2008 Woodie Awards
Discovering Generation Y
Issue date: 4/12/06 Section: Opinion
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Staff Writer
In case you did not know, our generation is Generation Y, which can be defined as those born between 1980 and 2000. We are described as the "OMG: Generation Y of the I-Pod Era." Our generation is one turned on to pop culture and turned off to politics.
The majority of our generation is turned off to politics for many reasons. We view it as complicated, boring, unstable, inconstant, and some are distrustful of politicians. We are apathetic, wary, and cynical towards politics. We have our opinions on which we stand strong, yet we do nothing to promote them for the betterment of our country.
Some of our very own generation says that we don't have a voice and that no one wants to listen to what a 19-year-old college student has to say. No mind set could ever be so false.
"The problem is we [Generation Y] are too interested in the gratification of the moment," said Josh Kimbrell, junior Economics. "We care too much about Ben and Jennifer."
Out of 25 students polled in the Tingle Student Center, less than a fourth could correctly give the names of the United State's vice president, the secretary of defense, the commander in chief, and the secretary of state (which are Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, President George W. Bush, and Condoleeza Rice for future reference).
On the other end of the spectrum, however, the other three-fourths of the students could quickly give an answer to who Britney Spear's husband is, to who Jessica Simpson was married, and whom the past 4 American Idols have been. The answers came as though they were a natural reflex.
It's understandable that our generation would be more knowledgeable about pop culture over politics. You can't walk through a common store such as Wal-Mart without seeing the many pop culture tabloids whose prime audience ranges from 18 to 25-year-olds. The media industry knows what our generation looks for so they put it out there so easily for taking and make it so sweetly appealing. "Pop culture changes overnight. Politics affect us permanently. American Idol affects us for about 15 minutes on a Tuesday night," said Kimbrell. Rather than taking a few minutes to check Myspace or Facebook, check out what is happening on the news or read the newspaper. Believe it or not there are good sources to read to become more politically minded.
World Magazine, Citizen Magazine (a part of Focus on the Family), and Vision America are credible sources that give a Christian perspective on politics.