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26 Facts About Millennials Online, Social and Mobile Behaviors

Written on August 18, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

There shouldn’t be any doubt in anyone’s mind that the evolution of the internet, the introduction of social networking and advancements in mobile technology have forever changed the world we live in.

What’s more interesting is that there is a group of individuals growing with these strong trends. And although everyone in the world itself is also experiencing this, the Millennials themselves are unique simply due to the fact that much of what is happening in their young lives will shape their future. And the future of the world.

What’s even more fascinating is the fact that there is no comparison to backdrop against the Millennials. Much of what they are experiencing is new to everyone. With all that being said, below is the composition of research based statistics. Of which all are painting a picture of Millennial behavior for all of to understand.

Based on our understandings of who the Millennials are, they are individuals born roughly between the years of 1980 to 2000 – varying on opinion. That puts the oldest at 30 and youngest at 10.

With all that being said, here are 26 statistics that provide a glimpse into understanding the Millennials online, social and mobile behaviors. Enjoy!

The Online World

1. 93% of those aged 12-29 go online.

2. Seven out of ten teens aged 12- 17 have a computer.

3. Two thirds of those aged 18-29 own a laptop while half own a desktop.

4. 63% of teens internet users go online everyday.

5. 48% of teens aged 14-17 have bought something online. Just under six out of ten girls make online purchases compared to just under half of the boys in the same age group.

6. Nearly seven out of ten 14-17 year-olds get news online about current events.

7. Four out of five aged 12-17 own a game console compared to six out of ten aged 18-29.

8. A quarter of 12-17 year-olds go online via game console.

Social Networking Sites

9. 55% those aged 12-13 go on social networking sites versus 82% of those aged 14-17.

10. Nearly six out of ten 18-29 year-olds have more than one social networking profile more than one site. A number that is increasing year over year.

11. Social networking fatigue: one out of five teens aged 13-17 no longer visits Facebook or is using it less.

12. Social networking abandonment rates with 13-17 year-olds: MySpace at 22%, YouTube and Twitter at 15%, Facebook at 9%.

13. Two thirds of 13-17 year-olds reported decreased Facebook use in last 6 months. Half say the reason is the result of “lost interest” or simply, that “it’s boring.”

14. Decline in online teen activities over last 4 years: everyday messaging to friends is down 5%, sending group messages is down 11%, private messages is down 16%, and posting comments on a friend’s blog is down 24%.

15. Teens are still highly active in commenting on friends pictures (83%) and page or wall (86%)

16. Girls between ages 14-17 use Twitter more (13%) and boys in the same age group (7%).

17. 37% those aged 18-24 post status updates regarding themselves on Twitter and other status updating sites. They also view other updates. Up 19% from two years earlier.

18. Teens in decline towards blogging activity. Since 2006, teens who blog has declined by half from 28% to 14%. Teen commenting on blogs through social networks has also declined from 76% to 52%.

19. Blogging has declined in those aged 18-29 from 24% three years earlier to 15%.

Mobile Phone Activity

20. Two thirds of 18-29 are cell phone internet users.

21. 78% of teens aged 13-17 have a cell phone.

22. Texting has increased 566% with 12-17 year-old over the last 3 years.

23. Eight out of ten of those aged 13-17 send text messages.

24. Over nine out of ten 18-29 year-olds own a cell phone. Up 22% from 5 years earlier.

25. 95% of cell phone owners aged 18-29 send and receive text messages. 93% also take pictures with their cell phones. Highest among any demographic

26. Seven out of ten 18-29 year olds go online via cell phones at least once a day.

I’ll admit, the numbers aren’t all that flashy – they’re not meant to be. But they’re more important than you realize. They’re an insight into Millennial technological behavior. A behavior that can’t be avoided, though it’s not as simple as the numbers make it seem.

Nevertheless, I’ll let you be the judge of what’s important and what isn’t. Just keep in mind, many of these numbers are growing in the directions stated. They’ll be more impacting than you think.

(Sources: Pew Internet, Breaking Down Millennials: From Sharing to Connecting)

(Photo credit)

Why and How You Should Be Mobile Marketing to Millennials

Written on August 3, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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The last few years have been nothing short of exciting and challenging times for marketers and advertisers. The lanes of communication have greatly expanded. And advancements in technology have questioned and defied traditional media outlets. It seems that at a time when we have the greatest abilities to reach the customers and consumers, truly reaching them has become completely mystical and elusive. Something even more complex when dealing with the Millennials.

Don’t Forget About Mobile

The continued growth of the internet, the continuous expansion of social media and networking, and the mobile communications arms race have given us the greatest reach we’ve ever had. But it seems that old habits die hard.

These avenues have been polluted by our traditional understandings of marketing and advertising. And though I’m not knocking the fundamentals, I will say they can’t be used in the same manner as they have been used traditionally. It’s the reason why social efforts often fall short. And it’s this emphasis on “social” that has everyone failing to realize that mobile exists.

The overshadowing of mobile marketing by the social world is something I find fascinating. Facebook users only represent about 41% of the US population but nearly 80% of the US population has a mobile phone. Increasingly, young Gen-Y is experiencing significant social media fatigue, is amongst the lowest online users and is declining in social networking activities. However, this same demographic has high rates of mobile use and ownership, of which it has increased greatly year-over-year.

