Social Media Age Groups Essay

Submitted By Heretic1134
Words: 1221
Pages: 5

Technology has created so many wonderful things over the years. One of the most successful technologies that have been created is social media. With the rise of social media more people are able to connect to each other, while older people are intimidated by the technology when younger people are already connected with technology and social media. I predict that I will find that while social media has made it easy to meet new people and to interact, older people are intimidated by the technology and have trouble with this new socialization. Technology is the making, modification, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solution to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function (Technology, 2012). Technology has let us accomplished amazing things in human history, from the creation of the engine for automobiles to robotics that perform surgery. Technology introduces advancements and information that plays an important part in helping a society to achieve its objectives (Cohn, 2012). The possibilities are endless for technology, but with these advancements come a learning curve. Technology has also created a new way to socialize with new social media sites, like the famous Facebook website. Technology is challenging to people over the age of 40, compared to how easy it comes to younger people. This difficulty is not because they can't learn, but because they never needed a use for these new technologies. Most grew up without really using a computer in school if at all, which is now a mandatory activity in elementary school. There is so much more technology used in everyday life; laptops, phones, gaming devices, tablets, etc. While the new technology generation of children are brought up in this technology and use it every day either in school or at home, and they have grown accustomed to it. Most in this older generation of technology also say it comes down to that there are so many tools out there that they don’t even know where to jump in and they don’t get why any of it matters (Solis, 2007). The new generations are so use to this technology by using it every day that they don’t have any anxiety about using this new technology. There is a large gap in technology between these generations that it makes it difficult for them to get into it. Social media is a new form of socialization that has developed from these advancements in technology. “Social media is the various forms of user generated content and the collection of websites and applications that enables people to interact and share information online” (Sococco, N.D.). Social media is not just social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace, but it also includes sites like Photobucket and others anything where discussions can take place on the internet. Social media or social networking has made it easier to socialize and connect with people. Social media has not only made it easier to socialize and connect with others, but it also allows people to connect to a broader group of people. “Social media is used to describe a wide range of communication technologies that enable a “virtual” form of social interaction through digital programming. Virtual social interaction broadens and expands the interactions in ways that non-digital interaction cannot” (Social Interaction). This virtual socialization is very different from physical socialization because virtual socialization people don’t have to worry about anxiety when speaking to people. This is due to either speaking anonymously and because there is a barrier between the people communicating. It becomes very difficult for anyone who is not accustomed in this type of interaction to use it effectively. I’ve stated before that it is difficult for most people older than 40 to get into this new form of socialization. Most of this generation of technological