A study conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project called, A Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users, shows how people use technology to socially interact with others, as reported by News.com.
Their findings clearly show that despite adults accessibility and capability to use various forms of technology for communications purposes, very few engage in public forms of communication. They instead use private means of communication, such as cell phone text messaging and online instant messaging. This seems to be indicative of the generational divide, where the older generations value their personal privacy far more than the younger generations, who actively engage in social networking sites that broadcast personal information and communication in a more public manner.
With all the venture capital funding being thrown at new Web 2.0 start ups, if they fail to market themselves to the broader Internet population they will find that they can’t become successful enough to meet the expectations of investors and may end up shutting down.
This study’s findings could be significant in terms of the success or failure of social networking sites and the Web 2.0 movement as a whole. If the Web 2.0 movement continues to be unable to market beyond the younger generations and the tech savvy demographics, then their ability for market growth will be significantly limited, which could ultimately signal the bursting of the bubble for Web 2.0.