Generation Y: Inheriting a World That Must be Fixed

Published by Ryan Healy on September 30th, 2008 in Activism, Generation Y, Politics | 15 Comments

"Young people today can't repay their college loans; they can't afford apartment rents, let alone mortgages; their Social Security is being sucked up by their elders; and H.I.V. left them out of the sexual revolution: what was once free love is now a viral minefield."

I didn't say it. The New York Times did. And this was before the disaster that took place on Capitol Hill yesterday.

The article, written by Alessandra Stanley, goes on to say that the pending economic crisis, which has since become not so pending, "is confirming the worst fears of Gen-Y, namely that our baby boomer parents are leaving us a world convulsed by war, drowning in debt and melting down under global warming."

She's got a point. The world, and more specifically, The United States, is screwed up right now. The House just rejected a $700 Billion rescue plan, effectively causing the largest drop in the stock market since 1987. And the word is that House members pending reelections played a major role in the rejection. You've got to be kidding me.

But way before the most recent "Black Monday," for years, us 20-somethings have been graduating into a world where we are buried in debt before stepping foot into our first job, and dealing with living expenses that are often more than average starting salaries. Our generation has inherited a world that needs some serious fixing.

And yesterday was just the final straw in what's been a disastrous 8 years for America. But, as bad as yesterday was, it may be a blessing in disguise.

When we look back on Monday, September 29, 2008, will we say that it was the beginning of the end, or will we say that it was the day America took a long hard look in the mirror and decided to make a change?

I'll choose the latter.

I'll choose it, because I see a group of 20 and 30-something's prepared to clean up the mess. Blaming our parents, or Congress, or the baby boomers, or even the President, won't get us anywhere. But recycling, going green, being fiscally responsible, starting non-profits, starting for-profits, and actively involving ourselves in the presidential election is a good start.

Despite our youth, and despite the fact that we aren't in traditional positions of authority, I see Generation Y, or as I recently saw us referred to as, Generation We, pushing change and making progress in every area.

In Washington D.C., the Progressive Happy Hour group is hosting debate parties and constantly trekking over to Virginia, vowing to knock on 100,000 doors in hopes of turning the battleground state blue before November 4.

Yesterday, I spoke with Jordan Goldman, a recent college grad who decided he'd had enough of universities providing high school seniors with inaccurate, boring and often misleading descriptions about their outrageously priced schools. So, he gathered a team and started Unigo, a company that puts the message back in the hands of the people who really know what the school is all about–the students.

In a couple of hours I have a meeting with Rich Littlehale, a Yale student and budding social entrepreneur, who recently started Twigtek, a company that helps organizations raise money by collecting old cell phones and helping the environment.

The list goes on and on. Young people have looked at the disastrous situation this country is in and decided to do something about it -way before "Black Monday" caused mass panic.

As Progressive Happy Hour organizer Brian Komar eloquently explains, we are in the midst of the NEXT Progressive Movement. He says, "Change doesn't come from parties. It comes from movements. This movement will bring the change America needs. Young people are always the early adopters, and this time younger people are paving the way. . . . My sincere hope is that this movement becomes multigenerational."

This is the attitude that Generation Y has demonstrated, and must continue to demonstrate. Because it's not about being a hero; it's about working together and making smart decisions for the greater good because we see the mess that we've been dealt. And when you see a mess, there's only one thing left to do: clean it up.

Does Gen Y Really Want to Change the World?

Published by Ryan Paugh on May 1st, 2008 in Activism, Generation Y | 21 Comments

I'm terrible at being environmentally conscious. I use paper plates because sometimes I'm too lazy to wash dishes. I drive my car (a lot). And you could build some kind of cool castle structure with all of the non-reusable coffee cups I go through. All and all, I'm a bad environmentalist for a millennial.

But before you lock me up and throw away the key, I want you to know that I'm trying. I'd like to be more socially conscious than I am. And I'm hoping that by acknowledging the fact that I'm not, it'll mean positive steps moving forward.

Generation Y and activism have been braided together for some time. And while it makes me proud to say that this generation has what it takes to make improvements in the world. I wonder if we're kind of jumping the gun.

I mean, what have we done so far? I'm sure there are plenty of others out there just like me who don't do enough. And maybe, unlike me, they're still in denial.

Here are three reasons we may not be all we could be (yet):

We're too conservative

There's no doubt that we're less radical than the Boomers of the 60's and 70's. We don't even protest. And sure, we can band together on the web to support a cause, but what tangible goal do we accomplish?

Gen Y is an internet culture. We go to freerice.com and think we're really making a difference.

Real change requires not only ambition, but a little bit of impetuousness. And while nobody will argue that Gen Y isn't ambitious, I don't see that many of us willing to put their ass on the line for a cause they believe in.

If we want to make a difference in the world we're going to have to use the same attitude we have about getting what we want in our careers. But do we care enough about something other than ourselves to make it happen?

We're way too trendy

We don't just hop through jobs. We hop through everything. So when it comes to supporting a cause it's here today, gone tomorrow.

I worry about this because making a significant change in our society takes the one thing we don't have right now – patience. If we want to make a difference we have to be steadfast. Don't treat it like your job. If you're bored, you can't just get another world-changing cause. That's not how this works. You'll never make progress like that. World-changing takes lots of time.

College students behave like this all the time. And who can blame them? With all of the choices among activist groups to join on campus, it's like a free-for-all to get involved. But when a bunch of young people jet around from activity to activity, what are they really accomplishing?

It's been really easy for us

While the environment is one of the top concerns of my generation, there is no real authority figure within our ranks on the topic.

The closest thing we have is Al Gore, who stops by the MTV Music Video Awards to plug The Inconvenient Truth. And while it's nice to have a Boomer, ex-Vice President who's trying to reach the next generation of leaders, it's not earning any points for Gen-Y leadership.

The real movement leaders for most of today's environmental and social initiatives are Generation X and the Baby Boomers. But they're marketing to Generation Y. So while many of us are getting involved, nobody has stepped up and led. And that makes me wonder when somebody finally will.

I'm very optimistic about my generation. But I'm also wary that we'll ever show some results. I can't even commit to recycling.

Statistics show that Gen Y cares about a lot of things. But until we actually commit to doing something and stick with it, we're doing nothing.