Facebook is for Kiddies, Right?
May 23rd, 2008 by Bob Bly
In another breathless Fast Company column about social media and high-tech toys, Robert Scoble got excited about some gizmo that made it easier for him to access Facebook.
I e-mailed him and asked him, in all sincerity, why he — given that he is an adult — or anyone else long out of diapers would care about Facebook?
According to an article in eM+C (6/08, p. 17), 87% of U.S. Facebook users are age 30 or younger.
Honestly, I would have expected the statistic to be that 100% of Facebook users are age 20 or under.
I cannot for the life of me understand why any rational adult — aside from pedophiles looking to set up their next felony encounter, or bored, unemployed young adults living in their parents’ basement — would spend one second on Facebook.
I hope Scoble will clear this up for me. But if not, and you use Facebook, can you?
I just don’t see the appeal or value.
This entry was posted on Friday, May 23rd, 2008 at 1:29 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
This from the guy that still sends audio tapes with his copyrighting promotional package. (I still haven’t found anything to listen to it on.)
Take this in the spirit in which it is intended… The idea of a requirement anymore for being a certain age or having certain experience before becoming the CEO or owner of a business, let alone a consumer, is long gone.
The idea of the “large” corporation is going away, and those small companies that are springing up are being put together by and for people under 40… people that use facebook.
Consider it the next baby boomer trend, but we aren’t waiting for it, and it’s here right now!
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I guess 13% are journalists who need to write about Facebook.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Seriously??? I guess I qualify as one of those 13% over 30. Facebook is a great way to catch up with people from your past - old friends, classmates - people that you’ve lost contact with because of moving and life. In the past year I’ve been able to talk with friends I never thought I’d hear from again. (ya know those high school friends that you kept in touch with for a couple of years while in college and then dropped off the planet.) Sure, there’s all the applications and misc. “kiddie” stuff on Facebook, but it is a great tool for networking as well as finding people with same interests.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:19 pm
Prediction: Bob Bly’s next post will be titled “Damn Kids, Get of my Lawn!”
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:45 pm
I’m a way-over-30 Facebook user. My daughter (29) is on her second tour of duty in Iraq. Every member of our family set up Facebook accounts just before she left again as a way to keep in touch with her–posting photos, little “thinking of you” notes, etc. I know many military families that keep in touch with deployed kids this way. I don’t use it for anything else though.
May 24th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Well, facebook started out as the more professional, serious alternative to MySpace. Then it just degraded and became the next MySpace.
As for Scoble, he’s the king of the self-fulfilling prophecy. I had been following him on Twitter. Then the other night he started talking about, and I’m assuming taking pics of, the stickers on his laptop. It was the perfect, “I don’t have anything to say, but I’d better say something so that next week I can write a column about how much traffic there is on Twitter” moment.
May 24th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Funny. Even my 14-year old son is pretty much fed up with facebook. He says he still gets on there to talk to his friends, but now he just ignores all the stupid applications and quizzes.
A friend of mine (who is herself under 30, but that’s not really relevant here) and very much into regional politics uses it a lot to network with people, build awareness of her “brands” (politicians), etc. Actually, I ought to ask her what exactly she does use it for.
- Gary (a 40+ occasional facebook user)
May 24th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Actually, Bob, if this is how you see facebook, can you tell us your thoughts on twitter? Or can they not be used in mixed company?
May 24th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Who’s got the time to waste? Yes, I’m north of 30 by quite a bit and certainly no Luddite. But there’s better things to do.
And keeping in touch with people from the past? There’s a reason they’re in your past and not in your present. Leave ‘em lie.
You know, Bob, I think this is stems from a culture that has to be continuously entertained.
May 25th, 2008 at 11:03 am
James: I send CDs, not audios. As for not finding anything worth listening to, marketers find its contents so valuable, I am invited at 5K a pop to present the same material live to their staff. Perhaps they know something you do not….
Gary: My thoughts on twitter: I have none, because I’ve never even seen it.
