Don’t be surprised when I say that 81% of Generation Y (born
between 1980 and 2000) use Facebook or that a whooping majority of Gen Z (born
after 2000) are constantly ‘connected’, are emotionally attached to their
devices and they prefer to connect online more than face to face.
Gen Y is now their 20s and Gen Z are now kids or getting
into teens. Together they make the new generation. I am sure you have one of
them near you -in all probability in your family as your son or daughter or in your
school/colleges as students or in your organizations as an employee.
The new Generation feels that it is very important for them
to stay connected. However since they are constrained with time, even as they
call themselves a bit ‘socially lazy’, they prefer 'online' to stay connected.
The new generation is heavily connected on social media, for personal, social and
professional reasons.
Despite the advent of other instant messaging services, Facebook outscores everything else in social networking. My
research on the new generation has thrown up reasons behind the continued popularity of Facebook . New Generations feels
Facebook helps them to stay connected and use it for one or more reasons.
Here are the top 15 -
- The new generation is generally curious
and Facebook helps them to know what’s going on in the lives of others. It
also helps them to know personal things about other people in a very
impersonal way.
- Facebook helps them stay
abreast with the major life events of their friends and acquaintances.
- It helps them to bridge
the gap of distance and time that they suffer with their friends and
remain in touch.
- Facebook helps them to
forge and nurture relationships. Birthday, anniversary wishing is very
common.
- Many use Facebook to engage
with brands.
- Facebook helps them
improve their networking skills.
- They use Facebook to
maintain close friends-group camaraderie.
- Facebook helps them
compare their life and live an aspirational life.
- At times even brag, boast
and make others jealous or simply get the ‘Likes’.
- Facebook helps them to
know and share interesting stuff (updates - information, photos, selfies
and jokes).
- Helps them earn virtual
currency (for example Facebook Credit, Farmville Cash and Microsoft Points).
- Promote their work
(Facebook pages).
- Search lost friends.
- Seek help.
- Beat loneliness.
Some of them also use LinkedIn for professional networking. They
also heavily use their smartphones and messaging apps like Whats App to stay
connected. Many are constantly on Whats App.
What’s interesting is that the line between online and
offline is blurring for the new generation and for them it is parallel
existence in both these worlds. They find it strange when their parents,
teachers or employers ask them to give up their gadgets, or come out of the
online world or restrict their social media usage. For them the online and
offline world are one and the same, one diffusing into the other.
2 comments:
As far as I have observed, there has been a rise in Gen X people and a decline in Gen Y people using social networking sites these days. For example, I'm losing interest in Facebook and I hardly spend 15 mins everyday but I recently created an account for my mother and she uses Facebook for almost 2 hours everyday. My mother has the same enthusiasm while using Facebook which I had 5 years back. I no longer feel enthusiastic about using Facebook but my mother got back in touch with her college friends after almost 25 years. I'm glad that my mother is becoming tech savvy but on the other hand, I'm tired of the likes and comments. I'm trying to cut down the time I spend online and I'm trying to meet my friends and relatives face to face for some real life conversations.
- Sandhya
I agree to the point that there may be certain degree of fatigue with Facebook but then that is not to really do with online networking. The law of diminishing marginal utility applies everywhere. My conversation with large number Gen Ys reveal that almost all have presence on Facebook. While at the same time they may or may not be present on other social networking sites. Stats from other credible research agencies also show that Facebook continues to be used by almost 81% of Gen Ys.
Besides, some of these reasons are not only true for Facebook but also for using other social networking sites too. My finding at least indicates that the face to face meeting happens only with selected few, few times a month. Time, space limitations, primarily to blame.
Another significant point to note is the blurring of line between online and offline existence among the new gens. Gen X is taking to Facebook primarily because of two reasons - one there is a kind of rub-off influence from the younger generation and second that they are realizing the power of technology. But Gen X use Facebook as a tool and have marked switch-on and switch-off time. Contrastingly the younger generation is almost existing parallelly in both the worlds and have no qualms in moving from one to the other. Their existence is seamless.
Thanks again for reading and commenting.
Cheers,
Debashish
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