When am I going to be done playing catch up? Never, I guess. I’m glad we have a range of ages in class, and that the idea that proficiency–or even just the use of–advancing media technologies, devices, social media platforms, etc.  being dependent on age or generation came up.

Someone asked me at a conference one time what the hardest part of my job was. Without thinking, I just responded “Feeling like a dinosaur!” Some days that’s true, others not so much. Does using social media come easier to a generation that grew up using it? I don’t know if that’s true, I’m pretty tech savvy and have had no problem learning to use social media. The difference, I guess, is just being accustomed to using it. There are times when I realize that I haven’t tweeted in months and my Facebook wall is pretty bare.

The same can be said for other forms of digital media and the convergence of media. While I think many people across different generations can become accustomed to advances in technology, reading digital stories and enjoying improved photo galleries and videos, and even acquiring content from social media and other platforms, there is still a core of people (decreasing every day) who prefer a print newspaper or magazine or their nightly news at 6 p.m. on their favorite local station.

And I guess the point is that the media still has to serve those people. My company still has to put out a print product, with all its limitations, for those who prefer their news/entertainment that way, but we also have to try to stay current and deliver our content on the web, in e-papers and on social media.

While you can’t please everyone, you certainly have to try. And that’s the hard part. Once we get used to one platform, another comes along right behind it and we have to adjust. I’ll always be playing catch up–especially at my age!.