Kara: Who has time to spend searching for old friends and classmates? I’m much too busy with the real work of work, taking care of my family, and living life to be nostalgic about old high school or college chums. Seems an unproductive use of time and energy to me….
Kelja: You hit the nail on the head: it’s people looking for entertainment, perhaps because their jobs or life are not entertaining enough….
May 25th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
Bob, Actually Facebook is for business purposes. The CEO of Beth Israel Deaconess writes the Running a Hospital blog and he also has a Facebook account where employees can contact him.
Social networking sites like Facebook do have a business purpose. However, if you’re busy, the way I am, you can’t keep up with them. I’m on LinkedIn because that is where my clients are — however, even that can take alot of time if you let it.
As for Twitter, I simply cannot comprehend being that connected. But that is probably due to my age and the fact that I’d rather spend my time with my family, walking the dogs, or reading.
May 25th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
@Bob,
I’m pretty much with you on Facebook–I think it’s great for those under 30, or probably, under 20.
But for working adults–and particularly for business purposes?–it’s just another thing that takes up time from, as you say, “the real work of work, taking care of my family, and living life.”
@Kelja,
You make a great point when you observe:
“And keeping in touch with people from the past? There’s a reason they’re in your past and not in your present. Leave ‘em lie.”
I’m with you and Bob that if we have a life, that’s where our focus, energy, and time should be, rather than nostalgia for people we used to know but haven’t seen in years.
Carpe diem. While you still can.
May 26th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Dianna: I think you have nailed it. Social networking sites are a great opportunity for those of us who need to network for business or career advancement to achieve those goals. But if you already have much more business than you could ever hope to handle, you need to spend your time doing your work, not twittering around on Twitter.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:24 am
It always bugs me when people use Facebook for business purposes.
I dislike getting friend invites from people I don’t know and can’t stand people who think I’d be interested in their every blog post. But if you’ve been more than an acquaintance sometime in my life then Facebook is a great way to keep in touch without having to “keep in touch”.
I have 484 friends on Facebook. I would NEVER email about 450 of them, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy seeing what they’re up to - hearing they’re engaged, seeing their new kid, wishing them happy birthday on their wall, enjoying the photos from their travels, etc.
Like somebody said earlier - “there’s a reason they’re in your past and not in your present”. I, on the other hand, won’t “leave ‘em lie.” I like seeing what they’re up to here and there - and Facebook is the perfect way of doing so (since Email, Snail Mail, and Phone Calls are way more formal).
May 26th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Chad, I sometimes wonder if it’s an age thing. I enjoy knowing what other people are up to, too. I guess that is why I subscribe to so many e-newsletters and read people’s blogs. I enjoy seeing brief glimpses of people and their personal lives.
However, I really don’t want to people to know what I’m doing ALL the time. Nor do I think they really want to know!
Bob — I agree with you. I would much rather spend my time reading a book on how to make my business more profitable than follow banal postings on Twitter.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
I got a facebook account to keep up with what my daughters are up to. Then I read that facebook is the next big thing so I am paying more attention to it. Then I noticed that Charlie Byrne of Early To Rise has a facebook account when he mentioned it in a column last week. So he and I are now “friends” whatever that really means in the real world. Through him I asked to be friends with Rich Schefren who is a biggie in the online world.
So I’ll spend a minimum of time watching this and see what happens. I know that when the telephone was introduced many said who would ever need a telephone when you can just go across the street and see a person face to face? Ditto with Federal Express and now people can express mail steaks. Who would have thought of it?
May 27th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Not seeing the value of Facebook or Twitter or any other social network is like not seeing the value of networking in general - whether it’s face to face in a client/prospect mtg or at a conference.
Personally, I don’t have the time to fly all over the world to meet & greet speaking at conferences these days.
I am much more productive by meeting and greeting 100’s at a time via Twitter, instead of a few dozen at an in person event that I have to waste time flying from Hawaii to get - minimum of 5+ hours to get anywhere.
