We get MySpace and we most certainly get Facebook, so why have LinkedIn and Twitter gotten swept under the rug?

I got to thinking about this when this past weekend, I had an interesting conversation with my uncle (late 50′s) and cousin (16). I asked them both “Have you heard of Twitter?” and recieved variations of “Yeah, you think I live under a rock?”

The difference after initial recognition? What I see on a regular day basis: my uncle gets it; and although he hasn’t actually gotten around to opening an account, he understands the benefits it could bring him and his company. Meanwhile, my 16-year old cousin thinks it’s silly to tweet what you’re doing, and she brings up a legitimate point with ”You can update your status on Facebook, why would I want to do it twice?” (I would’ve gotten into the majesty of Ping and TweetDeck with her, had I not thought her head would spin.)

The thing is, while we Generation Y-er’s – also affectionately called Millennials – (those of us born between 1980 and 2000) are more likely to try something new, yet we don’t necessarily see the benefits of continuing to use and take it a step further by actually leveraging it.

For those still in school, I completely understand. Their comfort zone lies in realms of Facebook and, dare I say it, MySpace. These are the places where we can share our photos from the night before, videos we’ll later regret, and embarrassing drunken wall posts we’d been convinced at the time were private messages.

So allow me to clarify: I love my generation, they’re awesome. I’ll be the first to argue that many of us don’t fall into the unfortunate lazy, we-know-it-all stereotype. But it’s the more professional platforms of LinkedIn and Twitter where I feel we still fall short. To be fair, I do follow several older teens/young adults on Twitter who are great, but are also more than happy to LOLz the crap out of me. (I’m happy to report I narrowly escaped this new era of adding a ‘z’ to everything.)

So to those my fellow Gen-Y’s who just don’t understand social media yet, here’s my best argument:

Job Visibility

It may be the industry I’m in. It may because social media is apart of my job, and I have no choice but to dabble. Then again, the moment I tell friends that Twitter and LinkedIn can be phenomenal for job visibility they’re more than happy to jump onboard. (If you don’t believe me, just check out what @JobsInME is doing on Twitter.)

Meet the Locals

Not only that, but I can’t begin to tell you how many great people I’ve meet in and around Portland thanks to Maine Tweetups. Millenials are known for a thirst for meeting new people, and Twitter’s perfect for it!

Find People in your Niche

Who wouldn’t be interested in this? Have a passion for rock climbing and none of your buddies do? Interested in starting a new fitness regimen and don’t know where to start? I’ve harped about how great Twitter is for business, but it’s great for your personal life too!

Days after I posted that I was getting a new lab puppy, tons of dog trainers in the Greater Portland area started following me. Likewise, LinkedIn is even more helpful with its niche groups.

Nicki Hicks
22 going on 40