The 2010 generation and social media

By Ingie Al-Nakhlawi

In this age, the social media has become a part of our everyday life. Whether used daily for personal use or professional use, most our interaction has become dependent on social media. Almost all organizations and businesses have made groups on Facebook or Twitter for loyal customers to follow them and to be kept updated daily on their current news; as well as to attract new followers.

 

After interviewing 10 people of different ages, gender and background, research concludes that the public uses social media of some sort on an every day basis. I interviewed four males and six females. The age range was between 21-27. My interviews were conducted via e-mail and Facebook; which shows how social media has become so useful that surveys can be conducted through social networking online. Most people have been using social media for around three to six years now.

Facebook is the most widely used social media. Most people say they use it when they are bored to socialize, snoop around, and check out latest news. Facebook has connected all news together; their friends’ news, news on their interest groups so they receive their news by clicking one site. Facebook is one of those sites where you re connect with old friends and create new potential contacts through your interests.

I found that from the people that I interviewed that the younger group used social media more during their college years. They multitask while researching papers, working on assignments, using cell phones and listening to music. The older group, whom have graduated from college and are working have started using the social media during college, but still use it, in a less extreme way for it causes distractions.

The main activities that they interact in are sharing photos, uploading current personal information, meeting new people, and sharing ideas with others. Most people use the social media for personal purposes, usually logging on at home, to keep current with personal news. People that use social media for professional use it to spread the word about any recent activity going on in their businesses and to get people to become a part of their network. Making and keeping contacts through social networking has become a positive aspect in their lives.

Almost everyone has a social media application on their mobile, which keeps them constantly connected. I noticed that more females were active on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to keep in touch with friends. Whereas more males are active users on Twitter, in order to respond to many blogs and give their opinion on specific interests. Social media has changed their lives by allowing them to enter an entire world of knowledge. Blog reading and connecting to groups in order to gain information about the present is another interest to many. People believe that the social media is a good way of understanding other people’s point of views, because it allows a person to say what they want about various topics confidentially without being persecuted; except of course if its offensive in some way.

Also interacting online is a benefit for many who want to express their opinions, but aren’t so confident to do so in person. Some post their own music on Facebook, where they add people and spread their music online. Another person who writes poems shares them with others online expanding her words and feelings to others through social media. Connecting all these people is a positive aspect.

I believe that the negative part of being so digitally connected is the idea that personal security is jeopardized. It is also a distraction from other priorities.