I arrived at my second session of the day a mere two minutes late, thanks to going against the lunch-break grain on an already busy campus, and the only seat I could find was on the floor near the back. As such, I missed the introduction of the panelists and couldn’t even see who was talking when during their presentations. Though I was ultimately able to grab a vacated seat near the end of the session, I figured the important thing was the content of the notes I had been taking, not so much who said them. That said, I’ll just present some of the major talking points from this panel accompanied by my own musings.
“Social Innovation” focused on the millennial generation: baby boomers’ children who were born after 1980 (which I was, hence my interest in the session, haha). This generation is largely defined by their different embrace of technology, both in uses and comfort. One of the speakers rattled off some statistics that I found interesting. I’m not sure where they’re from, but they sounded good, so let’s discuss…
37% of millennials are unemployed: This isn’t an entirely surprising revelation, especially given the current economic climate in our country. However, one might consider another classification: those who are UNDERemployed. That is, those who hold jobs that are only part-time and/or don’t pay enough to sustain a reasonable cost of living. Such situations can motivate the same kind of restlessness that compels this generation to seek options and answers in these new forms of social engagement.
40% have a tattoo and/or a piercing somewhere other than their ears: Of course they do! Self-expression has always been a defining feature of any generation, and this just happens to be the form it takes these days; the bodily equivalent of a new fashion trend or hairstyle. Why it still shocks so many people remains a mystery to me! Tattoos and piercings are often grouped together as “body art,” and for good reason. There’s almost always a great story behind why they got it, and whether it’s ink work or jewelry, many of them are quite detailed and beautiful in their own ways. Then again, not all that long ago, women wearing pants was an alleged outrage, so who knows? Haha!
52% consider “parenthood” their most important goal in life, while 30% consider “marriage” their most important goal: This makes a lot of sense to me, as the traditional family norms in America are strikingly different than just one generation ago. A lot of people probably want to experience family life and impart their wisdom to equip children for the future, but they don’t necessarily enjoy the confines of a label or institution to define their relationships. I actually see the over-20-percent difference as an encouraging sign that people are thinking about the big picture and how they factor into that, as opposed to just chasing after a status of sorts for themselves.
25% are not religious: This one struck me as sort of odd. Or perhaps too vague. Simple math would then tell us that 75% *are* religious, which is fairly broad considering the wide variety of denominations. Not only that, but those 25% who don’t identify themselves as religious may hold certain spiritual views of their own but don’t necessarily adhere to any one organized belief system. That’s the trouble with spirituality in America today: it’s become too much of a label game and an unjust claim to superiority. Not to mention a source of stress for many true believers who actually live out the teachings to which they ascribe, while having to deal with the bad name given to them by extremists who are twisting words and distorting truth for their own gain. Something that surely no deity would want done in their name! I rest my case, and I’ve safely stowed the soapbox in the overhead compartment for the rest of this post =)
Moving forward, the speakers indicated that the “transformational technology” of Facebook and other digital inventions -- combined with millennials’ general propensity for social networking -- has actually made the world smaller with the amount of information that can be shared. The panel discussed how these factors hold implications for foreign policy and international relations, as the perceived “stubborn clinging” to physical borders, personal boundaries, and language barriers will continue to frustrate the millennial generation if steps are not taken.
For example, in Iran as well as parts of Africa and Asia, nearly one-quarter of their respective populations are under the age of 30. This mentality enabled young people in Iran who opposed the corrupt elections to organize their protests via Facebook and Twitter, helping rally like-minded individuals to their cause. In addition, during the recent devastation in Haiti, text messaging programs were created to facilitate relief donations, and GPS technology was able to locate stranded survivors and bring them to safety. And even video games aren’t just for leisure anymore; they’re being more widely developed and utilized as teaching tools across multiple fields.
In perhaps the most prominent acknowledgment of this cultural shift, the U.S. State Department has created a Social Technology position to better understand these trends and apply them for optimum, widespread results. The panelists agreed that all of these breakthroughs make it fashionable to be considered a “geek” or a “nerd,” if that means knowing how to use these technologies and recognizing the vital role they play in our collective future.
As far as what drives this generation to embrace technology so freely, several characteristics were suggested. In many ways, the millennials demonstrate a desire to collaborate, an optimism for local and business leadership as well as “big government,” and a general sense of empowerment to be responsible for creating change. They are also more assertive about introducing the fluidity of culture into the rigidity of institutions, and integrating their personal and professional values to create non-fragmented lifestyles.
Even the antiquity of gender roles has been tangibly challenged, as the doors opened by these tools have shifted the paradigm in which women only pursue social leadership and men only pursue business leadership. The blending and even blurring of these fields through the use of technology has allowed the roles to be reversed, or even joined, and become more rounded and productive members of the workforce.
It has been estimated that 1 in 3 college graduates will create start-up efforts, either in the small-business or non-profit sectors, to address the needs that they see in their cities and communities, as well as put their respective degrees to practical use in times of job scarcity. In another example, some of these start-ups have made their presence known in areas whose needs may not be adequately addressed by local government. Groups have stepped up to combat “food deserts” in densely populated, lower-income areas where traditional markets have failed and food can only be purchased at liquor stores.
The speakers concluded by stating that the best ways to foster these positive aspects of the millennial mindset are to explore more diverse and supportive programs on university campuses, and to create more mentoring opportunities that are mutually beneficial by learning both the traditional business models and the evolving networking systems.
Near the end of the session, during the Q&A portion, one of the speakers explained that we can “never completely uproot from physical interaction.” While technology is entirely capable of eliciting empathy and compassion through the good works that it achieves, I absolutely agree that we should never remove the personal element from our goals. It’s ultimately impossible to do so, since those ideas are always formed in a single human brain. Thanks to millennial innovation, we can reach meaningful solutions sooner. After all, two (dozen, hundred…it’s up to you!) heads are better than one =)
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