Study Shows One Third of College Grads Worldwide Consider Access to Social Media More Important Than Salary

A recent survey conducted by Cisco shows that for recent college grads, access to Twitter and Facebook are hugely important when choosing a job.

This is something we’re all aware of: young people need to waste time on Facebook. Whether they’re making plans or just lurking, or updating their statuses to “Omg, so bored at work—someone save me!” staying plugged in to social media has become as important in the work environment as that morning cup of coffee, a daily lunch break, and, say, breathing air. It’s what people do.

But no matter how aware I am of this trend, which I know I’m a part of, a few points from the Connected World Technology Report by Cisco were still surprising. Foremost, of the 2,800 college students and recent grads surveyed, one in three prioritize access to social media over salary. That means that for young people, freedom to Tweet has a value on par with the type of freedom money can buy, like the freedom to eat out or get a pedicure. And secondly, “over half of college students globally (56%) said that if they were offered a job at a company that banned access to social media, they would either turn it down, or ignore it.”

Other conclusions reached by the study:

-Many respondents cite a mobile device as “the most important technology” in their lives.
-Seven of 10 employees have “friended” their managers and coworkers on Facebook.
-Two of five students have not bought a physical book (except textbooks) in two years.
-Most respondents have a Facebook account and check it at least once a day.
-Half would rather lose their wallet or purse than their smartphone or mobile device.
-More than two of five would accept a lower-paying job that had more flexibility with regard to device. choice, social media access, and mobility than a higher-paying job with less flexibility.
-At least one in four said the absence of remote access would influence their job decisions, such as leaving companies sooner rather than later, slacking off, or declining job offers outright.
-Three out of 10 feel that once they begin working, it will be their right—more than a privilege—to be able to work remotely with a flexible schedule.

I’m not sure how thorough Cisco’s researchers were. The tech company concluded that given this information, companies should evolve to accomodate the new generation, which is hardly surprising. But if the study is an accurate reflection of my generation, I’m wary of what the results say about the changing world. The state of the current job market in the U.S. combined with the size of average student loans make me wonder if young people’s addiction to checking Twitter and Facebook has hijacked their ability to make responsible decisions.