I “grew” up on Facebook. It is true.
My sophomore year of college is when Facebook hit the campus of Anderson University like a firestorm. Everyone was joining talking about the internal messaging and laughing at the pictures being posted over the first couple of months. It was the epitome of a 24/7 party but online.
Gen Y (millennial) have ruled Facebook for the last couple of years but that is changing… rapidly. Online Media Daily describes the changing tide of demographics on the social media powerhouse:
“Facebook is aging fast. The number of U.S. users over 35 has doubled in just the last 60 days, according to new data from Inside Facebook.”
Baby Boomers are also taking advantage of Facebook… rapidly. What is a Gen Y to do?
I have been having multiple conversations lately about the generation clash that is about to happen on Facebook. With parents and family members joining the social network I believe we are going to see a shift in younger users moving on to other platforms. Maybe.
It is debateable. Can the Gen Y users get comfortable with their mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, and uncles joining THEIR network?
What do you think?
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Tyler Hayes
I do already. And so do other people I know. Who cares if your parents are on Facebook? The only people who are worried about this kind of stuff are those who are doing things that they know they shouldn’t be; I don’t meant according to their parents, I mean according to their gut instincts (which may be more cultural than anything).
Either way, people need to grow up. If you’re making out with some girl on Facebook, maybe it’s your habits that should change, as well as your relationship with your family (i.e. hang out with them more), not your “privacy settings” or Facebook membership.
Dave Anderson
Gen Y grew up with facebook, but us older folks never had such a contraption. One of the odd generational realities is that Gen Y has grown up not being restrained by physical or geographical boundaries. Gen X & boomers are different. Our friends are near us physically and so we’ve gone through life with folks coming in and out of our life. Now comes facebook and we have a way to reconnect with those we’ve all but forgotten. It is very powerful and I think will continue to grow as others catch on. Will that force the young ‘uns out? Probably. Younger generations never hung around when it was the dining room table, so why would the Internet be different. My guess is that when Gen Y give way to Gen Z or AA, or whatever you guys will rejoin us fogies wherever we are virtually hanging out. At that point you’ll not be so worried if dad catches you with a beer in your hand and come back home. BTW, he’s probably got the best scotch you’ll drink in his cabinet, and secretly laughed at your photos while giving thanks that he grew up in a generation that didn’t have digital cameras to immortalize some of his dumber moments.
Jon Speer
Here, here Dave. As a Gen Xer, I can remember life before the internet, text messaging, etc. Facebook usage among former h.s. classmates, though, has exploded in the past 2 months. I’ve reconnected with people I haven’t seen or talked to in 15 years. I guess the old people are gravitating towards Facebook.
Tyler
I think many of them/us will leave. The demographic shift is decreasing Facebook’s cool factor, which is what attracted many Gen Yers in the first place. It’s happened before with Xanga, Friendster, Myspace, etc. Once it gets too big, the cool kids leave. It seems that many have switched their social media priority from Facebook to Twitter already.
Like most things, social media platforms are initially populated by trendsetters, web junkies and status seekers. Once 14-year-old Lil Wayne fans and middle-age moms take over, it loses the appeal to many taste makers. It’s the same thing that happens when an indie rock band scores a hit and all of the original “cool” fans are “so over it”. When Whole Foods becomes Wal-mart, the hipsters move on.
I think the other issue will be commercialization. If people start getting a million friend requests and spam messages from bad bands and male enhancement products, the circus will leave town.
Perhaps a related question would be, why did people abandon Myspace for Facebook? Was it simply that Facebook was better? Did it become too commercialized? Was it that the hoi polloi took over? Was it all of the above?
Roger Williams
Kyle, Interesting question, but the answer is no. They were the early adopters and are loyal to the product. Even with droves of “adults” migrating to facebook, they still own it. When a parent has to ask their child how to find the “apps” list or how to tag a picture, it puts the young person in the place of authority over the adult, even if short lived. They are uber users and know how to set permissions, when their elders don’t even know it’s possible. They are also very use to helicopter parenting; it doesn’t scare them for their parents to have “access” to their profile.
I can tell you what they won’t do:
1) They won’t tweet, CNN made sure of that. The mass media was so dead set of not being behind on the twitter curve like they were on Facebook, that Gen Y has no interest in it. Example: 19 year old girls fb status response to the “new” fb layout, “If I wanted a Twitter account I’d get one.”
2) Respond to Email. Email is pointless to Gen Y as they have SMS, IM and messaging on Fb. Example: Overheard a parent at a school, looking for their child, “I can’t get them to answer their phone, but I bet if I text them they’ll respond.” Yes they would.
