Learn from your children

If you want to understand technology-based social networks, talk to your children. They are connected to each other, all the time. The current tools are Facebook, Skype, online gaming forums, and cellphones (voice and text). They are not loyal to any specific platform. They move to where their friends are and to where the technology makes it easier for them to stay connected. Remember AOL instant messenger (AIM), Dead. LiveJournal, where they shared their deepest thoughts with 50-100 closest friends. Dead. Friendster-nope, MySpace? Only if they are in a band. Twitter, not yet, maybe never. Through Facebook and Skype they know the online status of their friends at any given moment and can contact them, chat, ask for advice, video or voice conference. Everything is free and they can self-organize their own communities of interest.

So your association wants to start using social media? How open, flexible, and free is your platform. How do your tools compare to what 20 somethings take for granted?