Digital Divide: Segregation Is Alive and Well in Social Media

[Commentary] As marketers continue to drop traditional ethnic media and scramble to create the "ultimate cross-cultural digital experience and platform," one should take note of America's behavior on the web. Youth are everywhere on the web. But ethnic Internet users, both younger and older, are "congregating in spaces where there are people like them, or where they feel comfortable bringing people like them," says Ebele Mora, a millennial, and Chief Financial Officer of TUV Media.

Most multicultural and LGBT groups seek places on the web beyond cross-cultural lifestyles in an effort to connect with others from their own culture or sexual orientation. Congregating provides the opportunity for these segments to engage in shared experiences related to their culture, lifestyle, and music. Importantly, given that society penalizes those who openly discuss racial issues, these spaces provide a refuge for honest conversations that affect their communities. One black Gen Y Facebooker confessed that she frequently, temporarily blocks her white Facebook friends -- and prays they don't notice -- so that she can have open, honest discussions with her black friends. Marketers need to be careful about abandoning ethnic strategies in the digital space. The opportunity is to understand what these ethnic digital platforms are and who, how where and when these consumers are showing up so that brands can better connect and engage them.