Brett April 13th, 2009
We always hear that Millennials are different, and that their constant online interaction is changing the very way they interact. However, I do not know if I believe all of the hype. While older generations may not understand Gen Y’s methods, they should realize that these new communication tools enable people to connect faster and more efficiently than ever before. No longer do countless teenagers and young adults have to miss each other while trying to catch a movie a la an episode of Seinfeld, and can instead always find their friends on Loopt. Also, even though it seems that Millennials are always texting on their phones, a recent OTX study shows that hanging out with friends, going out with a girlfriend/boyfriend, and listening to music are a Millennial’s top activities. Going online, using social media applications, and texting do not even appear on this list, which means the stereotype of Gen Y losing themselves to the online morass must be off.
Continue Reading »
Brett March 23rd, 2009
“I just want to have fun.”
You would’ve thought that nuclear Armageddon had come from the way my dad’s jaw dropped as we drove around the winding streets of San Diego.
“What did you just say??” he exclaimed.
I knew that signal…it looked like it was going to be long drive home as the lecture on hard work began…
I’m sure a few of you have found yourself in a similar situation when you gave the ‘wrong’ response to the “What do you want to do with your life?” question. While I was only a junior in high school at the time, the discussion has always stuck in my head (which as I recall quickly turned from a dialogue into a monologue), and the question of what to do with my life after school has always plagued me. I think the same question faces many young professionals when they begin their careers. The thought of entering the job world (for me) has always been associated with a loss of self, like you no longer have control over your own life, and that idea frightened me. Continue Reading »
Brett February 3rd, 2009
Has your mom ever nagged you for being online or playing video games for too long?? Well you are in luck because new research shows that internet savvy Gen Ys (or those who use technology most frequently) see a two fold increase in brain activity when searching on the internet compared with non tech people. Internet savvy participants also had increased activity in the frontal cortex or decision making part of the brain.
Gary Small, a neuroscientist, believes that the increased brain activity allows Millennials to successfully multitask. So when it appears that Gen Ys are ignoring you while listening to their Ipods, Dr. Small theorizes that Millennials might just have the ability to listen to both the Ipod and the speaker. He says the key is not to judge how young professionals and students learn, but rather understand that these people have adjusted to the incredible technology revolution we have experienced over the past 20 years and therefore take in information differently.
On a side note, I have heard that a genius like Einstein only used 50% of his brain, and some people have suggested that the percentage of brain used has a positive correlation with intelligence. A question I am wondering, and would like to hear some comments on is: do you think that because Gen Ys use more of their brain when using technology that they are smarter than non tech oriented people?
Links:
cbs news story
cbs blog article on Gen Ys
Brett November 10th, 2008
Too often I hear from all the pundits, corporate execs, and basically everyone older than myself that my generation is lazy and out of touch. That I and all the rest of my generation have squandered all that America has created in the past half century. On a recent 60 Minutes piece “The Millennials Are Coming” (look at minute 3:50), one of the interviewees, Mary Crane, highlighted that Millennials have no idea what a day of hard work looks like. Instead (as she puts it) we have spent our summers excavating Machu Picchu, building orphanages in Mexico, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, and taking cushy internships with corporations. She explains that Gen Yers have never spent any time in the trenches doing ‘hard labor’ so that we would quickly learn that we did not want to dig ditches for the rest of our lives.
Continue Reading »
Brett April 27th, 2008
Some have called the ‘boomerang’ phenomenon currently sweeping the Western world the hallmark of the downfall of western civilization, others the epitome of this ‘entitlement’ generation, and finally others have called it plain ridiculous. I, on the other hand, think it is one of the smartest and most sensible things our generation will accomplish. I’m talking about the tendency for college graduates to return home at some point during their early professional careers. At first, this might seem counter-intuitive, but upon closer examination it actually produces the best mix for twenty-somethings (while not always for their parents). We have this American ideal that at 21, your son or daughter must be out of the nest or you are a bad parent and your child is bleeding you dry; fortunately that mentality is changing, and progressive parents are starting to see the value of the ‘boomerang’. Whether you agree with the trend or not, it is increasing, facilitated by economic and personal factors. This trend is also beginning to make itself felt in the workplace, enabling young professionals to change jobs if they become dissatisfied with their current one.
Economics 101
The cost of living for a young professional is skyrocketing while incomes remain stagnant. As everything from rice to rent jumps along with the commodity boom it puts increased financial strain on those recent graduates. Coupled with the fact that incomes have been rising at a paltry 3% and real incomes have remained virtually flat, it does not take a rocket scientist to see that a young professional’s budget is being squeezed. Since rent and food account for massive portions of a young professional’s budget, moving in with the parents provides immediate financial protection from the rising prices…I will grant that most young people squander this surplus rather than save, but that is for another post. Continue Reading »
Brett April 26th, 2008
I’ve always thought that I wanted to go back to New York. The atmosphere, people, and X were so fast paced, that I knew that is where I wanted to live. Then I came to California with my family and I saw the light. Warm winters, walking in sandals everyday, and most especially California Burritos beat out the snow of the East any day.
I’ve begun to notice though that here in my hometown of San Diego young professionals such as myself have been getting squeezed out. In some cases the city has actively tried to kick 20 somethings out of their neighborhoods because older neighbors feel that we are a distraction to their peaceful living. Don’t these older folks understand that we are the life of this city? As more and more restrictions are put in, I have felt the pulse of San Diego become slower and slower. Continue Reading »
