I became inspired to blog after reading a post on YPulse about “Youth Social Networking Fatigue”, which outlines why teens are falling out of love with Facebook and other social sites. One particular point made in the article refers to these communities not being “their space anymore”. This reminded me of a question that I recently posed on LinkedIn – which in short asks if having your parents on Facebook would deter you from continuing to participate in the network. I think that answer is a resounding yes. Teenagers are programmed to hate everything their parents do – and have since the first teenager walked the earth slightly hunched over. There are many technological advances that I wish I would have had as a teen, but social networking is not one of them.

To this day I haven’t forgiven my mom for “accidentally reading my diary while dusting” — I don’t know what I’d do if she was tracking my every move on Twitter or Facebook. As parents become more technically savvy, they now know where their teens go, who they hang out with, what music they like, what they bought and what videos they’re watching. It used to be as simple as asking your mom to knock before she came in your room – imagine if she was living in your room. Am I the only one that thinks this is a bit dangerous? Those precious adolescent years are filled with the freedom to not relate to your parents. It’s the time when you are supposed to learn the much needed powers of manipulation and how to get yourself out of sticky situations without mom and dad there to save you. The young social networking set will inevitably grow up to be hyper dependent, needy and unable to deal with the real world and what actually goes on when you step outside.

Let’s hope what Anastasia at YPulse says is true – that teens are not taking this lying down – for the sake of generations to come. However, if they are really so turned off by their parents joining their favorite communities that they are willing to abandon ship, this is a huge win for parents everywhere. Mom and Dad, I think you know what to do next – get busy “sexting” your significant other and his/her friends, start Tweeting what you’re doing every minute (“Buying Crystal Light”, “Paying the cable bill”, “Taking My One-a-Day”), focus on uploading daily office photos to Flickr and dedicate your evenings to playing WoW with your friends from out of state (Class of ‘81). Your kids will be so appalled they might actually turn to studying and volunteering. Stranger things have happened.

When I understand Twitter I feel young. When I don’t quite get “Call of Duty 4”, I feel old. Then again, I also feel like a girl with better things to do.

My latest feeling ‘old’ or ‘young’ moment happened the other day while reading one of the many emails Media Post sends me daily. This one featured a blog post titled “Engage: Kids 6-11 – At the Forefront of the Era of User Choice and Control”. Now this ongoing blog series is designed to keep me aware of how to engage youth, so I’m already knocking on ‘feelin old’s’ door, but not even one paragraph into the piece, I read something so powerful that I had to stop to write this. It says that today’s 6-11 year-olds can basically get their entertainment anyway they want – through television, video games, merchandise, etc. That is no earth shattering revelation, but then the post concludes by calling us (adults), digital immigrants, and them (kids), digital natives.

I have to admit I stopped reading – basically to write this and reflect on what this means (I did go back and read the entire article…I’m not an idiot). In some ways I’m mad to be seen as an ‘immigrant’ to the digital space, especially since I’m only 26. Computers did have green screens when I first saw them, but we had computer labs, we played Oregon Trail, heck we even had assignments to look up presidential candidate’s web pages to get their stances on the issues. Up until this moment I truly considered myself advanced since I ‘technically’ grew up on computers. But let’s face it – like all emerging technologies, the next version always has more then the previous. By definition I was meant to concede to the generation behind me, and behind them, and so on.

Then I remembered I left out one crucial piece, the ability to keep learning emerging technologies. Sure, a fifth grader can get Harry Potter through his/her computer and master even the most complex video games, and yes they can probably learn how to navigate and utilize these technologies far faster then I. But I actually have the license to drive to the theatre and see the movie…so there.

My point is getting old or staying young…digitally speaking, this is just continuing to learn. And since this is a blog about digital engagement, I’ll take it a step further and commend the brands making an effort to learn and emerge in new technologies. And to the brands that don’t…well you know what happens after you get too old…right?