Understanding Millennial Behavior

Millennials in general are becoming accustomed to constant mobile use. So much so, that their daily behavior is increasingly mobile based. It’s also a characteristic that will increase as smart phones and pads/tablets become the norm. And even with such high rates of mobile ownership and use, less than a third of marketers believe optimizing mobile marketing is important to their customer. And they might have a slight point. But only a slight point.

Experiencing a telemarketing or spam-type situation could infinitely damage your reputation. People don’t want to be bothered with non-sense if it’s of no interest to them. But, these same people wouldn’t mind receiving some kind of a deal from time to time. And when it comes to Millennials, getting an “exclusive” deal is a huge selling point.

Another huge selling point is being able to access websites through mobile means, and not simply receiving bits and pieces of the site itself. Only 32% of websites mirror full sites. Anything less will be something that will draw me and other Millennials away from your site.

Millennials want to have the ability to do everything now. We will use any opportunity we get to do something through our mobile phones in order to save time later in the day. It’s just that simple.

Breaking Down The Numbers

I was kidding, it’s not that simple. With the rise of location-based social networks, such as Foursquare, there has been the inclination and belief that this will lead to greater business growth and opportunities for those who use it. But research shows that location-based services amongst online US adults is insignificant. Not to mention that there is also a growing “check-in” fatigue, which has caused the creation of apps that run in the background that check-in for you. As a marketer you have to question the usefulness of location-based services if people won’t be checking-in themselves. And how you will reach these passive customers.

The reality is that mobile marketing requires a multi-platform approach, which is something 80% of retailers said they don’t have the capability to accomplish. And though apps will be the future for Millennials, understanding the breakdown of your online mix is absolutely necessary. Mobile video viewers will represent 30% of the US population by the end of this year, and this is expected to double by 2013.

Equally, understanding that 56% of consumers simply subscribe to brand sites by email while 32% subscribe via email and Facebook, and 4% subscribe via email, Facebook and Twitter. All of which have a commonality. They can all be accessed by mobile phones.

Mobile Marketing to Millennials

Millennials are significant mobile users. And where they have experienced levels of fatigue in the social world, the mobile world appears to be roaring ahead. But you can’t simply put something out there and hope for them to react. You have to understand that we access everything through our mobile phones, so why not strategically place and reinforce these actions through text, email and social media.

But do this wisely. Overexposing your marketing efforts will make it less effective, bland and we will disregard them. However, if you do it in a timely fashion you can capture these Millennials while they’re on the move. Access is a defining factor. How are we suppose to do things on-the-go if your website can’t support our mobile means and wants.

With all that being said, mobile marketing is definitely easier said than done. It takes more work than a simple message. It requires apps, timely placed emails and social networking notifications, and understanding that for Millennials our mobile phones are extensions of our self’s. If it’s meant for us, it has to be personal. Building that relationship is imperative. When we feel it’s exclusive and directly sent to us, we’ll respond. But this shouldn’t suggest all you marketers and advertisers should do it whenever possible.

Think of it this way. Our mobile phones are one of the most personalized and cherished things we have grown to own. We use it to establish and connect with our personal relationships. You, the brand, the marketer, the advertiser, has to create that personal relationship. It’s not easy nor is it meant to be. But understanding these how’s and why’s of Millennials will be rewarding. Just remember, it’s not “business.” It’s “personal.”

Life After 50 Blog Posts: 17 of My Blogging Experiences

Written on July 30, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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Yesterday marked a milestone. At least, for me personally. It was the publishing of my 50^th post for my blog. I don’t think I wrote this much when I actually had to in school. And it’s ironic that I care more about doing stuff like this now than I did when I was in school. The reading, researching, analyzing, writing and everything else. Hmm. Maybe we should go to school later in life…

In any case, I would say this is definitely a personal accomplishment – so I’m giving myself a pat on the back. And though my blog is barely 5 months young, I’ve learned and experienced a wave of life that is far beyond what I imagined. The people you meet, the ideas you share, the criticisms you receive and all the interesting and fascinating experiences you come by.

Rather than writing an elaborate post and since it’s Friday – I love using the Friday excuse, who doesn’t – I’m going to share 17 points that I’ve learned, experienced and had to deal with over the last four and a half months. So, enjoy!

