Generational Media Divide

http://mashable.com/2012/02/05/digital-divide-infographic/

Generational Media Divide

Growing numbers of people over the age of 30 are participating in social networking sites (SNS). This includes parents of teenagers who want to monitor their children's social lives and connect with friends and coworkers and grandparents who simply want to be involved in their grandchildren's lives. SNS allow older adults to connect with family and friends, much in the same way adolescents and young adults do. Many parents have issues with their children using technology and have adopted usage of the same sites to monitor their students sites.

According to researchers (Herring, 2007; Lankshear & Knobel, 2006; Warschauer, 2007), the real discrepancy in Internet usage between these two groups lies in their "technology skills, use, and experiences" (as cited in Greenhow & Robelia, 2009, pp. 1130-1131).

Greenhow, in a related article, states, "What we found was that students using social networking sites are actually practicing the kinds of 21st century skills we want them to develop to be successful today" (as cited in McCarthy, 2008, para. 3). So, where does that leave Grandma and Grandpa who cannot access social network sites other than to see pictures of their grandchildren? If my 83-year-old father is any indication, YELLING AT THEIR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS IN ALL CAPS.

Consider Henry Jenkins. Although relatively young, he is technically past that generational divide, a digital immigrant. Yet he hosts his own blog and Tweets on a regular basis.

Greenhow, C. & Robelia, B. (2009). Old communication, new literacies: Social network sites as social leaning resources. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 14, 1130-1161.

McCarthy, C. (2008, June 20). Study: Social networks may subvert 'digital divide.' http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-9973558-36,html

Social Network Sites

Online SNS, according to boyd and Ellison (2007), allow individuals "to (1) construct a public or semipublic profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system" (p. 1).

boyd, d.m., & Ellison, N.B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 11.

Problems of Privacy
While many continue to utilize Social Networking Sites on a daily basis, the problem of privacy continues to raise its ugly head. Both Google and Facebook have major problems regarding the safeguarding of personal data. While this will continue to be a problem for the forseeable future, both entities offer methods to safeguard some of your personal information. Unfortunately, many question whether this is truly the answer and actually provides the security of personal data that is required. With anyone having the ability to intercept or hack into computer accounts, it appears that nothing is safe in the technological realm today. Until we are truly capable of safeguarding all personal information, privacy will continue to be a problem on Social Networking Sites.