I Tweet Therefore I Am

Kristen Christian, Founder, Bank Transfer Dayby: Kristen Christian, Founder, Bank Transfer Day

In the thirteen years since the birth of social media with the launch of MakeOutClub, we’ve witnessed the respective creations of Friendster, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook and many other websites.   While each platform serves a different purpose, all offer an opportunity for open dialogue between individuals across the world.

Despite the enhanced opportunity for connection, a sense of frustration resonates with members of the Baby Boom generation in their ability to adequately express themselves through social media.  This frustration is not only justifiable, but also easily explained with one simple concept: digital media is a language.  Members of the Millennial and Homeland generations tweet with ease because not only have they been immersed in this language from a young age, but they’ve helped cultivate and perpetuate it.

While in a suburb of Los Angeles that we were unfamiliar with, I asked a friend if he knew of any coffee shops nearby.  Without hesitation he said, “Yelp it.”  In that moment the profound effect digital media has had on verbal communication dawned on me.  I couldn’t believe I’d never noticed the depths in which digital media has permeated our verbal communication.

While Millennials have begun to shun corporate entities in favor of independent institutions, we’ve taken ownership of the names of the respective digital companies we utilize frequently.  In day-to-day verbal communication between Millennials, these company names serve as verbs.  We don’t “search” for information; we “yelp,” “google,” or “wiki.”  We don’t “share” photos; we “instagram.”  We don’t “contact” a friend; we “facebook.”  Perhaps internationally recognized institutions outside of the digital realm haven’t experienced this phenomenon because Millennials don’t view digital organizations as businesses.  While Millennials are conscious that somewhere each company has a physical building, the lack of visiting the physical building allows it to remain an abstract idea.  We aren’t entering a shop to purchase a pre-designed meal or rent a pre-filmed video, but sharing our desires, aversions, hopes and fears from any location we wish (as long as there’s a cellular connection).  As the originator of the search or post, we maintain ownership.

It’s difficult to deny that Millennials are adept at leaving our mark.  While hashtags were originally designed to serve as a tool with which to compartmentalize information, Millennials have deviated from that designation.  Examining the online communication of Millennials, hashtags utilized within the structure of a sentence are typically used for the intended purpose, but when included as an afterthought hashtags take on a whole new meaning.  Oscar Allen Guinn IV, an independent musician and self-proclaimed explorer, explained, “(Amongst Millennials) hashtags have a symbolic communicative value similar to that of a vocal inflection or body language.”  Meaning, Millennials have found a way to incorporate non-verbal cues within text-based communication.

It comes as no surprise that 1/3 of Millennials are classified as Hip-ennials, according to a recent survey by Boston Consulting Group, believing they have the ability to positively impact the world through direct action.  Roughly the same number of these digital natives are turning to the internet to engage in social causes or campaigns by encouraging others to support it.  While this an improvement from previous generations, the results of this survey could alarm even the most optimistic Millennial.  Roughly 2/3 of our peers don’t understand the power we yield, nor are they utilizing the technology offered to create awareness or open dialogues.  This begs the question: how are they utilizing social media?

The general consensus is that many Millennials have a tendency to take privacy for granted and overshare details of our personal lives.  Noelle Seybert, Marketing Manager for The Marcus Buckingham Company said, “It’s shocking how many people think anything is private online.  You’re blasting it out to a hundred or so friends, and you think something could ever stay private?”

Think about it this way.  Even through a “friends only” channel, a social media post is the modern equivalent of commissioning a billboard at a busy intersection.  Even if the post is taken down, anyone with access could’ve easily taken a screen shot to share publicly.

The following dramatized example based an actual post illustrates Noelle’s point perfectly.  This person openly complains about a project and client, announces plans to ditch work and encourages coworkers to follow suit, all while utilizing a hashtag that would indicate he or she doesn’t wish to open a dialogue about the topic.  This post illustrates the high tolerance for cognitive dissonance that echoes through this generation.

As we rise into adulthood and begin to implement a significant influence upon the world around us, I every member of the Millennial generation might ask themselves: Does my social media presence accurately reflect the person I want to be and the impact I would like to have on the world?  If the answer is no, then perhaps it’s time to #thinkbeforeyoutweet.

Kristen Christian is a Los Angeles based entrepreneur and the founder of the Bank Transfer Day movement. With a perspective based in activism, she was raised with an understanding that cooperation and respect are crucial for communities to thrive. From serving their members to serving the communities they are a part of, credit unions follow a similar path. Social media offered the opportunity for a global platform, which resulted in more than 600,000 new credit union members nationwide in the month leading up to November 5th.  www.veggefatale.com

Kristen Christian

Kristen Christian

Kristen is a Los Angeles based entrepreneur and the founder of the Bank Transfer Day movement. With a perspective based in activism, she was raised with an understanding that cooperation ... Web: kristenchristian.com Details