First and foremost, I thank all the readers. Without them, who would I be writing too. A BIG thanks to everyone!
Blogging is more work than you can ever imagine. Often people only see the front-end. Hours and hours are spent on the back-end. I tip my hat to all the bloggers out there.
There is a certain level of satisfaction when your audience comments on your post and even shares it via the social world.
My thoughts and perceptions on marketing and advertising are completely different. Real marketing and advertising takes a lot of work.
Social media and social networking require more time than I would like to admit. But it’s time well spent. It has been the life-force behind my blogging and blog development.
I love criticism!! You always learn something.
You will never avoid criticism. Everyone has something to say, especially on the web. And you can’t go running scared. Just like they’re critical of you, be critical of their comments. Always respond.
Having a cool looking picture will always add value to your content. Any amount of meanings can come out of a good picture.
Readers will pick out the slightest weakness in your articles and try to make a point. And I don’t have a problem with that. I do that. But I do that with an argument. My blogging pet-peeve is when Gen-Yers/Millennials such as myself are stereotyped as spoiled and living off our parents – check yesterday’s article in the comment section. I’m openly asking for the world to help us and solve some of these problems. But instead of help I receive slander. Makes you wonder why individuals are so negatively inclined to young individuals who want to work and who are doing everything they possibly can to get it. Again, it goes back to yesterday’s article, excuses and reasons to pigeonhole us. Don’t worry more “controversial” articles to come.
Sorry, I rant sometimes.
Everyone always comes with their own beliefs before reading your article. And everyone always misunderstands that a single post will only cover a single topic in an array of topics. As a blogger, you have to understand you will not satisfy everyone. Nor should you have to.
Never get discouraged or be too hard on yourself. Keep up with your ideas and work. You’d be really surprised to see who comes knocking.
It’s fascinating to think that as I blog about my ideas, people have blogged about me.
Instead of having a mentality of competition, work with others. In my mind, there is no such thing as being the “best blogger.” More work gets done when we help each other.
You can’t be closed-minded. The greatest articles, ideas and people will pass you by.
As much as we would love to do everything, you have to remember to spend time with loved ones and sleep. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Personal management is necessary.
And finally, you will never know the answer to any of your questions until you ask them. You will never know what could happen until you try. Never be scared of failure. You will always learn something from it.

These point are the ones that most resonate with my blogging experiences. And like all my other posts, I’ll want to change and add ideas after publishing. I’m sure I’ve left out a few things, but there will be more posts to make up for that. This is just a glimpse of blogging life. And like many things, you never really understand the true essence and impact of something until you venture to try it.

To all my readers, thank you! And to all my critics, thank you! – don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you guys. There will be plenty more to come. A shout-out to all my twitter peeps, there’s to many to name but you know who you are. A humongous – I love that word – shout-out to my friends and family, and my lovely girlfriend Gloria – she always wants me to put her name in somewhere so here you go baby!

Just remember to stay tuned. More of everything to come…

What the Hell Do We Really Know About Social Media?

Written on July 28, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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With the emergence of social media, or is it social networking – there technically is a difference – the world has gone upside down. Well, it seems that way at least. Twitter this. Facebook that. And blog, blog, blog. But to what end? Marketers and advertisers are trying anything. Some are bound to get it right. Products and brands just seem to be there. Ready to sell everything. And the users are just coming along for the ride.

Our Social Media Beliefs

In my mind, there are only two truths we’ve reached. First, social media exists. And second, a serious amount of people use it. With that being said, it has led everyone to believe – especially business, marketers and all those selling something – that a pot of gold awaits us at the end of the rainbow.

The opportunity definitely exists with in this space. But the numbers seem to blind everyone. Getting a small piece of the 500,000,000 Facebook user pie puts big dollar-signs into the eyes of marketers. We see Facebook, Twitter and blog pages everywhere. So what? There is an overarching belief that the slightest and smallest actions will garner some results and ROI.

But, no one has even come close to establishing any viable strategy that can be reproduced on a continuing basis. The success stories seem to have had luck on their side – nothing wrong with a little luck. While others are trying unique and different ideas. The social media world has become a giant trial and error testing ground. And what have we learned?

Forget to Add the “Social” in Social Media?

Traditional marketing and advertising has stayed, well, traditional. This has been reflected throughout the majority of the social media world. And like anything else, there are exceptions to this. Starbucks is increasingly becoming known for its continuing social efforts. While Doritos’ Viralocity and Mountain Dew’s DEWmocracy have turned into successful yearly events. Recent notables like the Old Spice Guy have sent waves throughout the social media universe. And MTV’s Twitter Jockey (TJ) was one of those “first’s” that was somehow going to happen.

Although these examples represent a few of the online success stories, the biggest pitfall is the fact that marketers and advertisers have approached social media in a traditional sense. Where’s the engagement? Where’s the community? Where’s the development of THAT relationship? With all the social networking going on, marketers, advertisers, products and brands have completely forgot about the “social.”

A Glimpse of What and Where Social Media Is

While all this is happening, the social media world itself is changing and expanding. 60% of Twitter users and 74% of Facebook users come from outside the US. Hot trends like location based social networking is taking the forefront. But its biggest player, Foursquare, has only hit a million users as of later April 2010. Something which took Twitter two years to complete. However two years after that, Twitter hit a 100 million users.

And it only gets crazier. The youngest of social media enthusiasts and users, 13-17 year-old teens from the Gen-Y and Millennial generation, are experiencing high levels of social media fatigue. These same teens are also only representing 11% of the US Facebook user population. Does that mean your social media strategy will have to expand beyond the Facebook, Twitter and blog pages? If you can’t answer that, your social media understandings might need more help than you think. The social media universe is enormous. Don’t get lost in it.

So, what do we really know about social media? Well, we do know a thing or two. There are more than a handful of brilliant minds that really understand what’s happening and where it’s heading. But even with all that brilliance, its absolutely fascinating to see the lack of people that are really listening and paying attention. Those are the ones that expect to find the golden egg with no effort. Well, social media requires some serious effort. Effort way-beyond traditional understandings of marketing and advertising. But until then, until we realize that, we will really only know two certainties. First, social media exists. And second, a serious amount of people use it.

