Like many Gen Y’ers in the communications industry, I like to think I have a pretty firm grasp on social media. I spent four years studying social media outlets and their professional uses in the classroom and two years implementing social media strategies at various internships. And as a Gen Y’er, I was born on the cusp of the social media explosion. (I still recall how many hours dwindled away as I searched for the perfect Myspace wallpaper and the excitement and confusion I felt on the days I signed up for Facebook and Twitter accounts.)
By no means, however, do I believe these experiences with social media make me a social media expert or qualify me for a social media manager position. Unfortunately, my humility is not shared by all Gen Y’ers.
In a recent post on NextGen Journal, Cathryn Sloane, a recent Gen Y’er graduate of The University of Iowa, was so bold as to say that all social media managers should be under 25 years old. The post sparked heated comments (close to 55o now), a NextGen Journal editor response, and a rebuttal written by a 47-year-old social media professional offering Sloane some helpful tips, all published within days.
To me, it’s absurd to insist that everyone in a certain profession should be a certain age. An employer who published a job posting declaring “Over 25 need not apply” would most likely be slapped with a discrimination lawsuit. But whether I agree with Sloane’s big opinions is irrelevant. My main beef with her post has more to do with attitude and understanding than topic.
Baby boomers, Gen X’ers, and just about everyone else in existence have stereotyped Gen Y’ers as entitled, lazy, and uncommitted. Sure, there are some in my generation who deserve the labels, but, like with all generations, we’re not all the same and shouldn’t be lumped together.
That’s why I’m so perturbed by Sloane’s piece: As an accomplished young professional (which she seems to be), she knows how it feels to be seen as nothing more than a Real World cast member wannabe. So why would she publish opinions that lump successful, seasoned social media professionals in with people like my mom who doesn’t know how to send an email?
Disqualifying entire generations of professionals for social media positions just because they didn’t grow up with technology Gen Y’ers did is a rookie mistake. And doing so using a social media tool (like a blogging platform) isn’t going to get Gen Y’ers any brownie points with future social media hiring managers.
So please Gen Y’ers, for the sake of all of our professional futures, cool it with the social skills bragging.
What are your thoughts on the controversy surrounding Sloane’s post on NextGen Journal? Share your opinions in the comment section below.
