A Modern Family

My family has not been exempt from the influences of social media. Like hundreds of millions of others worldwide, each of us logs in nearly everyday. What I find most interesting, though, is the different ways in which we utilize the networking sites. From what I have observed since starting my blog, I have come to believe that the way my family uses social networking can serve as a microcosm for the patterns of most users.

First, there is my brother. He is a 10 year old boy with an overwhelming interest in video games. He does not have a Facebook, however, because I think that he is a little too young for that. Him and his friends do use other forms of social networking, however, such as video games online and through the x-box, and forums to talk even more about their video games. By the way this use of social media is utilized by all of his friends, I have come to believe that most 10 year old boys with access to the Internet use it this way: to have constant contact about the things that are important to them, or just to explore the Internet, but not really to deepen friendships. Also, since my brother has grown up with easy access to these technological advances more than any other generation, he heavily relies on it for after school activity.

My age group, on the other-hand, is very well acquainted with Facebook and other social networking sites. From what I can see online, and through my own personal use, I have noticed that people in high school generally use it to share things about their own lives: pictures, relationships, thoughts, etc. While we use it to keep in contact with long distance friends, that is not its sole purpose. We also use it as a way to talk to people we could just as easily go see in person. Also, we are friends with people who we probably wouldn't call friends in real life. Different from my brother's generation, though, is that we also know how to have other types of fun and socialization. Because we were not so heavily dependent on it as children, we don't have trouble going without it for a period of time if necessary.

My dad and my mom use Facebook differently. My mom uses it mostly for business: she is a real estate agent, and often posts pictures of the houses she is selling or has sold. She rarely logs on or comments for purposes other than to promote her business (although even if she wanted to, she has no idea how to use it). My dad, on the other hand, uses it solely for the purpose of keeping in contact with old friends. Even if a peer from high school adds him on Facebook, he will not accept unless he actually wants to talk to them and they liked one another in the past. I think that, though the roles of my parents may change for other situations, this is generally the way social media works for adults. They either use it for business or for maintaining real friendships.