As I mentioned in an earlier post, I used to LOVE getting my grandparents to talk about when they were kids. They both grew up in Toledo, Ohio near the turn of the last century, and their stories mesmerized me. It was an era I was totally unfamiliar with, and the picture the history books painted for me paled in comparison to the first-hand view I received from my grandparents.

There have always been generational gaps, but it seems like that gap has widened measurably today. Students don’t understand the world their parents and grandparents grew up in, and I think most folks from the older generation have felt completely lost trying to communicate with the younger generation.

Then along came Facebook.

I have heard it said that the fastest growing group on FB is women over the age of 55….and my kids live there! I have Facebook friends that are almost 80, and some that are 12. (Sorry, FB age requirement.) I think I could make a pretty strong case that Facebook may be the most multi-generational platform ever created….online or off. My questions is…is it “inter-generational”, and by that I mean, do the generations communicate with each other?

There is so much to be learned by communicating across generational lines. Both young and old can learn by listening, engaging…..really connecting. Perhaps in this age of social networking we can see some barriers begin to come down, and in the conversation that follows, we’ll see the richness we’ve missed by being in our generational silos.

Thoughts? Observations?