And while Internet addiction, bullying and diminishing attention spans are certainly of concern, the empowerment these new channels offer may outweigh the drivel. So argues Adora Svitak, the 14-year-old author, educator and speaker who recently discussed millennials and social media on stage at Mashable Connect in Orlando, Fla.
Svitak made a compelling case for social empowerment among "the generation of eye-rollers," drawing from recent trends, studies and anecdotes from her own life growing up in the thick of a changing social landscape. Only problem is, adults can have a hard time understanding just how beneficial that engagement can be.
Facebook Is the New Study Hall
It's a challenge for kids to live in a world of constant communication (as we all do), and suddenly turn it off in a classroom of textbooks and blackboards. I've heard it likened to teleporting kids to the 1950s for six hours each day.
Take a recent anecdote about how a school administrator disabled Google's chat feature, only to find students sharing Google Docs in order to chat in the sidebar.
Similarly, Svitak explained how her peers at school use Facebook for fun, but also as a collaborative educational tool.
"We use Facebook as a study hall, posting a lot of resources for upcoming tests," she said, pulling up a comment thread full of links, likes and conversations about art history.
Indeed, Facebook itself recognized the potential here when it launched Groups for Schools, where students and teachers could collaborate in a sanctioned social environment. Facebook's platform just became richer with the ability to share files within groups as well.
Whether via "official" channels or not, study will happen where students live. For now, that's on Facebook, and fighting it will likely be a losing battle for educators.
Meme Culture Is the New Rock and Roll
There's always been a cultural gap between parents and children. It can take the form of music — rock and roll or hip hop, for example. Or perhaps humor — The Cosby Show vs. South Park. The divide happening online, according to Svitak, lies in meme culture.
Svitak's mom is an early tech adopter. Her dad builds Windows Phones for a living. But according to Svitak, when it comes to web culture, they have no idea what's going on. They don't share the same touchstones she does with her older sister.
"Memes are a world that my parents don't quite understand," said Svitak, however "inescapable" they are in her own Facebook feed. They are a new language — a way to communicate casually and humorously — almost like slang. And like all youth vernaculars, they can be a springboard into more topical conversations.
When the hilarious Tumblr blog Texts From Hillary spread across the web, it made an impact on young people, said Svitak. "So many of my peers saw Hillary Clinton's cool factor," she explained. Kids whom she assumed didn't care about news or current events were suddenly talking about it.
New Marketing: Contests and Causes are King
Young people have access to infinite entertainment, news and social choices, which means traditional marketing tactics won't fly. If brands want to reach millennials, they need to wrap their messages in an engaging package. Contests and causes resonate well, according to Svitak.
She cited a recent promotion by shoe retailer Vans, in which the brand encouraged fans to design their own shoes and share them on Facebook. One of her friends posted the creation above, and received about 40 "likes" within minutes. "If I pay you $100, will you let me keep them?" read one of the comments on the post. There's no better brand play than a fan creating art around your product and her friends getting excited about it.
"I think that my peers deserve more than products to buy wrapped up in advertising," Svitak said. "We need ideas to share and causes to believe in — opportunities to lead and teach."
The idealism of youth is indeed a reckoning force when amplified by social media.
"Teenagers invest themselves deeply in causes," said Svitak. When it comes to marketing, "there's a lot of idealism to tap into. Teens don't have cash, but they can do good by using their smarts."
Svitak mentioned microlending website Kiva.org, which empowers people in developing nations with small, low-interest loans. The reach of lending campaigns in her Facebook feed are magnified as kids share and tag friends to get them involved. "We can use peer pressure in destructive ways, and amazing ways," she said.
The net benefit of this public discourse about brands and causes is a new era of corporate transparency, according to Svitak. "Not only do we share things we really like, but we share things that we hate." Just as a brand aims to harness the power of social, a public misstep can be equally damaging. Svitak cited clothing retailer Urban Outfitters' political donations to candidates with anti-gay platforms. The controversy caused a stir on the web after prominent tweeters like Miley Cyrus called the company out.
Not only do they steal from artists but every time you give them money you help finance a campaign against gay equality.#SHADYASHELL
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) May 26, 2011
Indeed, the most viral video ever — KONY 2012 — compelled young social media users to watch and share a 30-minute documentary about atrocities in Uganda.
While many have found fault with KONY 2012, or have debated its value, it remains a testament to the unmatched influence of online youth. "Imagine KONY 2012 with no youth involvement," said Svitak. "It wouldn't be possible."
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