Click to enlarge the image above. Internet Generation (or Net Gen) can be classified into 3 broad categories:
1. Wiki Generation
2. B.S.O.S. (Bright & Shiny Object Syndrome) Generation
3. Baby Boomers Generation
First of all, understanding the SOS-CAR model, we have to first see what all activities are being performed by internet users. The activities can be broadly classified as Searching (S), Reading (R), Scrutinizing (S), Authenticating (A), Collaborating (C) and Organizing (O).
The whole analysis will flow like this:
First of all, understanding the SOS-CAR model, we have to first see what all activities are being performed by internet users. The activities can be broadly classified as Searching (S), Reading (R), Scrutinizing (S), Authenticating (A), Collaborating (C) and Organizing (O).
The whole analysis will flow like this:
1. Firstly, understanding the WHAT aspect of this model.
2. Secondly, the WHERE aspect.
3. Lastly, WHEN aspect of the model.
(I) “WHAT” is “SOS-CAR” MODEL:
Internet surfing (according to the web parlance) consists of these 6 steps which we can identify with. Searching (S), Reading (R), Scrutinizing (S), Authenticating (A), Collaborating (C) and Organizing (O). Putting it accordingly, the step by step process goes like this:
Searching>>Reading>>Scrutinizing>>Authenticating>>Collaborating>>Organizing
1. Searching: In this step, the user seeks information in the infinite information-soaked world of the web. E.g. - Google, Yahoo, Mahalo, Craiglist.
2. Reading: Once he gets his needed information, he reads it to know much about it. E.g. Blogs, News site like NYT, WSJ or Technology info site like TechCrunch, Engadget.
3. Scrutinizing: After the initial phase of reading, he wants to scrutinize it by checking or cross-checking it with other related information. E.g. Robert Scoble for Technology etc.
4. Authenticating: In this stage, he tries to authenticate it by getting in-depth into the information by narrowing his interest. This stage also involves going through opinionated bloggers or site pertaining to specific information. E.g. Information only about Apple iPhone’s launch blogs/news.
5. Collaborating: In this, he tries to collaborate with others by writing in blogs, bookmarking in del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Digg etc or spreading the word through Twitter, Jaiku or Friendfeed etc.
6. Organizing: In this final stage, he organizes the much needed information in Readers or keeping a copy for future references, both online or offline.
2. Reading: Once he gets his needed information, he reads it to know much about it. E.g. Blogs, News site like NYT, WSJ or Technology info site like TechCrunch, Engadget.
3. Scrutinizing: After the initial phase of reading, he wants to scrutinize it by checking or cross-checking it with other related information. E.g. Robert Scoble for Technology etc.
4. Authenticating: In this stage, he tries to authenticate it by getting in-depth into the information by narrowing his interest. This stage also involves going through opinionated bloggers or site pertaining to specific information. E.g. Information only about Apple iPhone’s launch blogs/news.
5. Collaborating: In this, he tries to collaborate with others by writing in blogs, bookmarking in del.icio.us, StumbleUpon, Digg etc or spreading the word through Twitter, Jaiku or Friendfeed etc.
6. Organizing: In this final stage, he organizes the much needed information in Readers or keeping a copy for future references, both online or offline.
(II) “WHERE” is “SOS-CAR” MODEL:
The basic understanding of the different facets of the model helps us to segregate different kinds of users based on the activity they perform most often. The users are differentiated as:
1. Wiki Generation: This generation of people will be found in the wee hours of the night Digging/Stumbling some news article. Dubbed by some as geeks and nerd by others (but personally I believe, these are the people who make the floating data in the web more filtered for me and many more).
2. B.S.O.S. Generation: Dubbed as Bright & Shiny Object Syndrome generation, these people are mostly short in attention span but very high on filtration rate. They quickly filter any important information and pass it down via their blogs or bookmark it for the whole world to see. So if you hear that the next big things are Web 2.0, Social Media or stuff like that then accuse them for sure since they are responsible to carry the baton ahead (Pun intended).
3. Baby Boomers Generation: They are the passive recipients of mass consumer culture and often refrain from getting into the groove of spreading online and restrict only to minor personalization of information.
(III)“WHEN” is “SOS-CAR” MODEL:
Firstly, hate to break the news but slowly & steadily, the audience is dying (mostly in terms of attention span), which makes it imperative to reach them and add value to their lives. One of the ways would be to look beyond demographics to wants & desires. For Net Gen, it is crucial to create such content which will allow your audience to add more value to their lives. Ask me why? It’s because in today’s low-trust world you will definitely want to permeate into people’s consciousness and then try engaging them which pulls your audience further into a dialogue (far different from traditional monologues) and then into a rich & insightful conversation.
N.B. My analysis is partly inspired from Wikinomics.
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