So I try to strike an uncomfortable balance between enthusiasm and realism (and I don't always succeed). One area that has worried for some time are the claims made on behalf of those younger than me (Gen Ys and younger) by those my age or older. Apparently the next generation is effortlessly using social software to change the world. I think this contains a kernel of truth but it also causes problems:
- It's something for social media experts to scare potential clients with.
- It ignores the differences within generations to focus on the differences between them and so perpetuate stereotypes*.
- It gets social software labelled as "young person's stuff" - rather than stuff that everyone can and does use.
So what does this mean? I think we need to bin the generational arguments around using social software in the enterprise. It's not about the Gen Ys or their younger brothers and sisters. Some of them are really switched on but there are plenty out there that know less about this stuff than you, dear reader.
*Those Gen Xs are just like you Scorpios y'know. Or is it you ISTJs? Or you chicks? Yeah, you're all the same.
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I recently sat in a meeting with a client who was selling-in an idea to their boss - it was "squirm-worthy"..."this is a product for gen y, who are the ipod generation, so the website will look like an iphone. They are also all on facebook and myspace, so we need to consider that as well."
I wanted to die, to crawl under the floor and shoot a bullet into my gen x / slacker head. Funny thing is when her boss asked her does she use any of those things, she said "god no! Are you crazy". And that's when it became clear why she - in her early 30s - was talking like an 80 year old. I really need to talk to her a bit more about how to connect with her target...
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