Communicating Among the Millennial Generation:
Communication among today’s youth is used in many ways. They most commonly communicate with one another through texting, social networking sites, and applications. This includes things such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Millennials are used to being connected at all times using mediums such as email, instant messaging (IMing), cell phone texting, or online chat to their friends and families. They are comfortable with electronic communication and spend a lot of time online; in fact 13 to 18-year-olds spend an average of 6 hours per day in front of a screen, including primarily the television and computers. The extreme usage of electronic communication has brought up concerns regarding the long-term effects on the development of interpersonal communication skills within this generation (Shaw & Grant, 2002). The roads to communication have expanded and the majority of communication now takes place online and through social media applications.
Texting
The most common way young adults communicate with each other is through the text message. Text messaging has overtaken speaking on a mobile phone and face-to-face contact as the most frequently used method of every day communication between friends and family. In just 10 years the U.S. alone went from sending 14 billion to 188 billion texts per month. Teens will send on average 90 text messages per day, compared to only 17 calls per day. In the TIME mobility poll, 32% of all respondents said they'd rather communicate by text than phone, even with people they know very well. The use of the telephone has had a dramatic effect on society as a whole, from the way we socialize, work, and even think.
The March 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine has an excellent chart overview of the two generations (Generation X and the Millennials):
The March 2009 issue of Entrepreneur Magazine has an excellent chart overview of the two generations (Generation X and the Millennials):
Social Media
The social media movement is causing noticeable acceleration in communication technology innovation. Social media websites and applications allow people to create, share, and exchange information with one another all over the world. A few examples of technology in social media include blogs, vlogs (video blogs), forums, micro blogging (Twitter), sharing videos, sharing photos, and email. These new communications mediums are already making an impact on our lives. In the past year I’ve become a heavy user of Twitter as a communication platform. This unique type of social media has helped people communicate with friends and family as well as meet new people with those of the same interest as them. Facebook has also had a major impact on how many people communicate. In the past, most communication took place over the phone or via mail. With the invention of email, communicating with other people became faster and easier. However, it was the development of social networking that transformed interpersonal communication. Using social media networks, people can chat live and share the most cherished details of their lives through frequent posts, uploaded images, videos, and public biographies. Thanks to social media, people living in different countries can share their lives on Facebook or Twitter through pictures, text updates, and video chat. Important messages can easily be distributed to large groups of recipients, and people can network with one another for work, mentoring, and even romance. Through the wide spread use of social media all over the world, it has become increasingly easy to share and receive news. From online dating to professional networking, social media has revolutionized the way people communicate. Thanks to these popular websites and networks, people are able to keep in touch with old friends and family and loved ones and share ideas on virtually any issue or topic. With the help of social media, important world events are shared to everyone within minutes if not seconds.