No Room for the Boom

According to a recent poll, 49 percent of baby boomers (late 40s to mid 60s) believe that social media has a negative effect on the workplace. At the same time, however, they are the largest group of business owners in the U.S.

Herein lies the problem: with such a huge influence social media and online strategies have on business, what are the effects of such a frame of mind?

The same amount, nearly half, of baby boomers now work for a boss who is younger than they are.

It seems as though these stubborn boomers can either sink or swim in the online waters. Times are a' changing! Sometimes it is strange to think that my capstone PR class requires blogging, Tweeting and Linking In, but it obviously is vital to a career to be tech-savvy and ready to adapt to any social media changes that may occur.

For example, "Baby boomers' misgivings about modern technology are countered in the workplace by their younger-generation counterparts who grew up with technology and are eager and quick to adapt to innovations," author David Bray said.

We younger people prefer to connect via online media and don't see much of a point in doing anything else. The boomers still rely on face-to-face meetings and even though this is essential, one must be able to reach their clients with a quick email or tweet.

With people being as busy as they are today there isn't an option for being disconnected. It's important to be able to balance personal and social in the workplace even when it comes to going digital.

Geographical distance is no longer worrisome for companies; you can reach anyone, anywhere, even in a different time zone. Boomers should see this as a beneficial shift from old to new and embrace the change. There is no end in sight for this social media craze and it will only get larger as time goes on.

Maybe a "tweet" won't even exist in five years and it will be something completely different, and I can't wait to be right in the middle of that new technology.