We Are Millenials

One topic that I have seen a lot of recently, especially since the movie version of the hit tween/teen series Twilight came out, is about Generation Y, or “Millenials” and what, if anything, we have to offer.  I’ll talk about Twilight and it’s ramifications on society later, but right now I’d like to discuss the slight on my generation that seems to be fermenting around it.  There was a link back to this blog post comparing Generation X and Y and supposedly rationalizing how Generation X is better.  I don’t necessarily want to debate his article, though I will argue with it.  I recently stumbled across an article from the New York Times that talks about a new book by Don Tapscott, who wrote a book about the “Net Generation” in 1997.  He just wrote a new one talking about us Millenials.  You can see the article here.

 

Millenials Rule, Gen Xers Drool

I won’t be as childish as it sounds, I promise.  The article cited above makes some pretty damaging points about the culture of us Millenials.  However, many of the points simply sidestep what Millenials have offered to society.  Just as adults used to plug their ears when they heard heavy metal, the culture of Millenials has been marginalized.

Music

While Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance are not liked by all, they have certainly made a defining impact on music and created a genre.  But where Millenials really shine isn’t even in the rock arena.  The world of rap and hip-hop has evolved immensely over the last several years, and while I personally hope that Kanye West’s egotistical ass gets forgotten yesterday, there is no arguing the influence rap has had on the music industry in recent years.  You lay down Soulja Boy, and I’ll just raise you Debbie Boone’s “You Light Up My Life”.  Every generation makes mistakes.

Listen to some Immortal Technique, Atmosphere, or Aesop Rock and see if you can’t find the same poetry that you love in Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, or Kurt Cobain.  There are plenty of rappers that aren’t doing the gangsta rap thing, though even that can be inspiring if you give it a chance.

Movies

Yeah, okay, so Generation X movies are all about defining a generation of slakers and potheads (as if we don’t have any of our own, haha).  Millenial movies often have similar themes to those of Generation X, but they weren’t necessarily “stolen”.  The differences in the movies really do show the differences between the generations.  X has Sixteen Candles, Y has Mean Girls.  While the human experiences are the same, the real difference in Millenial movies is the technology, the language, and the fashion.  Of course, there are many other variables that go into good and bad movies.  But we don’t like all the crappy parody movies, either.

Reality Television

Wait… does it really matter?  Y’all can have this one if you want.  Though I have to say, if you are basing it on the sheer quantity of crazy shit that goes down, I think we win.  Seriously, have you seen Bad Girls Club?

 

What Do We Have?

So now to answer the question: “Does Generation Y have anything of value?”  Well Don Tapscott seems to think so.  He wrote a book in 1997 about Millenials called “Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Net Generation”.  Some ideas from that book are here.  One of his main points is that the Net Generation, which is generally defined as those born between 1978 and 2000, represents the first generation to be demographically dominant to the baby boomers.  Millenials also tend to shy away from hierarchial media like television and choose to watch or read from a more shared delivery system, aka the internet.  This first book was written in 1998, and he just came out with his second, “Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World”.  His book is almost meant to be read like a manual for Millenials.

Poised to transform every social institution, the Net Generation is reshaping the form and functions of school, work, and even democracy.  Simply put, the wave of youth, aged 12-30, the first truly global generation, is impacting all institutions. Particularly, employers, instructors, parents, marketers and political leaders are finding it necessary to adapt to the changing social fabric due to this generation’s unique characteristics. 

So watch out, Xers, because we’re here, we’re big, and we are changing things around here.

Feel free to comment with your own opinion or facts, or email me at katlaufenberg@gmail.com with feedback.  I might even post some of it on the blog with answers.

So, go ahead and digest that and have a wonderful Christmas season!

Kat