Blogging About Generation Y: Is it Worth it?
Published by Ryan Paugh on July 21st, 2008 in Blogging, Generation Y, Millennials | 5 CommentsThe other day I got an email from a twentysomething who was absolutely fed up with people writing about Generation Y. More specifically, young bloggers who consistently use the words "We" and "Us" as if they have a God-given right to be a spokesman for millions of individuals.
The funny thing is, I could relate. I write about Generation Y all the time and it's hard to do without sounding a little disingenuous.
So why do I do it? Why does anybody do it? Are people like me doing service to Generation Y or are we making things worse for a group of people that has enough to deal with? I'm on both sides of the fence with this one.
We're fortifying Gen-Y stereotypes.
And I'm not just talking about the negative ones either. There are plenty of stereotypes out there that may seem encouraging to some of us, but just don't encompass the entire population.
For instance, I've heard some people argue that all Gen Yers are self-starting entrepreneurs. Not true. There are plenty of us out there who are happy with a structured corporate environment and wouldn't want it any other way.
Look at me for instance, a founder of a startup. But I wouldn't necessarily consider myself a trademark entrepreneur. I owe the more entrepreneurial elements of our company's success to my business partners. And lucky for me, there's a newfound respect for the role of a community manager in the startup space.
We're not traditional experts. So what are we talking about?
On the Internet you don't have to be an expert to be considered an authority and that's perfectly fine with me. But at the same time it's dangerous for anyone who doesn't understand that most bloggers are writing based on opinion, not fact.
Most Gen-Y bloggers are not experts. I've given speeches on the topic and I still have a hard time calling myself "expert." Maybe it's because I know that my opinions will inevitably change. Or maybe I just know that what I want now, in my twenties, isn't going to be what I want when I'm thirty, or forty.
But, I also think I have a hard time playing the expert because everything we're saying about Generation Y isn't going to be true when we finally become the leaders of this world. Some of it will, but certainly not all of it. Nostradamus couldn't predict things that accurately, either can we.
And still, I see a lot of value in putting our young voices out there for the world to hear. Just because we're not going to get everything right, doesn't mean that we shouldn't be thinking.
It teaches us about the bigger picture.
Generation Y is given a bad rap for being narcissists, but the young people I know who are writing well about their generation are doing it with other people in mind.
Writing about Generation Y is important because it helps us analyze where we're headed as a group of people. It brings up questions about what we can and can't do, what we want and don't want. And that means we're getting a head start on all of the fantastic changes we hope to make in the world.
And maybe some of our expectations sound a bit delusional to disillusioned Gen Xers, but a lot of them aren't as far-fetched as some believe. The import thing is that we're thinking about it, and talking about it, together. And that means we're much more likely to make something happen, learning from each other along the way.
If we don't, somebody else still will.
When I first entered the blogosphere and wrote about Generation Y, there were a lot of haters out there. There still are. And while the media continued to bash us, story after story, nobody from our generation took the time to fight back.
Would it better if we didn't talk back? Is it better to let our antagonists nitpick at all of our flaws and not even mention one of our many amazing qualities?
The obvious answer is no.
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Leave your thoughts here. (5 responses)
This article´s comments All Employee Evolution commentsRyan Stephens
Jul 21st, 2008 at 11:45 am"If we don't somebody else still will."
I agree with this notion whole-heartily and I take every opportunity to make genuine connections that will enable me to showcase my abilities with respect to the things I am passionate about.
That said, I'm also a FIRM believer in actions speak louder than words. I think that's what the other generations think we don't really understand. They think we're just blowing smoke, but the fact of the matter is we're talking because we want a chance. We don't want to hear that we're too young or too inexperienced, we just want a fair shot. Then it's up to us to prove we're capable of backing up our talk. Some will, others won't. It's no different than any other generation.
Guy Kawasaki said it best though when he said that you should always hire passion over experience because passionate people can get you where you want to be; whereas, experience just means they've been somewhere before.
Good post RP!
nico
Jul 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pmHi guys; rare commenter, faithful lurker.
Just wanted to chime in on Ryan Stephens's comment – passion is great, but we do have an experience that brings us up a notch over other generations: we are net natives. This means that we are used to change, used to hyperconnectivity, and we grew up watching technology accelerate at such an exponential rate that we understand how profound the changes are and are still curious about the inner workings. This is more than I can say for those younger than us, who I'm finding more and more take technological advances at face value.
As I currently have a job that focuses on working in the net, I am de facto a networker in the literal and figurative sense. But I share this trait with a lot of my peers who do not work on the net, and I have a feeling that networking more quickly and efficiently than any preceding generation is going to be our trademark.
Ann Marie
Jul 21st, 2008 at 3:07 pmThis blog is one Gen Y site that I enjoy immensely. Ryan is not on a haughty rant about how great Gen Y's are, how they have an "up" on other generations before them. Gen Y's are users of what another generations, one of Guy Kawasaki's, built. Gen Y people are fiercely independent thinkers, and I enjoy seeing Ryan's delicate hints of the entire generation cannot get wrapped up in itself. The smart Gen Y's will reach out, up and down, to other generations to use and learn from them. Society is made up of multiple generations. We need to utilize talents across generational boundaries.
Charlie O'Donnell
Jul 21st, 2008 at 3:23 pmGlad you said it.
I was thinking the other day that just because you were born in a certain set of years doesn't mean you share any of the same characteristics whatsoever. Do you think you share much in common with a guy who grew up dirt poor in Mott Haven in the South Bronx? As a middle class white guy, I certainly don't feel like I do–and certainly don't feel like it would be smart for any organization to try to recruit us or treat us the same way because of our age.
I think grouping, in general, is a bad thing, and we need to be striving to treat people as individuals as much as possible.
Bea Fields
Jul 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pmRyan…your thoughtful posts are just what the world needs more of. I am out there every day talking to Gen X and Baby Boomers who honestly throw around descriptions that simply don't fit the Gen Y's I know. Sure…there are Gen Y's who fit the stereotype, but that is true of any generation.
I believe that it is critical at this point in history for Gen Y to have a voice and for people to step forward and truly educate people about not just Generation Y but the 6 different generations (The G.I.s, Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen X, Gen Y and what many are calling Gen Z) which are making decisions and forming perspectives which are changing our world.
I also get called out for talking about Gen Y as if I am authority (which I'm not…I have just studied the generation for 3 years and have raised 3 Gen Y kids), but I do have an opinion, and I am sticking to my mission…to educate the public about the great things Gen Y's are doing for our world. So…thank-you for your posts and contributions. I say "Keep 'em coming!"