Social Verses

This discussion about Generation Y was originally part of my Subconcious Motivation post, but as I was writing, I determined it was really a subject on its own, so I pulled it out to a separate post. If you didn’t read that post (why didn’t you?), it put forth the theory that tweeters and bloggers have two subconscious motivations: they want to make an impact on the world, and they have a need to belong.

About two months ago, I read an article that said that Generation Y (kids in their teens to mid-20s) is not into Twitter. I found that surprising at the time. My thinking was that because that generation is into the texting with cell phones, that should naturally extend into Twitter.

That sparked a mini discussion with @hartsock who agreed with the article. A few weeks later, he tweeted another article to me that teens don’t use Twitter.

Having thought about my wife said, this actually makes sense. While Gen Y is at a stage where they want to belong, they don’t care about the world at large and aren’t interested in putting their proverbial stake in it. They are in their own little world, interested in their own friends and family, and aren’t at a point in life where they have the desire to change the world.

Texting makes sense because they are communicating with people they know. Facebook makes sense because, again, only people they know are allowed to be their friends. They would have no idea what to do with strangers that are following them willy nilly. And, for teens, that’s probably a good thing.

These are, of course, sweeping generalities that match most of the group defined as Gen Y. I’m sure there are plenty of teenagers and people in their early to mid 20s that use Twitter. And I bet they fall into the same category as most Twitter users as described above. But given the research, they are in the minority.

Are you a Gen Y-er that tweets? If so, why are you on Twitter? If not, do you think the research is right? Please leave a comment with your thoughts.

As I was preparing to write my Why I Tweet post, I had a discussion with my wife about my thoughts on the subject. While she didn’t really understand what I was talking about, or understand Twitter in general, she understood enough to have her own theory about why people tweet. While she doesn’t like to take credit for it, she has a lot of insight into the human psyche. While my Why I Tweet post dealt mostly with the conscious thought processes of why I tweet, my wife offered a deeper, subconscious motivation.

Her theory was that tweeters are the type of people that are wanting to make an impact on the world. They are trying to make a difference in people’s lives by being informative. On a less flattering note, they are also people that are looking for a place to belong. I had to put some thought into her hypothesis, but I think there is some truth to what she said, in both respects.

I do want to make my mark on the world and, as much as I hate to admit it, I enjoy participating in the clique that is Twitter and in knowing that fellow tweeters like me enough to recommend me for #followfriday.

Blogging is much the same. If you’ve read any of my earlier posts, you know I think of Twitter as a microblogging tool. So as a blogger, I have the same motivation, but just in a more long-winded sense. Blogging would, however, tend to skew toward the impact-on-the-world theory more than the wanting-to-belong theory, but as a blogger, I do like to see comments appear on my posts agreeing with my babble.

Certainly, the blogs like Mashable and TechCrunch are more online magazines than weblogs that the word “blog” is derived from, but blogs from people like you and me are more of our soap box in the virtual Hyde Park of the web.

What do you think? Agree or disagree? Please leave a comment with your thoughts. So I can feel loved.

Apple has released word that Steve Jobs has returned to work at Apple. I, for one, am relieved to hear that he’s feeling well enough to return to his duties. Not just because he is back at the helm at Apple, but because it means he is feeling well again.

A recent article lamented how the recent passing of Michael Jackson marks the passing of superstars of pop culture. Such super-fame will never again be achieved. But in the technical world, one superstar still remains.

If you came of age in the late 80s and early 90s like I did, you had one of two technology messiahs: Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. Your choice showed which technology camp you were in. Steve Jobs was mine.

The Apple ][ was great, but Jobs first really impressed with the Mac. The personal computer was just starting out and Apple's answer to the clunky, text-based PCs (Apple ][ included) was a user interface that was clean, intuitive, and ... sexy. But while Jobs had the vision, Gates had the business acumen. Gates tied Microsoft to an open hardware architecture that was easy to duplicate and, therefore, very inexpensive. When he copied the Mac interface, the PC eventually took over the home market.

Jobs eventually left Apple and almost faded into obscurity. But he wasn't done yet. In 1996, he called Apple and came back as an unpaid advisor. He made, what some consider, a deal with the devil, brokering a deal with Microsoft that gave them (non-voting) share ownership to the tune of $150 million. But with Apple struggling, this was a genius move to help fund projects that would change the world.

First came the redesign of the Mac. The semi-opaque shells started a design revolution in the electronics industry that lasted for years. It made technology cool, hip, and... sexy. He moved the internals to Intel and released OS X. The geeks among you will appreciate how basing a home computer operating system on Unix was a revolution in and of itself. He did what Linus Torvalds' couldn't do. He put Unix into the home.

Next came the iPod. Mp3 players already existed, but here again, the design was what was genius. No blocky form factors and traditional play, pause, and stop buttons. The track wheel was something never seen before. It was intuitive and... (wait for it...) sexy. And putting the Mac interface on it made it easy to use.

Then there was the iPhone. Here was a device that not only revolutionized cell phones, it revolutionized user interfaces for all mobile devices. The touch concepts of the iPhone are appearing everywhere. And guess what? It's sexy.

Only Apple insiders truly know if these were designs in Jobs's head, or ideas that came from his talent pool. One thing is clear to outsiders like you and me, though. And that is that Jobs led the revolution. It was either his visions, or his drive to create these visions that changed how we use technology forever.

Part of Jobs’s star quality is that he doesn’t believe he’s a star. He is always soft spoken and humble. He doesn’t care about money. He just wants to make things that people will use and enjoy. In his announcements of new products, there are no flashing lights, no loud music. He simply dons his black turtleneck and jeans and lets the products wow the audience. The products speak for themselves.

While Bill Gates changed the world with his business genius, there will be plenty that will be able to duplicate his effort. But Steve Jobs is one of a kind. He is a true visionary.

I hope Steve Jobs has his health problems behind him so he can continue impressing us for the next 20-30 years. I’m glad to see Steve Jobs back at Apple so he can continue work on his next great vision. I can’t wait to see what’s next up his sleeve.