Talkin’ ’bout my generation…
There couldn’t be a topic more fitting for this blog – a story about the generational divide on Facebook, hatched by “The Social Network.” My inner geek is salivating…
Wired’s Ryan Singel eloquently summarizes, “The movie features no redeeming characters — depicting Facebook’s founding as a combination of backstabbing idea-borrowing, a way to get revenge on an ex-girlfriend and an attempt to vault Mark Zuckerberg into the upper echelon of Harvard society.”
The characters/real people come across as cutthroat and know-it-alls, but that seems to be this generation’s common thread. So when the movie was released and everyone and their grandma went to see it, radically different impressions emerged about Facebook.
Data generated by BrandIndex reports that ages 18-35 think higher of Facebook since seeing the movie. Everyone over that age, arguably the outliers of Gen X and beyond, have a decreasing outlook towards Facebook. While I could make the case for the power of Hollywood in swaying opinions, I think the real story lies in how we market to different segments.
I am part of Generation Y. Admittedly, we are selfish, even more than the baby boomers. We want information now, and we don’t care how we get it. We think we know everything, and sometimes we do. We aren’t all that bad though, because at heart, we are dreamers. We latch on to big ideas. But if the necessary work becomes too difficult, we have no problem giving up. If you’re a fellow Gen Y’er, don’t take this as a slight. In fact, look for the silver lining within this description:
Facebook is the epitome of what my generation can produce, and so far, it’s our real contribution to society. When my generation saw the movie, we loved that Mark Zuckerberg was cutthroat and cocky—he was just like us. Facebook is our product. Mark Zuckerberg is our President. Like it or not, ditching traditional values in the name of the dollar is how you market to my generation.
If you don’t have time to see The Social Network, check out this video for a more “fact-based” understanding of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg.
Think we missed something? Hit us back at…
Post on our Facebook wall at Welt Branding
Tweet us at WeltBrand
Or join our LinkedIn group at Welt Branding: Challenge Everything
