashton Kutcher and Oprah's much publicized endorsements, and then a few months later the events of the Iran Election unfolded. Twitter happened to be at the center of the political world, and CNN was fueling the flames with word of mouth to the masses. Even one day being told by my 64 year old father that he believes twitter is a powerful tool to, "bring people together."
To sum this all up, older adults have just gotten their foot in the door of social networking. They've started off with Facebook and Twitter because they are much more simpler services to use than Myspace was. When social networking made its way on the scene there was hardly any practicality to it except racking up online friends, whom you would never meet or talk to in your life again after the elusive "thanks for the add" comment was posted. Twitter is nothing but meat, and the condiments are left off, just what is necessary. And it just so happens that the younger crowds are over that already, and they don't see why people keep having to talk about it.
