Comments on: A Look At Bad Twitter Demographics From A Know-It-All Millennial

By: Dave Sohigian

Dave Sohigian — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:54:01 +0000

@Joe – I use twitter mainly for marketing and keeping touch with specific topics: generational research and sales stuff in my case. And I think this kind of usage supports JessieX’s point: although Millennials may use Twitter (a lot, even) they use other methods to keep up with their close social network (and they do that a lot). Gen X’er are more fully in the job world (at least until the younger Millennials get out of school) and so they probably will dominate the medium as long as it is used for primarily career focused goals. Of course, you probably don’t plan on making money as a foodie (yet) and same for me on generations research. So, who knows.

Yeah, anecdotal is more interesting.

By: Twitter: Ask Y « Jessie X

Twitter: Ask Y « Jessie X — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 02:00:14 +0000

[...] to Comments My post, Twitter: It’s a GenX Thing, caused a stir and flurry of comments on this blog. (Translate that as anyone who wants to read me being bashed might like the initial post.) [...]

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:52:29 +0000

Never the one to shy away from a learning opportunity, I will say I picked up Generations this weekend. I’m sure I’ll be the coolest kid poolside with that bad boy, but I’m pretty pumped to read it.

I’ve enjoyed all the conversations and hope that caught the oversaturation of sarcasm and took it all with a grain of salt.

Jamie, you’re absolutely right on not taking the generalizations personal. After a bit, though, you get tired of them and need to have a mini-lashout (sorry JessieX this time it was partially at your expense).

Finally, Dave, an anecdotal study sounds a lot more interesting to me than a bunch of numbers (sure, it’s not as accurate, but are any of these reports?). I use Twitter mostly to network for freelancing gigs, but I also use it to continue to develop and educate myself as a graphic and Web designer. As a foodie, I also use it to post and exchange cooking tips and recipes with folks that I have no business even talking to.

How about you?

By: JessieX

JessieX — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 04:16:08 +0000

Great conversation, folks.

Joe – You’re a charmer! Yes, you’ll go far young man.

Ms. Mama – I like what you say about GenX like to piss people off. I believe that for GenXers there is a deep need to cut through BS, and that rocking the boat a bit can cut through Big Vision clutter and chatter. That’s how I see it, at least.

I offer that any conversation about generations, twitter and any other social media is informed less by stats and more by WHY. Why is twitter popular now? Because someone created technology? A tool? Yet-another geeky thing? Hardly. Twitter, I believe, is popular because whatever gen is ascending into midlife (that’s GenX) has the most power and influence of and for the times. So GenX — back to my original position — orient toward GAPS. Why, cuz Boomers tend to take up space and squat on turf and not move over when the natural time for them to move on over occurs. GenX know this in the core of their souls. So rather than fight an entire generation of turf-squatters, we find gaps. The spaces not filled. The neglected areas. The opportunities that, cobbled together, bit by bit, make for magnificent change.

And, Twitter, is a tool for filling small gaps. It’s SMALL. It’s specific. It provides no room for deep, prolonged naval gazing (sorry boomers, had to stick that one in). No room for deep, meaningful exploration of a subject. Function. Now. Reality. GenX. Gaps. Small spaces. Small opportunities.

Twitter: It’s a GenX Thing.

Hey, I’m right back at where I started.

By: Jamie Notter

Jamie Notter — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 12:15:55 +0000

The above comments say much of what I wanted to say when I read your post, Joe, but the only other thing I’d mention–that I talk about all the time when dealing with generational issues–is to remember that trends and generalizations about generations were never intended to be applied to individuals. I feel like we do that a lot in the U.S.: taking a statistic about a population and assuming it will tell us something specific about an individual.

And JessieX is right: Strauss and Howe’s book, Generations, is awesome, and the only one in my opinion that actually has some explanation as to WHY they divide the generations where they do.

By: Ms. Mama

Ms. Mama — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:29:37 +0000

This is a inter-blog affair at this point.

Joe, you are so right. 98% of your ass. lol….

Actually, I have no idea what pissed you off. Is it that JessieX said your generation needed attention or that you don’t use twitter as much as the gen-xers do?

