Boomj.com - MySpace for the Over-30 Crowd

Boomj.com is the MySpace for those over 30 (yay!). The site functions like any other social networking site; it has profiles, blogs, forums, articles, photos, etc, but it also has a decidedly more mature feel to it (again, yay!). There are sections on politics, finance, health, travel, blogs, and even featured videos (which were quite good, with clips from Entourage and Larry David). They also have an online store, which focuses on books, videos and music. You can earn Boomj points to reduce the prices of some items. The site is professionally designed, managed, clean and easy to navigate. While there is no real innovation here, it is good to see a site cater to the older crowd.

The Name "BOOMj.com" The name BOOMj derives from the two primary audiences we serve: the Baby Boom Generation and Generation Jones - both born during the big 20-year, post-World War II boom in births from the mid-1940's to mid-1960's. Baby Boomers were born 1942 to 1953; we associate their youth with Howdy Doody, Davy Crocket hats, and later, Woodstock and Vietnam War demonstrations. Generation Jones, born 1954 to 1965, is a newer concept and name that represents the actual children of the sixties (more wide-eyed than tie-dyed); Jonesers were weaned on The Brady Bunch and Easy Bake Ovens and later were the teens of 70's heavy metal, disco, punk and soul. Baby Boomers and Generation Jones today Today, Boomers are 53 to 64 years old and 16% of the adult US population; Jonesers are 41 to 52 years old and 26% of all US adults. Together they are almost 80 million people, arguably at the prime of their lives. We shouldn't really say "they," but rather "we," because most of us that created BOOMj.com are part of one or the other generation (and at the risk of sounding corny, proud to be so). The New Generational Paradigm We're excited about the new generational paradigm. Generation Jones has already been the recipient of extensive major media coverage, and we're enjoying watching the buzz. Jonesers were originally mistakenly lumped in with Boomers simply because of shared high birth rates, but generational personalities stem from shared formative experiences, not head counts. The dramatically different formative experiences of Boomers and Jonesers created two very different generational personalities. We at Boomj.com "get" Boomers and Jonesers, the differences as well as the similarities. Think of us as a place to help redefine your own identity, collectively and individually.

Social networking sites are still all the rage online, and niche sites are the latest addition to this genre. It was refreshing to find a sight aimed at the over-30 crowd with mature content, a relaxed style, and no pressure to be "cool." They have a lot of sponsors and ads, including a chance to win a trip to Hawaii or $5000 cash.

Do baby boomers want to join social networking sites? I see the 30-45 crowd (apparently called Generation Jones) doing social networking to a small degree, but i'm not sure about the Baby Boomers? Do people use the online store?