It's like TV. I'm not interested in wrestling, I don't watch wrestling, and wrestling isn't part of my TV experience. I tell people who say there's only trivia on Twitter that they're following the wrong people. It's like saying TV is worthless because they only have weird Japanese cartoons and foreign language talk shows.

Social media provides just the focus you're asking for. It's more focused than any other broadcast medium because you choose the focus.

Finally, I think adoption of social media by older executives isn't critical – it just leaves more opportunities for young, energetic companies and executives who do 'get it'.

Based on Ryon's post about the reticence of older execs toward social media, the question is posed as: who is using social media technology and how old they are? I think the question can and should be reframed as: how is social media technology being used, by whom and to what value?

Put another way, why does or should age matter? Lord knows I don't care what Ashton had for breakfast, that Miley has dropped her Twitter account (telling us so via her YouTube rap video…yo yo yo!) or that any 20-something has just burped, watched porn, seen a "hottie" or set fire to his iPhone by mistake. There's precious little value in any of that.

Of course the social media technology and tools of today offer (and deliver) so much more than the above examples of tripe. Executives DO care about better customer service, gaining consumer insights, fast-tracking product innovation via crowdsourcing techniques, etc., etc. – all leverage social media technologies.

But let's face it…a lot of the stuff on Twitter, Facebook, et al is 'junk mail' that can go in the trash (which is what used to happen to junk mail, when there was mail). It's not worth the energy it takes to open the envelope or scan the tweetstream. Unfortunately, that “trash” gets in the way for too many people.

In a world that is busier than ever, with more demands placed on one's time and energy and less time to act/respond/react, one key factor for success (and probably sanity) is FOCUS. And, that demands that some things get less time and attention. Those items or activities that contribute less to your goals tend to get less of your time. It's human nature for survival. And, while evangelists may not like it, much of social media is contributing zilch to the organizational goals of most enterprises and executives.

When you combine these considerations with David's insights re privacy and selectivity of information sharing, it's not at all surprising that 'older execs' are not flocking to social media. If they did, who'd run the company?

Still, I don't think that the older generations of leaders are intimidated or see this technology as lacking value. I know many senior level execs, and even those who are not fully utilizing the latest in social media technology for their company's advantage today are thinking about how they can begin to turn social technologies into strategic assets. So, it's not as much a matter of "getting it" as a matter of finding time and resources to get it done (without encountering Ashton or Miley).

In the end, it’s an age-old pattern repeating itself. Not everyone is on the bandwagon for every new development at the outset. There are early adopters and there are several generations of adoption that follow over time. Eventually, it becomes ubiquitous. Think of personal computers in companies – can anyone remember the days when everyone did not have a desktop or laptop for his office or business use? It’s true…those days existed. And, how about mobile phones…used to be a rarity; today they have almost replaced land lines (and have in some countries).

So, I’m not too concerned that these seasoned executives don’t “get it.” They’ve been around a block or two…they have seen a few things in their day, so they know disruptive and game-changing technology when it’s here (and it is). Let’s see where things are in a few years…the debate on this may be well over by then. In fact, I’m betting on it…there will be something new and different to grapple with by then!

Thanks for your response. Very thoughtful and right on target. Thanks for answering my question. I think we are all more informed on the subject thanks to your post. I recommend that all readers click on David's link to read on.

Ryon

David Flanagan

http://wp.me/pCYqJ-w