Socializing without the Wall of Technology?

Last week LeeAnn Prescott reported on her Hitwise Blog that during the 4 weeks ending October 21, more than half of Second Life's visitors were over 35.  Earlier this month comScore said  that 51.6% of MySpace's August visitors came from the same age group. I was also surprised by Quantcast's stats on GoDaddy's site traffic; 76% (!) of its audience is 35+.

Meanwhile, the Washington Post ended a recent article with the following quote from Evan Hansen, a high school sophomore:

Over time, people are going to get sick of talking to people on the computer," he said. "I just think people will want to spend more time with each other -- without the wall of technology.

The question is, do older folks than he really want to spend more time with each other? Some time ago I read a New York Times article on the "gift of cancellation". Many interviewees admitted to being secretly glad when friends and business associates back out of plans; it gave them unexpected and much appreciated blocks of free time.

So maybe that's the Internet's appeal among grown-ups. The wall of technology makes it possible to simultaneously enjoy interactivity and me-time? (George Zachary, a VC who invests in "who we are and who we're becoming" calls it "connected aloneness". I like that.)

Comments

[Reinhold Heinz]

Could be some generational expectation gaps in play here.

A 16-year old has a much more concentrated social circle, and therefore has a much easier time logistically connecting with her/his friends. Such connection doubles as parental disconnection, something preferred by that age group. That age group also may have higher expectations for technology, and so may see it as a wall.

A 35-year old may recall not being able to so quickly and easily correspond and collaborate with friends 20 years ago, and so technology is seen as an enabler today, not an obstacle. That age group also is likely to have a much more widely dispersed set of friends, and so physical connection is not nearly as feasible as for high schoolers.