A Day in the Life of a Millennial

Written on July 27, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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We all woke up today just as if it was any other day. Each with our own priorities and responsibilities to deal with. Each with our own schedules and to-do lists. Today is like any other day. Except, today’s events aren’t what they use to be. It’s not simply about waking up and going to work anymore. And it’s not about the usual relaxing, recreation and traditional understandings of what people previously did after work until they went to bed that night.

A Millennial’s Day Begins with Ring

What we do everyday isn’t what it use to be. And how we go about it is just as different. To say Millennials do things differently has turned into a cliché. But the reality is, we do do-things differently. From the moment we wake up to how we go about our day, Millennials are introducing unprecedented trends into everyday life. And though the true implications are still unforeseen, they have created a fascinating day for each Millennial.

The day of a Millennial is always started by the abrupt ringing of our mobile phones – or the drastically growing number of smart phones. They have become our morning alarms. They have also taught us that it’s ok to message or even call anyone whenever you want, regardless if they’re sleeping or not. And lets not to forget the growing number of online notifications we all receive. With our phones on the nightstand and even in the bed with us, there is no doubt in my mind that a clear majority of Millennials are significantly effected by these characteristics within the first 30 minutes of each day.

But it doesn’t stop there. We take our mobile/smart phones everywhere with us – since we would be utterly lost without them. Mobile communications and technology has become the most personalized extension of our self’s. Even more personal than the brands we wear. Cancelling our voice, text and data plans would be the absolute last thing we would ever do. Even at our last resort, we would continue without paying our monthly bills until we could figure something out.

The Millennial Workplace

For each of us, we’re living life through our own connectivity. Every thing we do is now becoming more an aspect of life. That’s not to say that nothing was part of life before. But when we go to work, we bring the most personalized aspects of life with us to work. Whether it’s through texting, BBM, email or social networking, we are communicating to our friends. And all you bosses and company owners shouldn’t get scared, we don’t talk about work or give away the company secrets. We’re just continuing our relationships at any given moment.

And I can imagine the executives, supervisors, directors and anyone else in a “boss” position screaming unproductivity at the screen. The shocking reality is we actually are equally or even, more productive. This is due to the fact that our world’s are no longer separated. By allowing us to continue our relationships on an ongoing basis, we don’t have to wait until the end of the work-day to figure things out. Unless an individual is constantly texting and not finishing work, casual connectivity while completely assignments is harmless – you probably wouldn’t even know that it was going on.

Work is no longer the “9 to 5” agenda. And it’s not something we must do but something we do for a means to other ends. It’s our career and our passion. It’s not about working somewhere for 40 years until you retire. It’s about being good at what you do. For these reasons, work has gone beyond the “go to work and go home” idea. For Millennials, work is an all day thing. We’re always thinking about it. We’re always doing something we didn’t finish.

The Lines Are Blurring…

The lines that once distinguished work and life are gone. This can be applied to students in the same regard with school. The fact is Millennials bring their life with them where ever we they go. Going to the gym, work, school, shopping and everything else we do has all become intertwined. We know about parties the minute the host had the thought. Meeting up with friends after work is already discussed by lunchtime. Plans are finalized through a few messages. All while keeping up to pace with work.

And although social networking has fuelled the idea of intertwining worlds, the explosion of mobile communications and technologies has taken it one-step further. Simply, you can control website content on corporate computers. But you can’t control who we talk and text to on our personal devices.

The way we see each day is less defined by the traditional understandings of our parents. Though our responsibilities remain the same, in the sense that we have to do them, the way we go about it has changed. Our day’s are about keeping up with our relationships and pursuing our passions. Don’t be fooled, we are serious about work. We just like to do it differently. And just as our day started off, it ends on the same note. One last email. One last text. One last Facebook check in. Charge our phones and reset the alarm. Until we do it all over again tomorrow.

What Does Having 500,000,000 Users Really Mean?

Written on July 23, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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For all those paying attention, we saw Facebook make history yet again. This last week, the social networking website hit a new high by being the first social network to hit half of a billion users. I have to say, that’s pretty impressive.

How could it not be? CEO Mark Zuckerberg needed just over half a decade to create something that by population would be the 3^rd largest country in the world. What an accomplishment. I have to stand up and simply say “bravo!”

But now I find myself sitting down. Questioning, exploring and digging deeper into the situation. Social networking and the whole social media phenomenon is hardly an exact science. And there are few who can truly understand and grasp all that is going on.

Yet, we find ourselves with thousands of people proclaiming themselves as social media “experts” and better yet, “gurus.” Don’t get me wrong. These “gurus” know a thing or two. The theories and concepts behind it are only half of the story. Being able to truly understand the numbers is something else.

