[Infowarrior] - Generation Y: We're just not that into Twitter

[Richard Forno]

  June 23, 2009 9:00 AM PDT
Generation Y: We're just not that into Twitter
by Sharon Vaknin
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10265060-2.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Given that Generation Y is often pegged as narcissistic, lazy, having  
high expectations, craving the limelight, and other such flattering  
characterizations, one might expect we'd be Twittering as if it were  
breathing. After all, Twitter is known as a place where people expose  
the most minute details of their lives--missing the bus, stubbing a  
toe, toasting an English muffin.

But a recent survey from Pace University and the Participatory Media  
Network shows that only 22 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds use Twitter,  
while 99 percent have profiles on social networks.

This may seem surprising on the face of it, but as a member of the  
Millennial Generation myself, I have some theories as to why it might  
be true. To see why we're not into Twitter, I'll have to revisit the  
start of the social-networking timeline: MySpace.

We Gen Yers spent hours on MySpace customizing our profiles and making  
them perfect representations of us (or rather, who we wanted to be).  
We couldn't wait for our friends to comment a new photo: "New pic,  
please comment!" MySpace made many of us feel popular, or even famous.  
I remember posting a new profile picture and refreshing the page in  
anticipation of responses.

Jean Twenge, psychologist and author of "The Narcissism Epidemic:  
Living in the Age of Entitlement," calls this phenomenon "self- 
branding." People use MySpace as a portal for creating their own  
personal brand, Twenge says, complete with photos, custom banners,  
gossip, and fans (friends). One of the most successful self-branders  
is Tila Tequila, who tactfully used MySpace to achieve status as one  
of the users with the most friends on the site, and later parlayed  
that fame into a career as an MTV reality star.

Though we weren't international superstars, my friends and I were  
content on MySpace. But fast-forward a couple years to Facebook. It  
proved to be a difficult transition: where were all the flashing  
graphics, purple fonts, and exhaustive, multimedia-laden About Me  
sections? Why weren't the number of photo comments shown? Every user's  
profile looks the same, and at a glance, it seems self-branding is not  
easily attained.

The clean design of Facebook deemed decked-out profiles and artsy  
photos passe, but the site provided us with a new form of self- 
expression--"What are you doing?" status updates, which became the new  
platform for what Twenge describes as my generation's narcissistic  
need for attention.

What Facebook intends as a forum for sharing, Gen Yers see as a game  
of show-off. A quick look at my news feed and I see "Melissa" (name  
changed to protect the innocent) is having "one of the funnest nights  
of her life," and "beer and vodka make a interesting combination oww."  
'Nuff said.

Brendon Nemeth, a 22-year-old San Franciscan whom I met this spring,  
says he updates his status to "keep family and friends informed on  
what's going on that's interesting in my life."

We no longer impress our friends with profiles that represent us  
through our creative flourishes, but rather with profiles that spell  
out what we're doing. (Out of fairness, our status updates don't  
always revolve around happenings at the local bar; plenty of us want  
to share our work promotions or volunteer activities, too.)

When Facebook implemented its news feed, users formed groups to oppose  
the feature. Now our status updates are lost in a flood of  
information, including quiz results, wall posts (not our own), and  
links. An update is posted, two minutes pass, and it's nowhere to be  
seen. Some of us even resort to reposting our updates just so they  
grab the attention they deserve.

On her blog, Twenge suggests that the kids of Gen Y aren't interested  
in their community, they are interested in themselves: "Younger  
generations are more individualistic and are higher in self-esteem and  
narcissism. There have been no changes in 'communal' traits."

I'd have to agree. We do anticipate seeing our friends' activities,  
but what we really look forward to is what they think of our  
activities--we want to be "cyberstalked," preferably in the form of  
replies to our self-published content. Nemeth says that "there are  
times when I update my status to induce a reaction." Reactions are  
what drive us to add photos, update our status, and write on our  
friends' walls.

So where does Twitter fit in?

Twitter's microblogging platform is what many Gen Y's may describe as  
"like Facebook, but just the status update." What is the point of  
that? We like to consolidate, so Nemeth explains that he doesn't "want  
to join another community, just tell people what (he's) doing." We  
have everything we need on Facebook.

Based on Twenge's theory, a good explanation of my generation's lag in  
joining the Twitter mania is that there isn't an obvious way to  
achieve a self-brand on Twitter.


Participating on Twitter requires a fan base that knows why you are  
unique, special, and deserve attention. Fan base aside, the Web site's  
interface paves a short path for cyberstalking--there is nothing to  
find past a user's status.

For example, Sally went to a great party last weekend, but where are  
the photos? Who went with her? These features, which Gen Y's value so  
much, are missing.

As much as I like to know what my friends are doing, updates on  
Twitter happen so fast there really isn't time to react. More  
importantly, my friends don't have time to react to my activities.

Largely as a result of the digital communication tools on which we  
were raised, a big part of my generation wants to know what the  
cyberworld thinks of us, and we want its inhabitants to pay attention  
to us. How can they do this if they're following 300 other people?

For the Millennials to make the move, Twitter will have to find a way  
to integrate the self-branding features MySpace gave birth to and  
Facebook nurtured. Even if they're packaged in 140 characters or less.

Sharon Vaknin is the CNET Labs' go-to intern. When she's not testing  
MP3 players, blogging, or making the lab look presentable, she can be  
found playing computer games. Sharon formerly worked for Best Buy and  
is currently studying journalism at San Francisco State University. E- 
mail Sharon.