Can Mobile Preserve Soc Networks As Gen Y's Virtual Rolodex?
Posted by meredith on 08-10-2009According to a recent survey from Harris Interactive, access to social media ranked among the number one factors in mobile choice among young adults. From the press release:
For young adults (18-34) who own a wireless phone and have access to social media sites on it, 25 percent of them use this constantly/often, compared to only 1 percent of those 55 and older…
Social media access even plays a role in purchasing a wireless phone: 18 percent of young adults who have ever purchased a wireless phone say that having it as a feature is most important.
The simplicity of making contact is one of the enduring values of social networks. I remember how shortly after Facebook was mass adopted on my campus, the exchange of phone numbers gave way to full names and the site became elevated to a verb: "I'll Facebook you." Not only did the information feel a lot more natural to disclose, but it also did away with the ever so awkward fumbling around exchanging "digits." Plus with access to a Facebook profile, you were easily able to up the level of contact to email, phone or even face to face if you so chose. Then again, you could just as easily keep the information "on file." Basically the gesture was as non-committal as you made it. Five years later these attributes still hold that appeal.
In spite of the waning interest we've seen in social networking as a virtual hangout, I believe the contact management function will hold up. Especially as these social media sites become an extension of Gen Y's professional identity, as well as their social one. Add in the handy benefit that with Facebook (or MySpace or LinkedIn) as your Rolodex, the entries update themselves and who needs to bother with address books or business cards?
As Facebook continues to fine tune its mobile app, the opportunity for a third party to fill this mobile niche hangs out there. Whether that be in the form of social-network friendly handsets — a possibility for Sprint, who sponsored the Harris survey and just acquired Virgin Mobile, the makers of such handsets — or as a user-friendly app. But based on the sparkle-and-fade history of Helio, my money would be on the app.
Sorta Related:
Children getting phones at younger ages (Chicago Sun Times/C&R Research)
BlackBerry is Gen Y's new cool tool (Hindustan Times)
For more coverage of the latest trends and developments in mobile technology for youth, check out the Ypulse Mobile Channel.
Categorized under: Mobile
August 11th, 2009 at 5:28 am
I agree that the accessibility of contact information is one of my favorite FB features. Particularly since Gen Yers are often on the move, it's easy to track people down this way. I do think a Rolodex is largely thing of the past; even snail mail addresses I collect I store under a label in Gmail.
Professionally, the small collection of business cards I hang on to are overwhelmingly from individuals middle aged+. It will be interesting to see how the gray area of professional contacts in FB continues to play out.
August 11th, 2009 at 10:48 am
[...] Can Mobile Preserve Soc Networks As Gen Y’s Virtual Rolodex? [Ypulse] In spite of the waning interest we've seen in social networking as a virtual hangout, Meredith believes their contact management function will hold up, perhaps in the form of a killer mobile app. [...]
August 12th, 2009 at 9:18 am
This is so true. I've found that in working with youth, it is much more effective to have groups in facebook than even to call on a cell phone. You never know if someone is going to pick up the phone, but you know that someone is going to check their facebook account (and the FB notifications system is great at helping people know what is being done when they come back to the screen from the real life).
Two essential ingredients to contacting and living life with teens – Texting and Facebook. Both of which can be controlled from a phone. Voice communications seem to be saved for Face to Face encounters.
August 12th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
It is amazing how much the dynamics of society have changed with online social networking. Have any of you read Seth Godin's blog?
September 17th, 2009 at 10:48 am
[...] Facebook eats away at email (as the more efficient medium. Further supporting my social networks are the new rolodex theory. Plus the latest Did You Know video from the "Shift Happens" project) (ReadWriteWeb) [...]