With 500,000,000 users, Facebook is at the top of the mountain. They are the big player here. But what does it really mean to have a half of a billion users? The number itself can be mystifying and overpowering. So we’re going to break it down. Here is what 500,000,000 users can be broken down in to:

Twitter is known for having 60% of its users come from outside the US. Facebook, on the other hand, has 74% of its users coming from outside the US.
The US represents approximately 26% of Facebook users. While the United Kingdom at approx. 5.4%, Indonesia at 5.2%, Turkey at 4.6% and France 3.9% rounding off the top 5 countries by users.
The US represents the #1 nation by users at 128,936,800. A distant 2^nd is the United Kingdom at 27,020,020.
Out of 187 countries that have Facebook users, 74 countries having 100,000 users or less; 54 have between 100,000 – 1,000,000 users; 45 have between 1– 10 million users; 10 have between 10-20 million users; and 3 have between 22-27 million users.
66% of all Facebook users come from North America and Europe.
The top 20 countries with most users make up approx. 76% of all Facebook users. While countries #2 to #20 make up 50% and the remaining 167 countries make up 24%.
Of the 10 most populated countries in the world, which account for approx. just over 4 billion people, Facebook users only account for approx. 4.5% penetration of this population (although the US. makes up approx. 72% of the 4.5%)
Equally, of these 10 countries China, India, Brazil and Russia have their own distinct social networking websites.

China: Qzone – 388 million users; 51.com – 160 mil. users; Renren – 120 mil. users; Kaixin001 – 75 mil. users.
Russia: VKontakte – 81.5 mil. users.
Brazil and India: Orkut – 100 mil. users.

Other notable social networking websites include:

MySpace – 130 million users.
Twitter – 105 mil.
Friendster – 90 mil.
hi5 – 80 mil.
LinkedIn – 70 mil.
Badoo – 69 mil.
Netlog – 65 mil.
Bedo – 40 mil.
Mixi – 30 mil.
Cyworld – 24 mil.

(These are just a few of the major social networking websites that exist around the world besides Facebook. A few of what is easily hundreds of websites targeted at a countless number of demographics.)

I’ll admit, these statistics are very orientated towards a “user” centric argument. However, this is what the Facebook discussion was about all week. Aspects like continued growth, value and active users is a completely different set of circumstances. But a set of circumstances that would be worth exploring.

And I’m not trying to tarnish Facebook’s great accomplishment here. What I am trying to point out is that we shouldn’t always be so easily blinded by it’s success – especially when Facebook currently plays a minor role in many of the biggest markets in the world. Though, this can change in a matter of years. Than again, it could all change in a matter of years.

What’s really fascinating here is we begin to see why marketing via social media is not that easy. Albeit the US makes up 129 million users, the remaining 74% of the users come from outside the US. Unless you specifically know that a brand or product consumer base is located in the US – and if my understanding of fan pages is correct – trying to target a brand or product that is international would be difficult and time consuming.

In the end, there has to be some kind of value in all of this. How could there not be when hundred’s of millions of people are using social networking websites around the world. And though Facebook boasts the biggest user base in the world, they walk on uncertain grounds as they have to rely on a large number of smaller pockets of users. Something that is even more uncertain in the face of other regionalized networks that already hold particular territories. Something also to consider if for some reason Facebook should begin to decline in the US.

After all, anything is quite possible when it comes down to social networking. No one is immune to collapse, idleness or decline. Though, anyone can achieve dramatic success. We’ve already seen major swings and examples to live by. The only question is, will history repeat itself? Will Facebook be ready if it does.

(Sources: Wikipedia, Facebook Press Room, Twitter Blog, LinkedIn Resource Center, Facebakers.com, TechCrunch, ChinaSocialGames.com)

Gen-Y’s Living Life In Front of a Green Screen

Written on July 19, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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The lights are on. And the camera is rolling. You’re the focus of attention. Now, you just have to decide what you want to put up on the green screen. The idea here follows its same use as in the television industry. You can quite literally impose any image you want onto the screen. That means you can be anybody you want. Anywhere you want. When ever you want. So, what do you have on your green screen?

What Are You Putting Up…

Perception and influence have always been the deciding factors in how the world views us and how we want to be viewed by the world. And although this has always existed to some degree and extended with the introduction of the internet, social media and social networking has further helped allow anyone to become anyone they want. The question here is, what is real and what isn’t?

To say that we deal with and live through different realities online is almost too obvious of a statement. You will act one way with your real friends on Facebook. Professionally with your connections on LinkedIn. And in an appeasing manner to satisfy the followers on Twitter – who are complete strangers, newfound online friendships and pre-existing real-world relationships. You may even act the same throughout the either social world. Or you even might act in a more diverse manner than what was mentioned. But the idea here goes further than all of that.

The Green Screen Syndrome

The Green Screen Syndrome is apparent within all members and aspects of society. However, Gen-Y – and all the Millennials that encompass it – is extremely affected by this mode of thought. A mode of thought that is based on influence, lifestyle brands and consumer horizontalization. But don’t be fooled here. Gen-Y is not faking being someone else. They are themselves. Rather, they’re only showing the world the good bits and pieces of their story.

This is what the green screen allows you to do. This is also what the social world helps you accomplish. When you’re creating your online-self, you’re really only showing your best-side. And it’s only natural to do this. You would never walk into an university lecture hall and tell the person beside you “I’m really unintelligent.” Or walk into an interview and tell the interviewer you’re under-qualified for the position. When’s the last time you ever walked into a room and yelled out “I suck!” Never.

