Generation Like

[Left Bank]

Did you see the recent Frontline entitled "Generation Like"?  I am not on Facebook and this only reaffirmed my feelings for social media use (abuse?).  It was eye-opening but so expected.
The applications in corporate marketing are just so insidious.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/generation-like/

Love to hear your thoughts.

[lb]

Two thoughts:

-I've always had an unconscious policy to never "like" a product/brand/movie/store on FB. It always seemed to me like announcing to everyone that you were a tool. However, when I was a teen (15 yrs ago) I was into the most inane stuff. Ex: I was absolutely obsessed with MacGyver reruns (???). I wouldn't have had the insight not to "like" everything in sight if FB was around when I was a teen, and especially not if everyone else my age was doing it. So I guess encourage your kids to enjoy whatever inane things they want to be obsessed with in real life but be discriminating about their public announcement of such? Maybe have conversations with them about how clicking "like" to products/brands can makes them a tool of marketing companies. You certainly can't control their actions, but if you can encourage critical thinking at any stage it's a plus.

-I wonder what the internet and social media will be like in 13 yrs when my kid is a teen!!! Maybe it will all be so routine that none of this will be a big deal anymore.

[arebelspy]

That was.. sort of interesting.

I think a lot of that will fade as they mature, and opt out of bothering.

How many adults bother to go on and "like" their favorite soft drink, or candy?  I honestly don't know, but I'd be surprised if these kids kept up their constant "liking" behavior when they grow up a little.

Then again, if a brand can hook them while they're young it may not matter...

There is a lot of hidden marketing though.

[Cromacster]

I haven't seen the that frontline yet but I am interested in checking it out.  I realize that I am essentially marketing myself when I like things on facebook, same with anything I google.  I try to limit facebook likes to local companies and business that I already support with my business.  I realize this doesn't in any way limit target ads to local companies, but I feel it helps give them exposure.

[dragoncar]

[GuitarStv]

People still use facebook?  Hasn't it gone the way of mySpace and Friendster yet?

[Fireman]

People still use facebook?  Hasn't it gone the way of mySpace and Friendster yet?

You're thinking of Google+.  Spacebook keeps buying up ancillary companies so it wont have any competition.

[Left Bank]

There was  a section of the documentary that asked these kids what it means to "sellout" and they did not know.  Before one became famous and was sought after by the companies for endorsements.  Now you strive to be the endorsement first. 

IB, you make some thoghtful points.

Arelbelspy, maybe people will grow out of it but maybe it will profoundly shift the culture as more people don't.  While I was watching, I just kept thinking how similar this seemed to a science fiction dystopia much like that movie "Idiocracy".

[arebelspy]

People still use facebook?  Hasn't it gone the way of mySpace and Friendster yet?

One big reason why Facebook won't go away as quickly as those did is that they've worked on integrating themselves into everything on the web.

I can't count how many things want me to log in with my Facebook account.  I mean, I pass on that, but the point is that there is a lot of services tied to FB, which wasn't the case with the earlier ones.

[rubybeth]

I watched it. It wasn't as eye-opening for me, since I use Facebook regularly, as well as Instagram and YouTube. I actually am a fan of Tyler Oakley, the YouTuber who was featured in the episode. It was more interesting to me to hear his commentary on how his career has progressed and how there really isn't a set career pathway for these people who have become semi-famous due to their work on the internet.

[the fixer]

Facebook is generally recognized as having a challenge getting young people to sign up. The next generation of users see it as a place where their parents hang out. So it's possible this is all a generational fad, at least in its current incarnation, and will change in a few years' time.

[soccerluvof4]

Facebook is generally recognized as having a challenge getting young people to sign up. The next generation of users see it as a place where their parents hang out. So it's possible this is all a generational fad, at least in its current incarnation, and will change in a few years' time.

Facebook as it stands now kids are on it less and less and  when I ask even my kids friends they have no interst. They are more into Kick, instagram , twitter and snapchat.  I check face book once a day compared to being on it all the time as now its just filled with politcal adds, pictures and Like adds. So even adults i talk to seem to be using less and less. It has become a big part of marketing and everything seems to have A FB page these days but will be interesting to see how it goes forward. But i agee it will last longer as will twitter than most because its so integrated in so many aspects of our life.