I think most marketers, public relations professionals, and even professors have read the viral post that was written by Andrew Watts on Medium a few weeks ago.
danah boyd, who I respect as a researcher and have cited her work many times in my own research in social media, came out with her response as well. She does have a strong point for all of us to take note of – which is that this is just one perspective of how a teen sees social media as a growing, evolving, and dynamic area of communication and relationships.
However, while I respect danah as a researcher and voice in this field, I wanted to take an opportunity to share my own experiences and point of view on this situation.
I am coming to this post as a millennial / social media professor / former-student athlete online/ researcher perspective on social media. Yes, I am not as young as Andrew by any means, but I think there are some points to consider here that both of these individuals share that is key to note based on my own research, experience, and perspective teaching this subject now for several years:
Research into social media trends will continue to be evolving.
As researchers, we have to acknowledge the fact that if we are surveying at the moment which platforms teens, baby boomers, millennials, etc are using, it’s a snapshot of that moment. Will it predict the future? Not really. Can we reference this in our marketing plans and PR strategies? Sure, but you also have to be aware of the fact you will have to continue working on this research and note the trends, changes, and differences as each age cohort comes into play. That’s what makes research so interesting.
Taking one view and generalizing it to all audiences has risky research and practical consequences.
I think this is where I think danah really did a good job in her piece in explaining that this is one piece of the puzzle. We have to not say that this is the ultimate view of how teens look at social media. Instead, why don’t we take this opportunity as researchers and scholars to conduct studies in this area?
Social media is not “owned” by one age cohort or another.
This is where is the main underlying issue for not only this particular case, but really what we are seeing in social media across the board. Everyone wants to have a piece of the puzzle and be relevant for their audiences, brands, communities, friends, and academic colleagues.
In both cases, I did see there was a sense of ownership when it comes to who has the expertise in the area of social media. Is it the teen who is engaged with the technology, or the researcher/scholar with over a decade of experience? The answer is that both are relevant because they bring forth different perspectives. They both contribute to the community discussion on social media. I got a sense of this when I did read danah’s perspective of what she does – yes, she has contributed greatly to the academic research community with her research. One perspective trumps over another – both offer good points of view and perspectives to consider for all of us to think about.
Instead of saying this perspective is wrong/not relevant/only one point of view/etc and I am right – why don’t we start off and say – look, we are coming from different perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences – share your insights and I will share mine, and let’s work together to build a stronger community of discussion and knowledge on this subject? Will this happen? I hope so.
Mentorship with different age cohorts is missing and needs to be front and center
When it comes to both academics and even practice in social media, mentorship is lacking in many ways. We see a lot of people positioning themselves as “experts,” but they really don’t give credit to others they mentor along the way. This is where we see the “social media ninjas,” “social media gurus” and other associated titles who market themselves as experts on certain tools, platforms, techniques, but really they are not who they say they are, which is a risk because they are trying to own the content and become a gatekeeper so no one else can be part of the community.
This is NOT what social media is about. One of the things I saw in Andrew’s post is the fact that teens “don’t get Twitter” for example. Okay, as a professor, that basically says to me – show me why it is relevant and important for me to be on a certain platform. We have to serve as educators, teach audiences about what social media is and how it can be used to benefit both professionally and personally.
In my opinion, true mentors are like coaches – they are the ones who support you, make you work hard to achieve your goals, and teach you everything they know. My Dad (who has taught me so much about life, coaching, hard work ethic, and mentorship) was my coach and he always said that when it comes to getting that medal around my neck or my All-American award, it was going to be me on the podium, not him. That has stayed with me as a professor – I am here to support and educate my students to be the best professionals they can be – and their success in their field is my reward. If you see a “mentor” who only looks at their success and views themselves as the “success story” or “star,” that should raise a red flag here.
Be honest with ourselves: there are some things in social media we will and never will become an expert in
I know this may sound out there in many ways, but it is true. There are certain experiences and points of view that are unique and characteristic to each audience group. We have the opportunity to be part of the conversations and platforms, but we also have to recognize that there are going to be some platforms we may use not as much or not at all. Even as a social media professor, I acknowledge this. I share my experiences with my students and my views, and they do the same. That’s part of the learning and dynamic environment and community we want to create on social media. This is a young person’s area of expertise – they are the future of where social media is going. We can support, encourage, mentor, and help them along and take a back seat to allow them to grow and help advance the research, practice, and knowledge of the field.
In summary, I am not saying that my point of view is better at all. I am just adding my two cents to a timely and important issue for all of us to consider. As a professor, I have students like Andrew in all of my classes and they do share some similar perspectives. However, I also work with researchers and scholars like danah in my field in public relations and social media. I also have the experience of being online for 20 years, managing my personal brand as a student-athlete and professor, and researching and consulting in this area for several years now. And, I am a millennial. Yet, it’s just one perspective to consider looking at the bigger picture of what social media is.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Best Wishes,