I have yet to understand the archetypes that JessieX & Dave speak of on their blogs, but I do know one thing about Gen-X and that is that they like to piss people off. It appears that you may have experienced this recently. Notice how none of the gen-xers act angry, just wordy.

BTW when you said, <<>> I realize that you might have said this with a sarcastic tone.

BUT when you said…” He responded by saying I should write a blog for him about it. I thought to myself, “Well the articles say my generation needs constant praise and attention,” so here we are.”

That seems like the real you. Interestingly, isn’t Jeff a generation different from you, and didn’t he suggest your next move. Did you promptly take him up on his offer?

I don’t care who uses twitter more or which generation you are in. Or that I am in for that matter. Generational information is only good for trying to get a feeling about a larger population. Every post/comment contains at least one, ” I am a gen-xer, gen-y, boomer, whatever, but I feel more like a .

Who cares about the individual is….or how they behave. Studies, like quotes, and like the bible are used out of context to prove a point. Let’s see, if i had my notable quotable next to me I’d show you what I mean.

Joe, I also like how you tried to apologize in your comment but then ended with another attack. Typical Gen-Y bullshit. It is ALWAYS someone elses fault. If your parents taught you only one thing it was definitely that.

@girlfriend, FB is boring. It still sucks major amounts of my time, but it is boring. Twitter gets me to interesting blogs like this one!

By: Millennials to researchers: Don’t get all atwitter over Twitter data « Recruiting Millennials in Higher Education

Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:30:00 +0000

[...] follow and understand the debate, and ultimately chose to ignore it. But just this afternoon I read another post on the matter that reminded me of what’s really important [...]

By: grrlfriend

grrlfriend — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 22:10:43 +0000

Statistics can be useful when you want to prove your point, but there are so many ways to skew them it’s a matter of taking it all in context – and a huge grain of salt.

Beyond that, it seems that Twitter attracts one type of personality and Facebook another – regardless of demographic. While never diagnosed as such, I have ADD tendencies when it comes to online. I like Twitter because I get a bunch of cool information at a rapid pace, can bounce around a lot and I don’t need to interact with anyone if I so choose.

To me, Facebook is more for those sitting down with a cup of coffee looking to interact with friends and family – people who know you and expect a response back. Not to say I am anti-social, at least not all of the time, but I don’t have the patience or time it takes to spend on Facebook. Lord knows I’ve been trying – largely because my job kinda requires it – but this is one Gen Xer who can’t sit still for it. FB status updates on Tweetdeck make it that much easier

For what it is worth…

By: Dave Sohigian

Dave Sohigian — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:01:41 +0000

@JessieX – thanks for the compliment on the blog. I hope to live up to it someday.
@Joe – I won’t get involved in the statistics about whether Gen X or Millennials use Twitter more, but I do think that JessieX has an interesting point in her blog. I think that many people would say Twitter is naturally an application that Millennials (born 1982-2003) would love: it’s real-time, digital and broadcasts personal opinions to peers. So it is surprising that Gen X (born 1961-1981) seem to really love using the thing, given their reputation as individualists.

We probably won’t ever get a good demographic layout of Twitter users, but a more interesting point would be about how each generation uses the tool. Even just an anecdotal report would be intriguing. For example, I use twitter primarily as a marketing tool, and my followers are made of a small amount of friends (from when I first joined) and a larger group of people interested in generational research. It is a way for me to reach that niche with bite-sized updates and suggestions. I admit that I have not been particularly into Twitter lately as I have been focusing on other marketing approaches. But it is NOT a way for me to keep in touch with friends – I use Facebook (and, eeek! email) for that.
How do you use Twitter?

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:45:58 +0000

You are right, JessieX, there are gray lines when you get to those couple of years before or after a generation is defined. I am safely in the Millennial range (just having a bit of sarcastic fun). However, trying to define generations has become such a slippery slope these days. Plenty of boomers embrace the digital age and there are just as many Millennials and GenXers that completely reject it. I relate better to boomers on some ideologies, GenXers on others and, of course, with my own generation.

Thanks for the tip on Howe and Strauss. I’ve read some of their literature before courtesy of my psych and sociology classes, but should look into more of their research.

I do want to apologize if I offended you, I was a bit fired up and my generation’s been summarized as willing to voice their opinion with little censorship. But, darling, you must realize that those kind of attacks come with the territory of being an icon.