We’re all very competitive by nature. With that, we all necessarily don’t want to be the best. In many cases, we want to be just good enough. The fascinating thing here is that bar for “just good enough” is being raised at an exceptionally fast pace. It’s not about having nice jeans. It’s about having those designer jeans. The idea behind the product is moving to the idea behind a brand. And Gen-Y is buying into it.

Everyone’s Watching. Right?

They’re buying so much into this idea of personal extension through brands that they are effectively tearing down any brand hierarchy and in fact, slowly putting them all down to the same level. This effect of consumer horizontalization is the bar Gen-Y is following and raising. With the green screen in mind, it’s not about dressing nicely, driving a car or having a cell phone. It’s about being at that cool event in your Boss suit and her BCBG dress. It’s about the BMW’s and Benz’s. It’s about the BlackBerry’s and iPhone’s.

For the majority of Gen-Y, the Green Screen Syndrome is a reality. A reality where our online and offline self’s are endlessly reinforcing each other. When we do share online, we’re not sharing simply for the purpose of showing everyone. We’re trying to make a powerful statement about ourselves. Our offline identities and our online profiles are becoming examples to show why we are the best, great or at very least, good enough.

As long as the lights are on us and the camera is rolling, we’ll be putting up some great things for someone to watch. Or at least, we hope someone is watching. What would be the point of doing all this for ourselves? What would be the point of doing all this if no one was watching? Hey, who took down the green screen? Wait, was it even up before…

11 Simple but Amazing Millennial Insights… by a Millennial

Written on July 16, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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Over the past 5 months and forty-something blog posts later, I find myself picking up on more than a few things. And since it’s Friday and since I’ve looking at my laptop screen way too much, I’ll keep this post short, simple but amazingly insightful.

Here are 11 amazing insights about Millennials, by a Millennial. And whether you agree or disagree, you can’t help but know they’re true.

We’ll never pay for social media. Don’t even suggest the thought. But we’ll spend thousands of dollars in our lifetime on mobile phones, smart phones, voice/data plans and apps.
Interrupting someone or cutting them off while they’re speaking is rude. Checking your BlackBerry and sending off a Facebook update, tweet, text, bbm or email in the same conversation is normal.
The “times are changing” and “things are different” are the two best excuses we ever came up with. They are also the two most immediate and difficult realities we face.
We won’t necessarily take any job for the sake of having work. But we’ll work for free in hopes of getting a job we would like.
We are always looking at three screens: mobile/smart phone screen, computer screen, TV screen.
The majority of us have invested too much time into one social network. As a result, the majority of us will only stay on one social network.
We resonate with a “you live once” ideal. With that, we will save money to buy the things – brands – we want in hopes of living our “dream-life”. We won’t save money for the things we need, liking preparing for the future – general savings accounts, retirement saving and planning, and the such.
We’ll connect, follow and “friend” complete strangers online. But we wouldn’t ever add our parents or uncles and aunts.
Prediction: everyone will watch the Facebook movie. Otherwise known as the “The Social Network”. A Twitter movie, Apple movie, Google movie and similar variations are simply a matter of time.
We’re influenced by the people we hangout with, talk to and connect with online. I still can’t grasp why the majority of advertisers and marketers haven’t picked up on this.
And I saved the best for last. The generational blame game. We’re seen as entitled, lazy and deserving. We see our elders as stubborn, not understanding and old-school minded. Imagine how better off we would all be if there was less whining and complaining but more accepting, opportunity and just getting that chance. Who am I kidding, I’m still pointing my finger at the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers.

But, isn’t that innovative? An idea to collaborate on both sides. But what do I know. I’m only a twentysomething Millennial. Just pay attention, many of these things are more obvious than you think. And these insights are more important than you think. You just haven’t realized it yet…

Breaking Down Millennials: From Sharing To Connecting

Written on July 13, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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Last Friday, Mashable published an article based on a Pew Research report. The report itself suggests that 67% of experts believe Millennials – also know as Generation Y and Gen-Y – will continue to share information through social networking as they age through the year 2020. And although I agree with the experts to an extent, I can’t help but dig deeper and challenge the experts on both sides of the argument.

Breaking Down The Millennials

What I really have to challenge here is our understanding of the Millennials. Defining an entire generation by a series of characteristics was far simpler before than it is now. The time in which the Millennials grew up with is the most fluid, transforming and continually changing period in history. At a population larger than the Baby Boomers, the Millennials are fascinating because every few years their is some powerful and impacting sense of change.

This got me thinking. It got me thinking that Millennials in fact can be broken down into sub generations. The breakdown itself represents a transition that is occurring within the generation. It’s a transition from sharing to connecting. Although both actions are often combined in understanding, it would be a mistake not to understand that the lines are extremely blurred here.

When attempting to define something, there’s no better place to start than with a dictionary. Merriam-Webster’s Online Dictionary defines to “share” as the following:

Share (verb) – To partake of, use, experience, occupy, or enjoy with others; to have in common; to tell (as thoughts, feelings, or experience) to others.

And defines to “connect” as:

Connect (verb) – to join or fasten together usually by something intervening; to place or establish a relationship.

There is a distinct difference between the two, especially in the way it has been applied to everything “social”. Though the creators of social-platforms might have had a different understanding, Millennials grew into a social world where we understood its use to be the result of relationships we’ve already built and have, even by the smallest degree. We were already connected before the fact. We are now simply building on those connections.

