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Is Gen Y making us more accountable?

January 28, 2010 by Sarah Newton  
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Gen Y is making us accountable and that is a good thing.

There has been a revolt going on in Internet Marketing. A revolt, I have to say, that Maria (@websuccessdiva)and I said would happen, but I have to look on it with a slight chuckle as the social media gurus try and make sense of it all.

In brief, this is the story so far. “Big internet marketing guru sells package at astronomical price, stating extraordinary claims and then does not deliver, people get angry and put their two pennies worth in on social media, some of the comments get nasty. A lot of social media gurus jump on the band wagon and then quickly turn tail and run, claiming that speaking out like this is a bad thing.”

I mean, you can see how ridiculous it is!

Lesson: if you can’t play the social media game the way it is meant to be played, keep out of the kitchen!

To me, this is an example of Generation X sticking their nose in and trying to manage something that cannot be managed when the rules of it really belong to Gen Y.

Generation Y, our youth and young adults of today, have caused an amazing phenomenon of social interaction in a way that we have never seen before. However, it has some norms and rules.

Firstly, Gen Y demand authenticity and transparency, they are not afraid to speak out. For them, social media is a way to get heard and a way to speak their truth. If you don’t want people telling their truth about you, then keep off social media! To play this game you have to be OK with some unkind blog comments, some slating of your videos and a calling on most things you do. To expect anything less is foolish; we cannot give the power to the people and then tell them to shut up when we do not like what has been said.

While I am the first to agree that slander and malicious things posted on the web are very, very bad news, someone commenting on their experience of you and what you do is, surely, just their opinion.

Hang with the youth, watch what they say and do on-line and you will see they do not hold back; they say what they think and they don’t feel bad about it. Is that a bad thing? While they may not always do it the right way, I can guarantee that their feedback is always spot on and has some truth in it.

I always think twice before posting anything, asking myself if I have been truthful and authentic in what I say. It keeps me humble and grounded.

Gen Y demand (and so they should) accountability. The networks they created allow for that first and foremost. So if you are going to use Facebook and other social sites to sell and make ludicrous claims, you had better be ready and not whinge about it when you are called on it.

Internet Marketers come in, your time is up, Gen Y are watching and waiting to make and hold you accountable, and so they should.

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Tags: Generation Y, internet marketing, Social Media

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  1. blurp.co.za says:
    February 4, 2010 at 5:30 am

    Is Gen Y Making us More Accountable?…

    Gen Y is making us accountable and that is a good thing. How Gen Y Lead the way….

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  2. http://bbs.shang-shan.com says:
    February 4, 2010 at 5:21 am

    Is Gen Y Making us More Accountable?…

    Gen Y is making us accountable and that is a good thing. How Gen Y Lead the way….

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  3. pligg.com says:
    February 4, 2010 at 5:19 am

    Is Gen Y Making us More Accountable?…

    Gen Y is making us accountable and that is a good thing. How Gen Y Lead the way….

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  4. uberVU - social comments says:
    January 29, 2010 at 10:43 pm

    Social comments and analytics for this post…

    This post was mentioned on Twitter by sarahnewton: BLOGGING: Is Gen making us more accountable? – * Is Gen making us more accountable? Powered by Gen Y Guide Sarah … http://ow.ly/16robL…

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