They practically fit together-youth and social media. As a part of Generation Y, I am suppose to be the expert when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, foursquare, etc., and the older generations are lightyears behind me, right?
Not so fast. After a recent Google video chat with a fellow Generation Y friend, she shamefully admitted that Twitter intimidates her! (And her work relies on social media, gasp!) Although she has made a Twitter account, the thought of just now starting something that she is assumed to be an expert in, is frightening, and she is dumbfounded on how to begin.
The secret is out- many of us Generation Ys are not as “social media savvy” as people assume! Continuing my “research,” I discovered many Gen Y people I know haven’t ventured beyond Facebook. They may have a Twitter account, but just don’t know how to begin using it.
Of course there is a great deal of social media savvy 20-year-olds, but the idea that all of us are experts, and that we’re on every social media site from foursquare to Stumbleupon, is simply not accurate. Plus, there is a major difference between knowing how to use a particular social media account for personal reasons compared to business (e.g. promotional) reasons.
For those of you who are not as social media savvy as you’d like, Google “how to use Twitter,” and you’ll find a million hits. Or, try this particular article that is very helpful in giving you that push you need to become the expert you are expected to be!