When it comes to social media, I was a late-comer. I remember in fourth grade talking to friends about this new website, Facebook–about how they were making accounts and it was cool! and fun! I shrugged it off. “Stranger danger…no thanks” were my thoughts.
Freshman year of high school (2010), I was finally peer pressured into making a Facebook. I tried it out and liked it, but I never went “full-hardo.” I continue to sit on the sidelines, rarely compose original posts, and merely share content I find interesting.
Twitter, on the other hand, was an entirely different beast. I didn’t make a Twitter account until April 2013 (way after my friends were active). My excuse: “I already have a Facebook, what’s the point in a second?” However, 2013 marked the end of my time at Skaneateles High School before transferring to Brooks School in Massachusetts; thus, Twitter became a way for me to keep engaged with friends from home, and to follow my previous teams’ seasons, like the following:
Good luck to @TylerStrods @kuhnslayer and the rest of the hockey team tonight against CBA #redemption #nickhylandplaysgreattunes
— Mitchell Jones (@mjonesmitchell) December 18, 2013
As time went on, I expanded my social media portfolio through Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and WordPress. It took much longer than it should have for a millennial teen like me to engage in social media culture, but I am no longer the grandpa I once was. Could I be more active? Absolutely. So, in a sense, I am no longer a grandpa, but rather a dad trying to relate to his teenage kids–just a little behind the times.
Now that I am a student at one of the top media schools in the country, it’s time for me to completely adopt the technology. It’s an ongoing process, but I’ll get there. Like my friend Barney Stinson suggests, there’s always room to be more awesome.
#NewYearsResolution pic.twitter.com/NYxHh7asQ4
— Barney Stinson (@itsBroStinson) December 31, 2013
Hi Mitchell! I thought this post was really funny and I enjoyed how you are able to laugh at yourself for being the “Grandpa of Millennials”. Not only does this title immediately grab my attention, but I liked how throughout this post you broke down when you started using different social media platforms. You write with a great sense of humor and I really enjoy reading your posts.
This was a really clever way to share your experience with social media. I love the analogy of you being a so-called “dad” with social media instead of a “grandpa”. I was really able to see how you adopted social media and why. Really interesting stuff!