Today’s post is submitted by guest blogger Rob Garilli of Not Another Millennial. You can also view my guest piece on Rob’s blog.
It’s no surprise that social media is central to the Millennial lifestyle. Members of Generation Y are often referred to as the first digital natives, meaning that they’re the first generation to have had technology be a part of their lives since birth. In fact, in a series of posts by the communication network Euro RSCG, it was said that “for Millennials, social media is as seamlessly integrated into their lives as their computers and cell phones; it’s how they communicate and socialize, conduct business and explore the world.”
The effect social media has on people’s lives today is so extensive that the Huffington Post has published an article on “Tweeting While Eating.” The article pointed out that 47% of Millennials use Twitter while eating or drinking. According to HuffPost, the group also uses social media to find restaurant reviews and recommendations at a much higher rate than members of past generations.
We use it for many reasons, but the most powerful factor in social media is the ability to create global connections. Euro RSCG points out that 63% of Millennials use social media to stay connected with friends worldwide.
If you saw David’s recent guest post on my blog, you’ll remember a number of really great statistics he included. His argument that, with 96% of Millennials connected via the Internet, social media can become a powerful tool to generate real social change is compelling. It left me wondering, though; is it realistic?
Yes, social media is a source of connection, conversation, and community. It has become a veritable reflection of social culture today; I would argue that much of young people’s socialization today happens via social networking sites.
But does that necessarily mean that this power is, or even can be, harnessed for good?
Politics is a Dirty Word
Now, granted, politics is the not the exclusive arena we’re discussing when we use the term “social change.” However, I’d argue that most activism or cause-sharing revolves around areas such as politics, religion, and civil rights. All of these are pretty heavy topics, and most of them are taboo when it comes to dinner table discussion.
If we keep in mind that many people like to keep their political leans or religious beliefs private (and that the ones who don’t are often seen as obnoxious or preachy), where does that leave us?
Recently, a blogger known as Emily posted the results of a survey she’d administered on her website “Emily’s Reading Room.” The topic was how certain groups felt when authors posted politically-tinged content on their Twitter accounts. The respondents included readers, bloggers, teachers and librarians, and fellow authors. In the general responses, Emily found that:
- 55% of respondents were “bothered” when an author posted political content.
- 67% had chosen not to read books by those authors who had posted such content.
- 49% of respondents had chosen to unfollow authors due to posts with political content.
This is obviously a very specific population of respondents. The survey also straddles a number of gray areas, which were noted by the respondents. For instance, were the tweets posted to professional or personal Twitter accounts?
Additionally, answers were generally group-dependent; it seems that fellow authors were more offended than readers or bloggers when their counterparts posted political content.
So why am I telling you all of this?
“This Isn’t the Time or Place”
How often have you heard the above phrase in conversation? It is frequently used to shut down heavy or aggressive language in a setting that isn’t necessarily suited for the discussion. Sometimes it’s just employed by people who want to avoid certain conversations. Like any turn of phrase it is used for different reasons at different times.
And that’s precisely the problem. Our social landscape and our ways of communicating are intensely complex. It only makes sense, if social media is a reflection of our general social culture, that the rules and exceptions of discussion on social media be just as complicated.
To get a personal view on how people react to certain posts on social media networks, I created a Facebook poll and sent out some tweets to ask my friends and followers:
When you see posts on Facebook and Twitter advocating social change or talking about politics, are you more likely to engage or scroll on past?
I got a total of 12 responses over the span of a few hours. 9 respondents said they would choose to engage, and 3 chose the option “Scroll past – social media isn’t the venue for that.”
To get a little down and dirty, I asked for further clarification.
I found that 2 people would engage with such content, but conditionally. Both respondents cited requirements that the topic at hand be “a good cause” or “something I’m passionate about.”
One of the people who chose to ignore this type of content told me, “I go on Facebook to be entertained. If I wanted to be informed about social issues, I’d watch the news.”
Now, I understand that these polls were informal and hardly extensive. But let’s say that we can work with the following rough numbers: 58% of Millennials would respond to content on social media calling for some kind of social change. 17% would only do so if the cause was important to them. And 25% would ignore the content entirely.
So social media has the potential to create real change. How can we maximize that potential if a quarter of the Internet’s biggest audience isn’t speaking up or paying attention? If social media isn’t the right venue for this kind of discussion, it begs the question: what is?
A Lesson from the Little Ones
Matt Silverman, who writes for Mashable, is also interested in the effect social media has on today’s generation. This past May, he wrote a profile on Adora Svitak, a 14-year-old who believes that, with social media, comes both power and responsibility.
At 14, Adora doesn’t fit snugly into the Gen Y timeline – she’s about three years too late to qualify. However, as a member of Generation Z, she probably has many habits similar to Millennials. If anything, members of Gen Z have been even more exposed to advances in technology than have Millennials. Because they weren’t there for the transition to newer and better forms of social media, they’ve only ever used them in their “concentrated” forms – the best of what today has to offer.
Today’s teens and tweens are so connected to social media that they use it, Adora says, to supplement their education and their social status. On Facebook, groups are created that align with course content – never took an art history class in high school or college? Well, now you can! And while you’re at it, you’d better catch up on the latest memes. It’s what all the cool kids are doing.
But that’s not all, Adora says. While discussing companies that use social media for advertising, the teen noted that flashy slogans and logos aren’t enough for today’s young consumers.
I think that my peers deserve more than products to buy wrapped up in advertising. We need ideas to share and causes to believe in — opportunities to lead and teach. Teenagers invest themselves deeply in causes. There’s a lot of idealism to tap into. Teens don’t have cash, but they can do good by using their smarts.
Millennials who don’t think engaging on social media is apropos could learn a lot from this perspective. If sites like Facebook and Twitter are becoming the social arena, then eventually they’ll inevitably have to assume discussions of politics and social change.
Perception is Reality
The weekly Twitter chat #millennialchat can see change on the horizon, too. On July 24th, the topic of the hour was “how Millennials can use social media to make good giving decisions.”
By packaging a topic like charitable giving in a lively, informative and fun medium – such as a Twitter chat – we can hope to reach and retain more Millennial users. Like the marketers and advertisers Adora mentioned, we need to look at how we’re presenting our ideas.
To go back to Euro RSCG’s data, 7 out of 10 Millennials believe social media is a force for change. They are comfortable with social media playing a dual role in their lives – conversely serious or playful when the occasion calls for it. Furthermore, 8 of 10 Millennials believe it is their duty to create change.
As social media evolves, we evolve with it. For now, 30% of Millennials might not be so comfortable with using Facebook to champion causes. (A number, by the way, that’s not so far off from my own informal findings.) If we keep adjusting the approach we take and the content we create, we can change that. It also probably wouldn’t hurt to have a social network exclusively dedicated to discussions of politics, activism, and other social justice causes as a way of breaking the ice. Hey, Silicon Valley start-ups… get on that!
We need to keep asking questions and getting people engaged. Those are the keys to building an intelligent, informed, and involved population – all qualities which contribute to democracy and the creation of real social change.
So back to the big question: can social media really be used to generate change? It seems so.
I still believe Millennials can save the world. They just need to work a little harder to make sure all of their friends, followers, and fellow pinners are on board.
You can connect with Rob via his blog, Twitter, or Facebook page. And remember, if you are interested in collaborating on a guest post for this blog, you can contact me here.
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