I just read “10 Examples Of Why Companies Should Just Avoid Twitter Altogether” from The Comsumerist. The article addressed people posting inappropriate tweets involving trending topics. Additional examples of employees lacking context when posting were provided.
Example: “While the rest of the world was waking up to news that a man in Aurora, CO, had killed a dozen people inside a local movie theater, some nitwit at Celeb Boutique declared: #Aurora is trending, clearly about our Kim K inspired #Aurora dress.”
Age:
The article got me thinking about a discussion in the Blog World-New Media Expo forum (now known officially as New Media Expo) by someone stating that social media should be left to those age 25 and younger. Many found the suggestion insulting.
I remember research stating that those with Liberal Arts degrees were sought after more that you think because of participant’s exposure to the larger world around them. They possessed context that single-focused degree holders did not have. Is it the same with age?
It’s my guess that some social media mistakes are made by people without the benefit of age and the context that being older brings.
Some of us take the time to be exposed to the world around us. We understand that context is king when it comes to public life.
Others just know the mechanics; trending topics means an opportunity to connect my message to latest events.
There’s a huge difference between pulling the trigger and knowing when.
I believe that many experienced, well-rounded, well-read people beyond the age of 25 know the difference. I believe that the same category of people power the success of social media.
I don’t want to extend the insult:
I don’t want to extend the insult in another direction; there are 25 year-old’s who possess wisdom and judgement far beyond their years. Many younger people understand context better then their older peers.
The solution is that we should be ageless beings that judge others on knowledge, not a number. But knowledge and context and success in social media is often the reward of being older and possibly a bit wiser.
Best, Len.
Sources:
http://consumerist.com/2012/10/08/10-examples-of-why-companies-should-just-avoid-twitter-altogether/