3) Read, view or respond to blog posts. Again, blogging was early adopted by Gen X’ers and has been co-opted into one big commercial for someone’s or something’s agenda. Having been marketed too since being two months old, blogging is viewed as another commercial. And even if they do blog of some type it will be on . . . you guessed it . . . facebook. Notes anyone?
Gen Y won’t leave fB no matter how many boomers or Xers join. One of the major reasons for the migration from MySpace was, as a 17 year old put it to me, “I just really got sick of AdSpace, all the ads gave me a headache”. So as long as Mark Z. can keep the ads and banners to a minimum like he has and still make a buck, they’ll stay. It’s the boomers and Xers that will leave as the novelty wears off.
derekmcclain
I will admit it does get a little freaky when your mom, aunt and other relatives get on Facebook – but I think we need to embrace this. After all this is what us Social Media advocates want – more people using the technology. It is our job to educate them on how to use it. I don’t think the younger generation will move as quickly as one might think. Way too much time and energy invested Facebook. For many people it is still their “home base” and that is not something that is easy to change.
Nancy Myrland
Interesting discussion. Great job bringing it up Kyle. No young people from any generation have been interested in having their parents, or their siblings for that matter, hang around wherever they are. Social networking is no different. Facebook was “owned” by the high school and college crowd until the past year or so, and now they’ve been invaded by their more mature relatives. I’m sure it is looked upon as an intrusion by old folks. I remember thinking my high school government teacher was old, when he was probably about 25! It’s silly when I think about that now, but illustrates the difference in perspective in those “growing up” years. As they age, this generation will create their own tribes (I know, I’m getting sick of that word already too)on Twitter and whatever the next medium happens to be that catches on fire. Each few years, and maybe even months, someone will invent another medium, and one or two of those will become the new flavor of the hour. I don’t offer any solutions, nor anything profound, just wanted to join in Kyle’s discussion on a great Saturday morning! Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Jeff
One of the observations I’ve been making to a number of people as we’ve discussed this issue is exactly what you state…the boomers and generation after them are adopting Facebook after the Gen Y’ers and mosaics ruled it early. Alternatively, I believe that the Gen X’ers and later Boomers who use Twitter and are now embracing Facebook (trying to leverage the Social Networks for corporate use)will soon see that the Y’ers and Mosaics will be entering Twitter. My kids use to think Twitter was “creepy” but will soon be using it more and more. The issue will be how will they use it when it has much more appeal for the promotion of self branding and corporate products/services as opposed to simply communicating “with the buds”. Time will tell. Obviously, the emerging of new and more integrated social networking apps will likely continue to change the landscape in this space.
Andrew Weaver
I think you have a point and Gen Y may very well abandon Facebook. That said, I think there will come a time in the future of social media where most generations will mesh together. The more people that get connected via SM and the more SM becomes a part of everyone’s lives you won’t see too many generations just abandoning platforms because their mom is on it too.
People will most likely abandon platforms because something better comes along.
Paula Werne, Holiday World PR
You know … if my teenagers can claim *my* rock music as theirs, the least they can do is move over and let me have a little scrap of cyberspace. :0)
http://tinyurl.com/holiface
David Culbertson
Since you only share your information with your “friends” why should you care who’s on FB? Would young people stop using it just because old people are using it? I don’t know any 20-year olds who’ve stopped using Google just because their parents use it. 🙂
Disclosure: I’m a boomer but have been online since 1990, and active “web community” participant long before it was ever called social media / networking.
Kate
I think because Gen Y were the early adopters, we will leave Facebook first. Facebook started when I was a freshman in college and, 5 years later, I notice myself logging on less and less, especially in the past year. I spend more time on Twitter and LinkedIn and, even when I check Facebook, I do it from TweetDeck or another app.
Jon Bishop
I think Gen-Y will become better at managing their appearance online (much like we do in real life). Facebook gives you plenty of flexibility when it comes down to whom you are sharing stuff with. I am personally less worried about what my family sees and more about potential clients. When new people connect I just assign them to their appropriate privacy group and I don’t have to change my normal Facebook routines.
Bruce Christensen
It was our Gen-Y children who invited us and encouraged a couple of mid-fifties parents to stay connected with them on Faceook.
We are now renewing our connections with our children’s old friends through Facebook.
They all seem anxious to share their lives with us an keep us posted on their progress.
I do believe that a number niche networks will grow from the Facebook platform. With Facebook Connect offering to share user profiles, there will grow a Gen-Y specific network, a mommy network, a party network and a Gen-X network. All connected by and through one of the giants like Facebook.
These niche platforms will be much more private and exclusive.