Weird - I must be among the mere 13% who has 3,000 friends/followers OVER 30 years of age on Facebook, Twitter & MySpace (@CoachDeb on Twitter, “MotivationMD” on MySpace * “DeborahMicek” on Facebook)
I am intrigued how many men just don’t get online social networks. And I wonder if this gives women who DO get it, and participate in the new media marketplace the edge…
http://snipurl.com/womenrule
I guess time will tell if Facebook & Twitter is just another productivity killer - and an utter waste of time - or the new way to meet new people & stay connected to what’s relevant in the marketplace in this century - in the fastest way possible.
PS: I only came across this post after commenting on Robert Scoble’s post via Twitter this evening replying to Bob Bly’s question to him.
Results via statistics?
Robert = 20 comments within 20 minutes of posting at 3:00AM!
Bob Bly = 12 comments (not including his own or repeats) over the course of 4 days.
Now - you tell me if TWitter is still an utter waste of time.
(Who knows what it will be in another few hours when @Scobleizer’s east coast followers wake up)
But I’ll be watching - since I’m following Robert Scoble via Twitter - the one who tweeted about China’s earthquake 3 minutes before any “old news sites” had any mention of it.
http://Twitter.com/CoachDeb
May 27th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Deb,
I attend real world conferences and networking events. I also “get” social media and use it.
But, just how many people can you actually connect and keep up with? I have about 400 or so people in my in-house database — I’m probably in contact with half of them on a regular basis.
I cannot imagine being “friends” with 3,000 people, nor would I want to.
At 3:00 AM my time, I’m asleep. During east coast business hours, I’m usually working! Someone has to pay the bills — and following all kinds of blog posts — whether they’re Tweets or traditional posts — usually doesn’t do the job effectively.
(Which means, I really need to get off this discussion thread!)
Here is dumb question for you: how does Twitter make money?
May 27th, 2008 at 8:24 am
Deb: I have over 50,000 subscribers to my e-newsletter with whom I communicate weekly via e-mail. In exchange, they send me between $4,000 to $10,000 a week to buy my information products. How much money do your 3,000 followers on Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace send you each week?
Also, networking is only of value depending where you are in your life and career. At this point in my career, I have much more work than I could ever hope to handle, and people know where to find me. So doing Twitter or whatever would be a waste of time better spent on projects I am writing for clients and publishers.
May 27th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Bob, I agree with you. I published this blog entry earlier this year on the subject if interested: http://lowtechtimes.com/2008/03/17/facebook-accounts-are-completely-unnecessary/
May 28th, 2008 at 12:13 am
Yes, I have purchased your products in the past and LOVE them Bob! Great stuff. Your content, books, etc. alll great.
However, for the small business owner who hasn’t yet built up a name for himself/herself & doesn’t yet have a subscriber list of 50,000 - 100,000 as some of these big Internet Marketers have - NEED some way to connect online - esp if they can’t get to in person events - or don’t have time for them.
For you, if you’re satisfied w/ the work you’ve got - no need to join or participate in Twitter.
We’re glad you have this blog that you participate w/ your clients/subscribers - b/c it allows us to really “feel” like we’re getting to “know you”. (Perhaps a need more for women who buy online more than men?)
This subject of men vs. women on social networks and who is more likely to gravitate to them was largely debated one weekend on the new media blog of Entrepreneur Mag:
http://snipurl.com/entmag3
But let’s put the “monetary” aspect aside for just a moment re: Twitter & look at “other uses” for Twitter - such as:
> getting news alerts
> learning about the earthquake in China before any news source started reporting it
Now this might not seem relevant for anyone not interested in what’s happening half a world away - however it’s highly relevant for me living in Hawaii - needing as much notification to watch for Tsunami alerts.
Imagine being able to alert my Hawaii following of an earthquake in Japan that could translate into Tsuanmi for our islands, and being able to save lives, protect property, animals, etc.
Weather reports like this are happening all over TWitter locally in different states & countries around the world. So for someone else - it might be a Tornado warning, or storm warning, etc.
I learned about an accident while stuck on a 2 lane highway on the north shore via TWitter.