Most of what we’ve been accustomed to with social networking – which often referred to as social media – is the notion of building on existing relationships. A clear majority of the people that became our “friends” on Facebook were people we already knew and met in one way for another. We were just extending ourselves by sharing to people we already knew. It wasn’t a matter of connecting. It was a matter of sharing.

Social Media and Networking Fatigue

What’s intriguing here is that any one person will only share so much. Not only do you start to care-less about constantly sharing, it loses it appeal and people start to care-less about what you have to share. It seems to be an emerging trend with the younger half of Millennials, and it’s starting with those aged 13-17. These teens are experiencing Facebook “fatigue”, with one in five teens no longer visiting the website or using it less. Equally, of the 78% who created an account only 69% still use it.

The Facebook teen abandon rate is at 9%. While two-thirds of teens report decreased use in the last 6 months and of those, almost half, 45% say the reason for decreased use is based on “lost interest” or quite simple, that “it’s boring”. Other social networks are experiencing much higher abandonment rates. 41% of teens are still using their MySpace profile but 22% have turned away from it. While others like YouTube have a 64% user rate and Twitter stands at 20%. However, they’re both experiencing 15% abandonment. Why are young Millennials turning away from social media in numbers?

The so-called “fatigue” experienced here is the lost value in what social networking has meant to the first half of Millennials, which is something that is completely different to the latter half. I also think there is one characteristic that is often overlooked when discussing social networking. And it’s something that I believe has a profound effect to why the first half of Millennials ran with all things “social”. But it’s something that has the second half of Millennials heading into a different direction.

Our Changing Social-Self

This change of direction is highly attributed to the use, availability and extended unlimited-plans that mobile phone users now have as opposed to what they were 10 years ago. As of September 2009 83% of 17 year-olds owned a mobile phone. Equally, 71% of 17 year-olds were found to talk daily on their mobile phones. Along with 83% of 13-17 year-olds who used text messaging.

The big discrepancy here is that the first half of Millennials weren’t that big on having existing relationships through the mobile phone environment. It wasn’t an option. The mobile world didn’t exist at any affordable rate then. It was far cheaper and less expensive to keep these existing relationships over ICQ. Then MSN. Then Friendster, MySpace and ultimately Facebook. If we were to use Strauss and Howe’s generational terminology, Gen-Y starts in 1982 and ends 2001. ICQ started in 1996 and Facebook in 2004. That puts the oldest of Gen-Y at 14 years in 1996 and 22 years in 2004. Keep these dates in mind for later.

The question now is to find the years where these Transitional Millennials are born. Based on the mobile phone ages above and those experiencing extensive “fatigue”, it would look like there is a generational breaking point with those born somewhere in the early years of the 1990s. The same demographic in which we see 12-17 year-olds spending the second least amount of time online at 11 and a half hours per month in comparison to those aged 25-34 that spend 31 hours and 37 minutes on average, with time online only increasing by age. The 11 and under age group have the lowest user rates.

Now lets take a look at some interesting and random user stats:

Average user: Facebook – 38 years-old. Twitter – 39 years-old. 64% of Twitter and 61% of Facebook user’s are 35 years or older.
ICQ – first popular instant messaging platform. 80% of its users being between the ages of 13-29 – or those born between 1981 and 1997.
12-17 year-olds have increased mobile phone ownership rates by 19%-33% over the years of 2004-2008. While texting has increased 566% between 2007-2009.
Of those aged between 18 to those 65 and over, the 18-29 age group represent the highest percentage at 44% in taking steps to limit online information in 2009.
Teen activities on social networking sites between 2006-2009: Sending group messages has declined 11%. Posting comments to a friend’s blog has declined 24%. And sending private messages has declined 16%.

Conclusion… Emergence of Transitional Millennials

Now after exposing the information above, I have to re-examine why 67% experts believe the following:

By 2020, members of Generation Y (today’s ‘digital natives’) will continue to be ambient broadcasters who disclose a great deal of personal information in order to stay connected and take advantage of social, economic, and political opportunities. Even as they mature, have families, and take on more significant responsibilities, their enthusiasm for widespread information sharing will carry forward.

I, in fact, don’t even think it’s a matter of “sharing” for all the “members of Generation Y”. Sharing seems to be an aspect of those born between 1982 and the magical year of 1992. Based on the numbers and years above, 1992 appears to be the year where those born then and after don’t share as much as they will connect and stayed connected. For Millennials born between 1992 and 2001, sharing will take a backseat to connecting, being connected and always being in a constant state of connection.

Like I stated at the beginning, I agree with the experts to the extent that we will stay connected. But we will not be focused on being “ambient broadcasters” with an “enthusiasm for widespread information sharing”. As mobile phones and the emerging use of smart phones continue to increase, I wouldn’t be shocked to see further social networking “fatigue” and increased numbers in abandonment rates. A percentage of this will be through natural attrition and loss of the customer. But with such a large number of online users, which still has impressive by any means, a small percentage swing can literally mean millions of users. Those that are non-users will simply be absorbed into some other form of connecting element.

