The Native Advantage

We hear so much in the news, in the political arena, and in our communities on the topic of immigration.  But there is a different type of immigration issue—of the technological variety—that offers the ability to position younger generations of U.S. Hispanics uniquely and powerfully.

Specifically, while we can make few assumptions in the rapidly evolving landscape of social media, we can affirm the tremendous possibilities open to the group known as the “natives”—those who have grown up with social media, in contrast to the “immigrants”—those who have migrated at least some of their activities to social media from more traditional channels.

Because they arrive with fewer hesitations and view profiles, status updates and blogs as natural parts of the communication exchange, these generations of natives have the distinct advantage when it comes to creating political, economic, social and cultural change—but only if they understand the power of social media beyond its strictly social uses.

A 2010 Pew Research Center report shows that 73 percent of teens between the ages of 12 and 17 use social networking, up from 55 percent in 2006. This statistic is expected to continue to expand as more and more young people grow up with social networks.

According to a recent Associated Press-Viacom poll conducted in March 2011, 53 percent of young American adults (ages 18-24) say that social media has a big effect on their education—from forming study groups, to accessing information on class assignments, to learning about school events, and working on team-based projects.  The Pew Internet and American Life Project reports that 51 percent of U.S. Hispanics use a mobile device to access the Internet.  But access and usage alone may not be what matters.  Where users are going and what they are doing remains the essential differentiator.

While 74% of young adults in the AP-Viacom poll viewed social media as an entertaining distraction, this group would do well to consider social networks equally as a form of empowerment.  Young U.S. Hispanics are accessing social networks for information consumption, managing their social lives, and emailing friends. But the real opportunity lies in becoming content generators on topics that will make the real difference.  The beauty of social media as an empowerment tool is that it does not require a big budget or an institutionalized backer—just a sound purpose and solid content to support it.

If you are not yet convinced of the power of social media, consider the following:

• Throngs of young Tunisians organized protests via Twitter and Facebook, and tackled 23 years of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.  His fleeing the country caused observers to dub this the first Twitter Revolution.

• Taking its cues from the Tunisians, young Egyptians mobilized forces using social media to take to the streets.  And despite the fact that the government sought to shut down access via a technology “blackout”, Egyptians managed to bypass this blackout and offer citizen reporter accounts of the meaningful change taking place within their countries.

• The 2008 U.S. presidential election saw a 51% increase of voters between the ages of 18-29 from 2004, largely due to social media touch points from the Obama campaign.

• At the individual level, Teacher, Anthony Cody, began his Teachers’ Letters to Obama Facebook campaign as a personal outlet, and the site grew into a movement that resulted in a conference call with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan on the President’s plan for revising the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

• An eighth-grade class in Tucson took up the problem of Buffel grass, an insidious weed that is cheaply imported as cattle feed, but destroys the ecosystem.  Through the creation of a Facebook page devoted to the threat, and a homemade rap song on YouTube, the students gained the attention of farmers, politicians, and Facebook interest groups, all of whom helped to advocate on behalf of this growing problem.

• Then there is the simple act of students helping students, such as the case of Project K-Nect.  In North Carolina, high-school students were given the opportunity to create videos for a math- tutoring blog on solving linear equations.  The prospect of students engaging was deemed “laughable” and yet in the first week alone, the blog received 75 student video posts, and the videos have become some of the site’s most popular content.

• And finally, there is beloved Cuban blogger, Yoani Sánchez, the poster child for harnessing the power of the blog and an international network of supporters to speak on behalf of a nation.  Sánchez’ Generation Y blog earned her placement in Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list, among numerous other international awards.

Examples like these simply could not have happened in the absence of these interactive and dynamic channels.  And herein lies the opportunity for the social media natives to optimize their abilities to take a stance on important issues, to carve out a positioning—for a cause, for a voice, for an entire generation—and thus, to shape the future, directly and with widespread impact.

Unlike any generation before, those who were weaned on social networks for conducting their social lives, consuming information, facilitating their educations and advancing their careers are in a wonderfully advantageous position.  Those who have a vision and a voice that is clear and authentic can find their way above the noise and on a path toward real and sustainable impact, so that “being the change they wish to see” is only a blog post, a tweet, or an update away.

Sherrie A. Madia Ph.D. is an educator, author and speaker. Her recent books on the business of communicating include The Social Media Survival Guide (English/Spanish), The Online Job Search Survival Guide, and The Social Media Survival Guide for Nonprofits and Charitable Organizations. She is Director of Communications, External Affairs and a Lecturer at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  She serves on a number of boards, including the Books for Kids Foundation, building libraries and literacy programs for children in at-risk communities. She holds a Ph.D. in Communications from Temple University, a Master’s degree in News-Editorial/Latin American Journalism from the University of Miami, and a Bachelor’s degree in Writing Seminars from The Johns Hopkins University.