I recently read about a survey that found cell phones are indispensable to teens. Teens (and even younger kids) see their cell phones as a crucial part of their identities. In fact, my own son has a cell phone. He’s just seven years old, but won’t hesitate to call me asking where the remote is.
The wireless trade association CTIA and Harris Interactive surveyed 2,000 teens across the US and found that about four out of every five teens carry a cell phone (up from 40 percent of teens owning a cell phone in 2004). These aren’t just older teens—nearly half of kids 8-12 own cell phones in the US, according to a Neilson report.
Engagement will be key among this younger demographic, whether you’re looking at it through the lens of future employee or future customer. And the tool for that engagement can be as simple as a cell phone. So for communicators who think we can just bypass the whole social media fad, tomorrow’s employee will be so integrated with collaborative technologies, they’ll expect to see those same tools in the workplace. And most likely, they’ll access those tools on the fly from wherever they happen to be.
Web-based communications are increasingly becoming as important as face-to-face. A recent article in The New York Times suggests that today’s kids are so comfortable with virtual socialization that they see less of a distinction between a night spent socializing with virtual friends and a Friday night party.
The funny thing is, when you ask a child what social media is, they don’t have a clue. But give them an iPhone, and they’ll be downloading apps in no time. Or ask them to bring you their favorite book, and they’ll hand you a Kindle.
Communications are rapidly changing, but many companies seem stuck in their old ways. And a company that’s not innovative can quickly be replaced by one that is.
Good Company - Social Media, Internal Communications and Leadership Best Practices 