Loading

Amelia Ball is a graduate of the School of Professional Communication at Ryerson University, minoring in Business Management. Amelia is advocate for staying active, radical change and is the Publisher of a RAD, a magazine turned lifestyle brand, that focuses on exploring photography, fashion, and design. Amelia is passionate about people and the arts, she also wants to normalize treating spreadsheets as a design project. She plans to focus on media, marketing, and advertisement after she graduates.

WHY THIS TOPIC

As the tail end of Millennials enter the workforce and Generation-Z begins to follow suit, it is imperative to remember that these are two generations who have no recollection of a time before the Internet. This study aims to quantify how younger generations learn, communicate, work professionally and establish boundaries apart from their personal life. The rise of social media has allowed for the ability to develop and disseminate information instantly, making it a useful tool for those who want to extend their reach professionally.

While this issue is fairly complex and new to the 21st century, through conducting quantitative research and analyzing specific mixed methods, one can begin to draw back the curtain and develop an understanding regarding the relationships Millennials and Generation Z have with social media.

POSTER FOR MY PROJECT

FINDINGS

How has social media affected younger generations as they attempt to develop professionally or begin their careers?

My research highlighted that a majority of this cohort advocates for their ability to remain private. With all of these platforms (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram) offering privacy settings it was interesting that over 50% cited utilizing privacy to "protect" themselves from being seen online. In relation to their ability to develop professionally, the ability to be private allows for the ability to control their projected image and limit what employers may see.

For Generations who are more familiar with social media, what is their perspective towards what is considered private/personal versus public or professional?

For this specific sample size, a lot of the participants were interested in "thinking" before they share or post something online. Over 25% of participants stated that they think about or "curate" their social media to fit the expectations of future or current employers. Emphasizing that a lot of the current data is failing to recognize or acknowledge the mental effort young generations put into something as seemingly simple as a social post. Arguably, they understand the seriousness that comes with showing oneself online.

How will incoming young professionals protect themselves while also utilizing an integral part of their social life: social media?

Given the reaction to a majority of my questions were met with sentiments of being "unbothered" by coworkers or managers seeing their social media page, I believe that a lot of people my age are not "afraid" of using social media, so much as they understand how much they are wanting to put into it. They can still choose to actively participate in social media, so long as the narrative remains in their control. Three participants cited having multiple social media profiles and two people mentioned that they use platforms like LinkedIn professionally and Instagram socially. However, as social media becomes more normalized, whether or not offices and professional workplaces completely ignore their coworkers, or does it become mandatory to create a separate account.