Second Time Around: GenerationY@Whatever.com
Soon, my generation, the baby boomers, or Gen X for the later ones, will have to pass on the mantle of world affairs to the next generation. That, being Generation Y. And I for one am happy to do so. Before long, Gen Y will be the movers and shakers, the politicians, lawyers and enforcers. My generation will head to the old folks home and wistfully reminisce on the good old days of long hair, short skirts, and street riots.
We had our shot. We grew up challenging an authority that had smothered our parents, questioned why political systems (other than our own) were considered evil, and fought discrimination, whether gender, sexual or racial. We challenged and fought the good fight. And even though most of the battles are won, we like to relive our victory by re-enacting it over any small indiscretion we can find.
We put environmental issues on the map, cured polio, discovered AIDS, invented atomic energy and radiation, created the internet, and spam. We put people into space, and then cluttered the orbit with thousands of satellites to ensure that there was “Nowhere to run to baby, and nowhere to hide” (Thanks Martha and the Vandals). We made music more important than ever before, capable of raising millions in concerts to feed the starving. Yep, that was us. So let’s bring on the next generation. Make of the world what you will. We did our best, now it is your turn.
Early impressions? Well, they can see through some of our posturing over issues as nothing more than tilting at windmills (…err some of you won’t know what that means…) but our issues won’t be their issues. They have already redefined what the word ‘gay’ means, and won’t be bullied into accepting only our use of it. The ‘Nike’ slogan “Just do it” has become “Just did it’, the girlfriend of today is more likely to slap her boyfriend for smoking than watching a porn movie, and living with your parents is not the “Loser Alert!” it once was.
In fact, Gen Y is more likely to hang out with their parents, (on different days as most of them are divorced). Yet Gen Y are still getting married, confident they can reverse this trend. They all have degrees, and so don’t rate those qualified as being somehow smarter or superior (as we often did). They expect good jobs and expect to be guided, nurtured and promoted. Look out if you don’t meet their expectations, they will just leave. Sure, jobs are tough to get at the moment, but that won’t last. Pretty soon, you will be working for them, not employing them. They have a healthy cynicism towards marketing, and have already invented the best comeback one liner that beats all before it. “Whatever”. (Beats ‘infinity plus one’ doesn’t it?)
Here is the mantle next generation. Knock yourselves out.