So am I part of the Facebook generation?

I just turned 40. I use Facebook, but I am not addicted. I enjoy connecting with friends and colleagues. I am not a voyeur into others pictures – trying to figure out if someone in my past has lost their hair or is still “hot”. I update my status every other week or so (sometimes more). I started a social cause for peace.

So am I part of the Facebook generation?

I am a part of Gen X, but can you be part of another generation if it is classified by the use of something. Even if I smoked pot every day, I would never be classified as a baby boomer. But technology changes that. It extends the sense of inclusion and allows any one, of any age to participate.

Facebook’s success is based on connecting people with similar ‘likes’. Facebook must leverage a users profile to identify ‘likes’. This is where the concern amongst generations begins to arise. Each generation has tolerance for how much information is used. It seems that the older you are the less likely you are to be open to sharing your information within an online social environment.

The Lost Generation, Greatest Generation and Silent Generation are not even age groups that appear in Facebook user metrics. Based on the age of these generations the youngest of which would be 70 years old, this does not come as a surprise. That is not to say that there are no 70+ participants in this social medium, but these groups will not be effecting change.

Baby Boomers
The majority of this generation (not all) is skeptical of Facebook. My mom worries about every pop-up and is convinced people are trying to invade her computer to get personal information. These concerns are not completely unfounded, but the reaction from the members of this generation is more apprehensive than it is of the generations that succeed them. The social aspect of connecting to long lost friends is appealing, but being “out on the internet” limits these users acceptance of this form of social media.

Generation X
My generation has been an adopter. Gen Xers grew up being the early adopters to technology, but have suffered with the growing pains of slow internet speeds, computer viruses, eCommerce security, etc. We tend to hold our personal information closer to the vest and have learned to adapt to ever changing tides of what a new technology has to offer. Some have been passersby, some use it casually and others have adopted it as a way of life (and means to improve business). We are a loud voice in the world of Facebook, but it is not ingrained in our soul. I did not need it to get into college, get my first job, facilitate a meeting, negotiate a deal, build a business…

Generation Y, Generation Next, Millennials, The Facebook Generation
To thrive in this generation social computing is a must. This generation continues to be the largest audience within Facebook and it is being taught at an early age (usually by peers) that this is simply part of being. There is less apprehension about privacy. They know there are creeps and cheats that want their information, but they are also well aware of the power of sharing the right information. It is this knowledge that will facilitate the Millennial’s Facebook use to change the world.

Social platforms will be used to connect and educate students around the world. Imagine a collaborative science project with students from Spain, the Ukraine and the United States. The learning opportunities will explode. Barriers will be eliminated and social communication will be at the heart of this global communication uprising. The Millenials will lead this charge.

So, as many before me have wondered or hoped, “am I part of the next great generation?” it is with regret to say that I am not. The Millennials will change the way we learn, work, love and live by expanding the power of their social lives through the use of Facebook.