Further, as younger individuals are the ones that actually care most about their online privacy, use the internet the least, represent a minority of Facebook and Twitter users and are declining in certain social activities, the later half of of Millennials will in fact look at social networking and react to it differently. These Millennials will use texting, apps, BBM and mobile/smart phone abilities to curb what the first half of Millennials could only accomplish in the online world.

The second half of these Millennials, which I’m dubbing the Transitional Millennials, will be connecting to each other in the classroom, the car and anywhere else where they have the opportunity to use their mobile abilities. Sharing will happen through the virtue of connecting. And unless social networking sites reinvent themselves, these Transitional Millennials won’t in fact need to rely on an online sharing presence. They will be connected to everyone that they perceive as important at a younger age. And grow with those connections over time. Telling everyone the same old thing is starting to get boring. At least when we BBM, text or call someone we get some kind of response.

How Will Gen-Y Change the World: A Gen-Y Mini-Series (Part 4 of 5)

Written on June 4, 2010 by Josip Petrusa

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Smart phones, pads/tablets, apps, social media, social networking, laptops, wifi and 3G are all commonplace aspects of everyday life. And literally everyone is effected in one way or another by these characteristics of “personal” technology. I say “personal” simply due to the fact that we most often use these aspect for our personal self’s. Although everyone is part of this technological revolution, it’s one thing to be involved and it’s something completely different to be growing with it. Gen-Y and all Millennials are growing with this. As both technology and this generation grow along side one another, they will undoubtedly have overwhelming effects on each other.

“Personal” Technologies

As social beings, it is no wonder why these “personal” technologies are absolutely booming right now. We are networking, connecting and living off apps more now than ever before. And Gen-Y is thriving off this. While commuting, walking or waiting we’ll cross something off our “to-do” list with the press of a few buttons. We’re always doing something. Emailing, updating, sharing, BBMing, banking, shopping and the list goes on. There are few things you can’t do while on the go. And as our personal lives interact with the world, we’ve become fine with sharing information that we willingly put “out-there”. But we do have some issues with information taken from us and put out “out-there”.

That’s another reason why I call it “personal” technologies because we very willingly broadcast and share a lot of our personal information that would have never been known otherwise. How would someone have known what we “liked” before. The online privacy issue is only an infant dilemma that Facebook has begun to realise. Our issue is not about what we are sharing but what information is being taken from us and shared unwillingly. If there was such a thing as copyrights for each individual, these rights would have been broken. As serious of an issue this is, it won’t cause Gen-Y to “offline.” A Millennial brought Facebook to us while four Millennials are also bringing the opposite, the Anti-Facebook known as Diaspora, to us. It should be no surprise that Gen-Y is leading the social media and networking realms. (Here’s an interesting side-note: Obama’s online marketing campaign was headed by a co-founder of Facebook, who is also a Millennial. Obama absolutely dominated the Gen-Y vote in his presidential victory.)

Is It “Status Update” Worthy?

Gen-Y absolutely loves to share everything about themselves. But we don’t just share anything. We share on the basis of being responded to. We share to be “cool”, “funny” and anything else that would make us look good. But we also share on a “I can relate to that” basis. So don’t be surprised to see Gen-Y share a sense of failure. We’ve all done poorly on a test so in turn that failure turns out to be something we can all relate to and joke around about. Anything we share is on an “inclusion” basis and goes back to what I wrote in Part 3 about “groups” think. If something seems to fit these characteristics, it is definitely “status update” worthy for Gen-Y.

What’s interesting about this is we’re all looking for something to share. The great thing about sharing is we expose the world around us. We have the ability to create movements at the press of a “tweet”. There is great power to be harnessed on the online world. Whether it be informing everyone about the Iranian student protests, donating to victims of Haiti or demanding action for the BP oil spill, our technological generation can have a huge impact. But this impact can be both positive and negative.

Technological Reliance – A Gen-Y Problem

There is no doubt that technology has positive and powerful impacts to better our lifestyles. However there is an issue that Gen-Y will have to address as we move forward and that is our reliance on technology. Technology itself does not make the world a better place, its what we choose to do with that technology that makes things better. Having the ability to SMS donations for Haiti relief was truly amazing. But have we so soon forgotten the devastation that occurred. Who is helping now? And what about an equally devastating earthquake that occurred in Chile not too long after. Why didn’t we SMS relief for them. These are only but two issues where we think somehow everything will take care of itself. And I fear our reliance, especially on technology, will be a serious problem with Gen-Y.

We already feel helpless when we are without our smart phones for a few days. How many phones numbers do you remember? But the upside is, I don’t have to waste money on something someone else shared on how “bad” it was. And asking for help is a “share” or “tweet” away. But what kind of help are we willing to give? Will Gen-Y help the world or just each other? Are we just “status updaters” or actual doers? Many of these questions will answer themselves as we go forward into the future simply due to the fact that this relationship, although vast and large, is fairly new. However, it is certain that Gen-Y will continue to rely on technology and its “personal” abilities as we continue to update every step of the way.

We’ve come to the magical point in the Gen-Y Mini-Series as only the final part remains. On Monday I hope you tune into Part 5 and what will be the answer to the question “How Will Gen-Y Change the World?” Stay tuned, for just one more time…