I'm finding it incredibly annoying that many marketers are attaching social media almost exclusively to the Millenials, as if the rest of humanity had no clue about technology or media shifts. There are a few other generations that could offer a tip or two about real technology shifts. If you're a Gen Xer, you saw your workplace massively changed by technology in an instant by software and the Internet. You started your career in the middle of a period of 10 percent employment (sound familiar?) You built relationships over time based on trust and performance. If you're a Gen Xer, you're bemused by the rise of social media, not because it's unfamiliar, but because it's all too familiar. You've seen this movie before. Marketers seem to have missed this, however, and assume that social media is a millenials novelty that only they use and understand. Here's a flash: Not only do my peers get it, they're quick to sort the trash from the substance, and put it to practical use. When marketers need to monetize their media efforts, they'll quickly learn the value of a broader view.
