Social media has been encompassing long enough that members of each of the significant generations – Baby Boomers, Gen X-ers, and Millennials – have had plenty of time to experiment with and learn about it. While the platforms have changed and new ones have been added, the way people use them hasn’t changed that much. The most common way people use social media is to connect with others. It is true across all generations, though the technology and the reasons for it differ.
Boomers may use email and a Facebook group to stay in touch with friends, while Millennials may use Snapchat and Instagram to keep in touch with friends. The way each generation uses social media is unique, and it’s a mistake to think that each generation will use social media in the same way. The best way to understand how different ages use social media is to.
Here get in detail How generation interacts with social media
Millennials (aka Generation Y)
If you’re not a millennial, you might think this generation is made up of a bunch of lazy, selfie-taking, attention-seeking whiners. That couldn’t be further from the truth. This group of young people (who are now mostly adults) is often the most hard-working, honest, intelligent, and socially conscious generation we’ve seen to date. The fact that they’re so good at branding themselves and using social media doesn’t mean they’re narcissistic. It just means that they’re incredibly good at working with what they’ve been given.
In addition to being an amazingly talented group, millennials have fostered progress where it’s needed most. They’re the ones getting involved and making a difference.
Millennials (aka Generation Y) use social media more than any other age group. 28% of Millennials report that they are always on one social network or another (compared to 18% of Gen Xers and 17% of Boomers). Also, they spend more time on social media than older generations. However, specific social networks are used by different age groups—for example; a recent study found that 64% of Millennials use Facebook, compared to 49% of Gen Xers and just 39% of Boomers.
On social networks, millennial tweeters share thousands of selfies, statuses, and updates each day. Millennials dominate the social networking site Pinterest, which they use to post photos of their favorite fashion trends and celebrity crushes. Millennials also dominate Facebook, using the place to post updates about their favorite TV shows, movies, and music.
Generation X
A recent study shows that Gen-Xers are the most social media-savvy generation. Why? Research indicates that Gen-Xers grew up in a sharing culture, which primed them to be comfortable with social media. They are also the first generation of digital natives, meaning they have never known a world in which the Internet does not exist and are not particularly intimidated by it. It means many Gen-Xers are willing to use Facebook and Twitter sites to connect with others and share whatever they are doing. On the surface, the rise of social media might seem like a good thing for Generation X. The social media boom—made possible by the availability of the Internet, smartphones, and other modern technologies—has allowed us to connect in new ways.
It turns out that everyone uses social media, not just millennials, and some of you might be surprised to learn that Gen Xers are the most avid social media users of any generation. Pew Research’s study found that Gen X was the most likely to use social media multiple times a day and twice as likely as Baby Boomers to report that they use social media several times a day. Generation X’s social media use has also increased dramatically over the past three years, with more than half of all Gen X users now saying they use social media more than they did three years ago. Generation X’s social media use is growing so fast that by 2020, Gen Xers are expected to spend more time on social media.
Baby Boomers
As the most senior members of the generation called Baby Boomers approach the half-century mark, they are more likely than any other age group to be using social media. If you’re a baby boomer, you’ve likely embraced social media since it first became available—but you may not be as active as you once were. With the latest wave of updates to social media platforms, the divide between the generations may be growing wider. A study from Researchers shows that, while most social media users keep their accounts active, Facebook and Twitter are seeing a jump in activity from younger users. At the same time, boomers continue to use the platforms more as news sources than social outlets.
A current study looked at the social media use of more than 1,300 baby boomers and found that just over half (53%) of them use social media. The most popular social media site of those studied was Facebook, which 73% of the baby boomers used. LinkedIn came second at 52%, with Twitter third at 46%. The most popular social media site among baby boomers was Facebook, with 73% of the boomers surveyed reporting that they use the popular site. LinkedIn came in at second with 52%, followed by Twitter at 46%. Many baby boomers don’t feel comfortable using social media, but they’re not tech-phobic. Boomers, many of their daily tasks and interactions can be accomplished from anywhere, thanks to the Internet and smartphones.
Boomers with smartphones keep their phones with them at all times, so they can send or receive texts and emails, access the Internet, or use social media. What they’re doing online: Boomers who use social media are using it to connect with their friends and family. They’re also using it to stay in touch with news, events, and current trends. You can find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other networks. Baby Boomers are looking at social media differently than their children and grandchildren. It’s not just a platform for sharing photos; it is a way to connect with friends.
Generation Z
Generation Z (also known as iGen or Centennials) is the demographic cohort following Millennials. There is no specific date for when Generation Z starts, but many say it begins with 1995, while others say the birth year of 1996. There is also no accurate date for when Generation Z ends, but many say it ends with the birth year of 2010. Most demographers and researchers use the mid-2010s as starting birth years for Millennials, so Generation Z starts. Generation Z is a unique generation because of its usage of technology. The younger part of Generation Z is sometimes called iGen.
Generation Z, a segment of the population born after 1995, is quickly becoming the largest group of people on the Internet. They’ve been dubbed the “Snapchat Generation” because they are glued to their smartphones and spend hours on the social media platform each day. However, Snapchat isn’t the end-all, be-all of social media for this demographic. The truth is that Generation Z is an incredibly diverse group of people with different interests, needs, and goals, and while some are glued to their smartphones, others prefer to socialize in person.
For most Gen Z’ers, technology is an integral part of daily life. For example, the average teen will spend approximately 9 hours a day in front of some screen, with most of that time dedicated to social media. It makes social media the perfect place for Gen Z to make their voice heard. This generation is continually sharing their opinions online, and social media often serves as a means of political activism.
Gen Z is pretty misunderstood–mainly because, as a group, we are very different from Millennials. For one thing, we’re not as focused on social media as you might think. According to a recent study, only about 60 percent of Gen Z use social media use social media daily than over 80 percent of Millennials.