There are more and more accounts like this happening all over the place - not related to monetary benefit at all - unless you value your life in monetary terms.
So - I spent this time here (when I should be streaming LIVE via Ustream w/ my clients) because I honestly hope I can shed light & offer a different perspective about Twitter / Facebook etc. than many people are currently talking about.
Keep on blogging! & providing the value that you do.
http://TwitterHandbook.com
will share more and more stories of how Twitter is being used for diverse purposes.
May 28th, 2008 at 7:55 am
What bothers me most is the evangelical attitude of new media advocates. If you love all this stuff, fine. But why does Scoble feel the need to mock those of us who either are not interested in it or do not understand it? Why do blogging consultants attack those of us who have great success in — and make lots of money with — old media like direct mail, e-mail, and landing pages?
May 28th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Old media used to be new media at some point. You’re just afraid of change, that’s all.
May 28th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Bob,
The sample that I received from you about three months ago had an audio cassette in it.
I would find it worth listening to, as I respect your knowledge, and I own a few of your books, but it’s been about 5 years since I used a cassette player.
I know you know your stuff, but the audio tape you sent me (3 months ago) kind of put me off.
If I send it back, can I get a CD… (another soon to be dated technology)
May 28th, 2008 at 10:22 am
James: you don’t need to send it back. Just email your snail mail address to me at rwbly@bly.com and we’ll send the CD to you.
Alana: I am not afraid of change. But I am smart enough to spend my time and money on what gives me the greatest ROMD (return on marketing dollars) — not just on what’s hip and trendy.
May 29th, 2008 at 4:34 am
I suppose b/c I consider myself a business consultant - NOT a “blogger” or new media nazi.
I am however very excited about how new media has given the SMALL business owner the opportunity to get big & get exposure on a very limited budget.
Where they might not be able to afford to do a direct mail piece - but they have no excuse not to get their name out on social networking sites, etc.
Think of these new media things as “free PR”. You can apply the same tag line from your book “Targeted Public Relations” “how to get thousands of dollars of free publicity for your product, service, organization or idea.
Does that help put it in a different perspective?
For me, I’ll reread your book on my shelf (now moved to my desk) and look at it w/ fresh eyes w/ all the cool new tools to be able to apply some of the strategies - just in a “different way” - or using a “different TOOL” b/c that’s all Blogging really is - a TOOL.
Personally - I think the companies who totally ignore OFFline marketing will not have the edge that a business will have if they do BOTH - online AND offline - in order to meet the most amount of people where THEY want to be reached.
Make more sense?
Does this help?
May 30th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
@Bob - You put words in my mouth - I never said I spent time searching for old classmates. When you go through the sign-up process for Facebook (and I realize you chose to “review a product” without actually trying it for yourself, otherwise you would know what it’s all about), some of the information you have the option to provide is your alma mater. Then if there’s already an existing network for the school, your name is added to the list.
Kristi & Chad - I totally agree with you and why you use Facebook. With family and friends spread out across the country, it’s an easy, fast, convenient way to share photos and other life events with each other. Much more efficient than sending multiple emails and following up with all of them.
And I never said it takes energy to use Facebook.
May 31st, 2008 at 8:52 am
Kara: Do you know how much time I spend sharing photos and other life events with family and friends spread out across the country? None. If you’re busy and productive, you don’t have time for such nonsense. And if I really want to reconnect with an old friend, I pick up the phone and call.
June 9th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
“Do you know how much time I spend sharing photos and other life events with family and friends spread out across the country? None.”
How sad.
“And if I really want to reconnect with an old friend, I pick up the phone and call.”
That’s ridiculous. How would you find their current contact info (unless you’re assuming they’ve never moved)? Heck, if they’re female, how would you even necessarily know their current last name?
June 11th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Michael: It is surprisingly easy to find people offline — if you know how. Usually I can do it with a phone call or two. And what’s sad to me is the out-of-control sending of useless and irrelevant crap (bad jokes, video clips) back and forth via e-mail. It wastes both your time and the recipient’s. When I get one, I reply by asking the sender not to send me any more stuff.