Nov 03 09
Millennial Chatter: Bridging the Generational Communication Gap
By: Kelly Shea
Recent College Grad/The SNP Part-Timer
They are often criticized as being self-centered, needy, and arrogant. They want to do everything their own way, which is inherently better than yours. They also seem to have a tough time staying employed. No, I’m not talking about your ex-girlfriend or boyfriend here, but referring to the so-called “millennial generation.”
In case you have missed the avalanche of media criticism for the millennial generation, here is the basic summary: parents and teachers have coddled the millennial generation, and now they are floundering through the recession armed only with an i-phone and a liberal arts degree.
Full disclosure: As a recent college graduate, I fall well within the millennial ranks. I have a major in liberal arts and three part-time jobs, but still no i-phone. Admittedly, it is difficult for older generations to put criticism aside for the cyber washed millennials. Anyone looking for ammunition can log onto Facebook and check how many people have posted statuses about the minutia of their daily lives. Examples include postings such as “Kelly just ate a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich!” Add extra points for misspelled words and emoticons.
Yet in defense of twenty-somethings everywhere, consider the fact that my generation has completely revitalized and altered the world of communication. Sure, there was light before the light bulb, but would anyone go back to gas lamps?
Even the self-pronounced Luddite (check out the blog of SNP’s Dave Imperiale) experiments with social networking and utilizes the constant information overflow that the millennial generation has thrust into the business and personal sphere.
Perhaps it is hypocritical, since I am a rather reluctant social-networker myself, to say that it is these new webs of communication that will ultimately lift my generation out of the murk of the recession. We may be unemployed, but at least we are communicating, spinning thousands of tiny webs until we are all connected.
Sure, some of my friends are using the recession as more of an excuse to remain in their parent’s basements playing Wii, but for every thumb-twiddling Wii player there are just as many millennials out there building i-phone applications, finding new online venues for their band, and writing travel blogs.Self centered? Maybe.
Ego can be a great motivator, and it is the ego of my peers that will eventually build and redefine communications within communities. That, or my millennial generation has created a world filled with chatter and useless information. For all of our sakes, let’s hope it is the communication revolution, not the downfall.
