By:  Jessica M. Hunt

As an account executive, one of my daily duties is to read the newspaper, but as a twenty-something who rarely uses pen and paper, I find this duty a difficult task.  My life evolves around my laptop, smart phone and the World Wide Web.  I am definitely part of the generation obsessed with text messaging, Facebook and You Tube, just to name a few.

We live by a code:  if we can’t access it electronically, it might as well not exist.

Because of our affinity for all things electronic, there is a misconception that my generation is not interested in current events.  Nothing could be further from the truth; we just want it in the most creative way possible.  For us, social media has become an intricate component when attempting to reach the masses.

My generation is visually stimulated; for some reason, we can understand better if we see it; hence, the success of You Tube.  Just imagine: you can record a video on your cell phone and upload it in less than five minutes.  In five short minutes, you can reach billions of people all across the world.  Genius, don’t you think?

Then there is the social network, Facebook, one of the most ambitious of all the networks.  Think of a social network as a community atmosphere where you connect with people who have the same interest or activities.  Three areas allow Facebook to thrive in the realm of business.  One, they have a variety of applications; you can create your own interest group, sell anything from your collectibles, to your house and forward your business cards.  Two, you can receive email or text message alerts on your phone (I like to call this the double whammy).  Three, ITS ALL IN REAL TIME!

I bet you are still wondering why all these are important?  Well let me explain it to you.  You can reach a multitude of people about anything you can think of at the exact moment you think it.

Oh yeah, there is one other thing, and my cohorts will not appreciate this.  If you are the boss, you can log on and find out what your employees are really doing during work hours.

Sure, social networks are great for reconnecting with old friends and checking up on new ones, but believe me it is far more useful than just looking at pictures.  The next time you want to engage a youngster about social issues or politics, tell them to log on to your Facebook or MySpace page.  I guarantee you will have their undivided attention.