The research question:

When it comes to social media representation of generations, I would like to understand how social media specifically represents each individual generation and how it helps distinguish each generation from another. The way that social media has been used is different as the years go by. When mass communication first started with the invention of the printing press, it has further developed and each generation receives media in different ways. The different ways that generations receive media can be a representation of generations. Specifically, the way a generation receives a specific form of media can be a representation on how social media represents a generation. There are different stages of media starting with oral and ending with digital media. I want to break those stages down and investigate what stage of media each generation uses the most. With this I can ask how generations use social media in different ways. Is the way my grandparents use social media the same way that me and my friends use social media? The answer is most likely no, but why? As technology developed, social media becomes more specific and more accessible. Media went from a place where it was created by a sender and given to a large audience of receivers, but now, media can and is created by anyone and everyone. The approaches of social media have changed overtime due to the technological advancements. What does social media consist of, and how does each aspect of social media relate to generations? For example, our grandparents are not necessarily on tik tok, and we are not necessarily on Facebook. Would our society be more cohesive if every generation received media in the same what, or is it a good thing that the way generations receive media is different? Overall, I want to understand how social media is received and used amongst all generations, and how it affects society as a whole.

What I have found so far:

To give me some good background, the Media & Culture textbook by Campbell Martin and Fabos Becker describes four different stages of media and communication. These different stages can be seen as generations come along. The first stage is the oral stage and this is how media would be communicated in a time with no technology. The next stage is the written stage which followed the invention of the printing press. This was the first form of mass media and the generations that lived during this time all read the same piece of media through mass printing. Next was the electronic era, this is how baby boomers used to receive mass media. They got media all from the same place that was electronic. The last stage, the stage we are currently in, is the digital era. Everyone has the access to create media digitally. Modern day social media amongst different generations can be investigated in “How Different Generations use Social media by Siddhi Kamble looks into how baby boomers, gen x, millenials, and gen z all use social media.” With that being said, I think it would be important to look at the ways social media reaches its audience. Digital Literacy by Susan Wiesinger shows the different approaches social media has and how they have changed over time. There is the bazooka approach, shotgun approach, BB gun approach, and the magnifying glass and the ant approach. All of these approaches are metaphors to show how social media’s audience target has decreased in size overtime. Modern day social media is catered towards an individual. There is similarity within these individuals. The individuals of gen z might have similarly catered social media and the same for gen x. This shows that social media is used by all sorts of ages, but it is used differently and the difference can be a distinguishing factor of generations. An article and a research analysis from science direct (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296318300316) shows how younger generations marginal happens can sometimes correlate with the products that are presented on social media and how having and wearing a certain logo can be somewhat significant for younger generations. With what I have found so far, I want to continue to explore the affect that social media has on its audience as an individual and how that differentiates between generations. I also want to come up with a way that we can use social media to tell the difference between generations.