You’re Wrong About Gen-Y

The Pew Internet released a study about Gen-Y, and the data is phenomenal. The data shows trends, topics and the overall usage of the millennial generation’s internet usage. The general assumptions about “my” generation for one part are true and well established, data-backed results. It feels that the majority of the people who commented or were on this panel of experts, were people who are not millennials and are people who have merely been a part of the social media sphere since the beginning (whatever that means…).

The general statement is that,

Gen-Y isn’t leaving social media.

And while that might be true, the focus around that statement isn’t as is should be. The assumption that we’re addicts and the fact that simply because we have grown up with all these Web 2.0 tools means we will forever be online is a general assumption that could be a terrible demise.

The statistic that has gained the most flame and fanfare is that, 67% of experts agree that,

By 2020, Members of Generation Y (today’s “digital natives”) will continue to be ambient broadcasters who disclose a great deal of personal information in order to stay connected and take advantage of social, economic, and political opportunities.

The problem I have with this isn’t the “experts” that aren’t even Gen-Y’ers, or the fact they’re basing off of statistics that aren’t data backed, but are opinions. Opinions cannot be measured. There may be people who agree with opinions, but there is no data to back an opinion.

The assumption that the Gen-Y’s willingness to share, express ourselves online, and as a whole be more “social” online cannot be true for just Gen-Y. There are plenty, if not, a vast majority of people who are outside of the millennial age-range who share as much, if not more than us.

The growth of the demographic range that isn’t millennial, is equally important for marketing purposes as the focus of the Pew Internet Poll. We, as millennials, are not the only people willing to share our data, nor are we the people who will become the most sharers in the future. As it stands I know more people outside of my generation who are more likely to share about their lives and become some of the most “stalk able” people online.

Two friends of mine have their baby children on Twitter with their own accounts and updates. Over at Pingdom they have graphs of Ages of Social Network Users.

Of the top user groups, ages 24-44 dominate for the majority the social networks sphere. So how does it compare to say that Gen-Y will become the major factor in the future of the sharing network? Yes, Gen-Y has the potential to become a massive force in the sharing world in 2020. At the same time however, we are more conscientious of the fact of how are data is used. We have grown up with Spam emails, Facebook Privacy issues, and an overall knowledge of our privacy. We are cautious in what we do and how we do it.

What do you think of the way Gen-Y uses social media? Will we be as the Pew internet poll says? Leave a comment!

Download the Pew Internet Study.