« Social Media: Twitter the Night Away? »

I was doing research last week on how and when people use Twitter. I stumbled upon a older post on the Retrevo.com blog that raises the question Is Social Media the New Addiction? Retrevo dubbed the report another in its ongoing series of gadgetology studies. Retrevo defines “gadgetology” as:

When you combine gadgets, psychology, and human behavior, you get Gadgetology; an ongoing series of studies that reveal what makes consumers tick, what gadgets they are buying and how they are using them.

One of the key stats Retrevo cites to support the addiction premise is that nearly half of the social media users they surveyed said that they check/update Facebook or Twitter after they go to bed.

OK, I use both Facebook and Twitter. But, I do not do the “night tweet” thing. And, I’m pretty sure I never will. I have zero tolerance for electronics after my head hits the pillow (except, of course, for my ebook). I simply need that decompression time; a time out, if you will.

On the other hand, I fully recognize that my 17-year-old son is connected 24/7. This bothers me a great deal. I feel he is making a supremely unwise choice by placing no limits on his accessibility via mobile apps. The boy is an “A” student, and elite distance runner and, in my opinion, a social media junkie. You would not think those three things could go together, but they do.

I have grown over the last few years to understand that the social media connections of today’s youth are as critical to them as the telephone was to my generation. Social media is not isolating, as I first thought. In fact, it has proven to be the extreme opposite. My son is connected to others CONSTANTLY (except at school, where there is a strict “no gadgets” policy). It is too soon for me to say whether the constant connectivity is good or bad. Yes, I find it annoying. But, I honestly cannot say at this point that it is bad for him.

The big difference between my son and his friends, and myself and my high school friends, is that we had natural limits on our connectivity. I grew up in a household of six girls and my mom and dad. We all wanted to use the phone all the time, but naturally, we could not. One phone, one phone number for eight people (with no bedroom extentions). Add to that virtually no privacy, no texting and no email.

Could my son live under those conditions? Probably, if he had to. Can he imagine what that type of living was like? Sadly, no. If he could, he’d understand why I keep asking him to turn off the cell phone at night and get some good, uninterrupted sleep for a change. These appeals are met with a blank stare and kind (almost pitying) words about how I really need to stop worrying about his 24/7 connectivity. He assures me it is natural and appropriate in today’s world. If that is true, why does it make me so uncomfortable?

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.