This is a presentation I gave to Dallas ASTD chapter on 11-10-09.

1. SoMe and Gen V
Why Should You Care?
The name of this presentation is
“Social Media and Generation V (for Virtual) -- Why Should You Care?”

2. What we’ll cover...
• What IS SoMe, anyway?
• Is it a passing fad?
• Does it have a role in L&D?
• How can I use it?
This presentation has 4 parts ...
- What is Social Media?
- Is it just a fad? Just for geeks? Will it stick?
- Is there a role for SoMe in Learning and Development?
- If there is a role, what are its uses? (Clue: Answer to the question
above is YES!)

3. What is it?

4. Most Popular Sites
Twitter
LinkedIn 7% Facebook
12%
53%
29%
MySpace
% of Online Households Using Social Media
Source: The Conference Board & TNS - 6-16-2009

5. Text
Text
Big Bite! Wiki
No, it is bigger than that!

6. But What Is It?
Wiki
Common Craft FLICKR
Post YouTube
Secret
Links to these examples are as follows (View in this order):
Wikipedia -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media
Common Craft - http://www.commoncraft.com/socialmedia
Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/powerpointbackgrounds/sets/721576225
Post Secret - http://postsecret.blogspot.com 88320690//
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He7Ge7Sogrk
Social Media = concept (art, information, meme) + media (physical, electronic, verbal)
+ social interface

7. Google Wave
Way Cool!!!
• Google: “Google Wave Pulp Fiction”
• or “Google Wave Dead Poets”
Demonstrates principles related to transfer - research shows learners
more likely to transfer learning to job if they have near connection to
content

8. Passing Fad?

9. Who Uses Social
43% of all Internet
users also use
Social Media
43%
57% Up from
27% one
year ago
Did you know ...
Source: The Conference Board & TNS - June 16, 2009
Google: YouTube - Search for Did you know
Demo how to search Google
Play video at this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=jpEnFwiqdx8

10. Twitter
US Adult Twitter Users, 2009-2010 (millions and
% of adult Internet users
19% of
Online
Adults
Microblog
Micro blogging - up to 140 characters

11. US Twitter Users by Age
0 35 70 105 140
12-17
12-17
18-24
18-24
25-34
25-34
36-44
35-44
45-54
45-54
55-6455-64
65+ 65+
Source: comScore Media as cited in press release 04/07/09
Do you use Second Life? LinkedIn? Facebook? Twitter? If you answered yes, then you are likely to be over 35 years old according to
studies that are covered in an article over at Social Computing Journal.

12. Podcasting
• 30 million people
using podcasts in 2010
• Average viewer watches 228 minutes
of video per month (April 2009)
• “I saw it on TV; now I’m going to find
• Source: NY Times August 2009
A recent Accenture survey concluded that Baby boomers, defined in Accenture's survey as those 45 years old or older, are embracing
popular consumer technology applications nearly 20 times faster than younger generations. Compared to a year ago, Gen Y consumers
between the ages of 18 and 24, are decelerating their use of consumer electronics and related services including social networking,
blogging, listening to podcasts and posting video on the Internet. Yet, there was a 67 percent increase among baby boomers reading
blogs or listening to podcasts. May 9, 2009

13. Txtng nu lit-R-cy? :-)
• “I think we are in the midst
of a literacy revolution the
likes of which we haven’t
seen since Greek civilization.”
Andrea Lunsford, Professor of writing and rhetoric
at Stanford
Lunford’s research shows that people today write far more than at any
time in history due to online socializing -- almost all of which is by
text. Wired Magazine - Aug 2009

14. Centenarians do it!
Three per cent of U.S. centenarians questioned in a new survey said they use the service that allows users to send short
text messages, or tweets, of up to 140 characters at least once a week to keep in touch with their friends and family.
Another 10 per cent sent emails to stay connected, 12 per cent shared photos on the Internet and four per cent
downloaded music from the Web.

15. Generational Terms
• Generation Y
• Generation X
• Boomers
• Generation V
Training Professions have given a lot of attention recently to the differences in generational learning
preferences. There is an emerging new category -- Generation V, that bridges all of the other
generational classifications.
Generation V is Generation Virtual -- which addresses the largest growing group of people with
similar characteristics: need a discreet piece of information quickly; learn in small bites; use social
media fluently. There are many common misconceptions about Gen V -- this presentation will
address some of those misconceptions and lead us into a discussion about how to best serve this
group.
Gen V’ers heavily rely on social media tools to gather information. However, how they use social
media varies.

16. Gen Vers
Who are the players?
Gen V’ers can be classified into four groups:
A contributor is someone who adds previously known content to a social networking site.
A creator is someone who creates new content -- information not previously known.
A lurker neither contributes nor creates -- they observe.
The opportunist is someone who is marketing, looking or business, gathering followers, etc.
Some say that less than 15% of Gen V are involved in collecting/generating content. I would say that at least 80% of Gen V are involved and
using social media.
Another concern about social media and Gen V is that the Contributor and Creator may not be an expert and that lurkers can be easily
misinformed. Truthfully, some will be. But as people become more familiar with the “rules of engagement” they know that “wisdom of
crowds” works here and experts are recognized and emerge. Erroneous information is quickly identified and scorned. The system is
somewhat self managed.

17. Passing Fad or Sticky?
There will likely be some market consolidation - but this fad is here to
stay!

18. Does it have a role in L&D?
Yes, and really yes!!
Yes, if you think about L&D traditionally, but really YES if you have
adopted a self-directed learning model.

19. The Learning Terrain
Text

20. Differences in Training and Self Directed Learning -- a paradigm shift

21. High Tech or Touch?
• Craig’s List has more visitors than Amazon or Google! Clunky WORKS!
Craigslist has more traffic than either eBay or Amazon.com. eBay has
more than 16,000 employees and Amazon has more than 20,000.
Craigslist has 30.

22. Here’s what we can envision today
• Blogs to supplement formal training
• Editable reference materials
• Process information
• Scenarios
• FAQs

23. • Link new employees to “experts”
• Wiki to collect data from experts/SMEs
• Pre-workshop preparation via podcast
• Online space for specific sub-
communities
• Blogs and Tweets to marketing
workshops

24. • Tag all participant materials on Delicious
• Wiki for post workshop questions
• Google Groups for cohort learning
groups
• Common Craft type videos

25. Where to learn more...
• Lance Dublin complimentary seminar on Sept 15 - Formalizing Informal
Learning - thttp://www.dublinconsulting.net
• Patti Phillips - 3 pt complimentary series - Emerging Trends in Technology
Enabled Learning - http:www.trainingmagnetwork.com/main/home
• Recorded webinar - Bryan Chapman - 5 New Influences on the Future of
elearning Technology - http://www.trainingmagnetwork.com/main/home
• Jay Cross - Conceptual Models - http://www.scribd.com/doc/2290314/
Conceptual-Models

26. Alternative Apps
Alternative To
For alternative apps for desktop or mobile, check out: http://
alternativeto.net/desktop

27. Q & A
• What’s the AH-HA take-away for
you?
• What one thing are you going to
check out?
• What questions do you have for
me?

28. You Can find this
Presentation
online on Slideshare -
links on my Facebook
and LinkedIn Pages