Millennials and the Era of Technology
How growing up in the age of the smartphone has affected millennials—through the eyes of a millennial.
Check any Tumblr blogging account or pop in on any conversation of any twenty-something, and often times you’ll hear discussion about “our” childhood. You’ll hear about times when things were better, “way back when.” Nostalgia is alive and well as many people of the current “coming-of-age” generation, known as Milennials, long for and miss the simplicity of earlier decades, such as the 90's. From Saturday morning cartoons to the fashion and the music of previous eras, it seems that we all go through a period of nostalgia, whether we are in our 20's or our 60's.
Millennial is a term that describes the generation that is currently coming of age and going through their 20's. Born roughly from 1980 to about 1995, millennials are in their late teens up to their early 30's. To get an idea of generational differences, Generation X consists of cohorts born from about 1961-1979 who are in their mid-30's to early 50's, and the Baby Boomers were born from 1946 to the early 1960's, being anywhere from their early 50's to their late 60's.
All of us come of age, and every generation does it uniquely. They are able to find their voice in a variety of ways. The Baby Boomers were a part of the generation that revolutionized the world with the mid-20th century protest movements of the 60's. From the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist Movement to the Anti-War Movement against the war in Vietnam, the increase in the use of recreational drugs, the sexual revolution, Motown records and the British invasion, the 60's can be viewed as arguably one of the most innovative and biggest decades of change in modern memory. Their successors, Generation X, was the generation that was raised on the music of MTV and VH1. They grew up in an era of new technology from cable TV to the advent of video games.
This article about Generations posted a link (here) comparing and contrasting Generation X with Millennials, otherwise known as Generation Y. According to the latter article, Generation X was viewed of more as a rebelious generation. They were focused on being “cool”, popular, and fitting in with the right cliques. Coming up in the age of AIDS, relationships were more cautious and in the end, one of the biggest points of thought from that generation was to do something that you love.
When it comes to Millennials, we grew up in a post-9/11 world. While members of Generation X had to learn these new methods of technology, we were born and raised on it, so it was already ingrained in our minds. We are more consciously aware of our health and act as heroes to those in the need with community service duties. Everything from the economic recession of 2008 to hot topics such as global warming, gay marriage, abortion and the war on terror, there are many issues in the world that we are facing and must deal with as we age. Milennials embrace the concept of being authentic and true to oneself. Being a generation that has been raised on the Internet, one of the main characteristics of Generation Y is the desire to share everything on the Internet through an array of social media websites, be it Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube, or any other new platform that’s out there.
As noted in this article, while Millennials are inspired by Generation X’s level of maturity in relation to their careers and relationships, Generation X is inspired by Millennials with their passions, youthfulness, and desire for change in an effort to make the world we live in an even better place.
Articles like this make me smile at how humans of different ages are able to interact with one another. Whether they are our big brothers or sisters, our parents, or even our grandparents, everyone has something to teach somebody else.
While kids who were born in the 90's tend to claim in popular Tumblr posts and viral tweets how they were the last generation to grow up before the explosive boom of the Internet, unlike the generation that preceded them, they are used to having some sort of technology around, be it a computer or a cell phone. The younger members of the generation are more used to Wi-Fi as opposed to Dial Up from their older cohorts, but the Milennial generation has been the first to nearly entirely come up on the 21st century age of technology for the majority of their lives.
One of the most fascinating traits of an average Millennial is this desire to share everything. In the age of social media, it is almost as if an event never officially happened unless it is publicly shared on the Internet. Say you had front row seats to see your favorite band on their sold out tour. Unless you tweet about it or post a new Facebook photo album of the adventures of that night it is almost as if it never happened. “Facebook official” seems to increasingly become the norm, and it’s an interesting idea.
The Internet is not the same as it was 15, 10, or even 5 years ago. It is one of the most inventive developments of modern society as it has been able to revolutionize the world in almost every aspect of life. With just the few strokes of a keyboard, one can communicate with another person about a shared interest on the other side of the world. You can pay your bills online, shop online, find a date online. The possibilities are endless and it is amazing just how small the world is becoming as a result.
With these connections, it is easier to keep in touch with the array of friends and people in your life. I scroll through my Facebook news feed and I can see what my friends from high school are doing at college campuses across the country, through text, photos, and even videos. With Twitter, I can live-tweet a show and connect with fans from all over the world that are just as passionate about said interest as I am. It is truly a beautiful thing.
Still, with every positive thing there are negative side affects that can go along with it. While technology is overtaking more simple parts of individual’s daily lives, human interaction is slowly becoming lost. It’s such a meaningful gesture when someone actually calls another person on the phone. Ten years ago this was a given. Today, with text messages and Facebook chats, phone conversations seem to be fading into obscurity. Before, when a person would go out on a date, the first interaction would be the best way to get to know a person—what they liked, what they didn’t like, a list of their favorite things. Now? Just find their profile on Facebook, add them, and you know all of these things and then some.
People become so comfortable communicating with others behind the letters of text that they can tend to be even more awkward when they are actually in the presence of another human being. Why can’t there be a way to easily keep in touch with so many friends across an incredible platform all while still maintaining a touch of mystery? The more individuals, especially Milennials, are aware of how much sharing is too much sharing, the better all levels of social interaction can become.
How is it that with the Internet, there are numerous resources for students to utilize to enrich their educational experience yet there are still complaints about how tough it is? Could this be due to too many distractions?
While it is great to use technology to help complete daily tasks, there are times when technology doesn’t work. If no one knows how to properly multiply without finding the answers online or if no one knows how to use a map to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B, where’s the societal development and advancements in that?
Many businesses have changed with this new technology as well. When was the last time you saw a major record store or book store? While some may argue how it’s more convenient to download that latest hit single or popular book from online retailers, nothing beats the excitement of going out into an environment that encompasses everything related to that medium. The texture of the pages of a brand new book. The crisp bumps of every curve on every letter on every single page. Even the aroma of freshly made butter popcorn and the gasps, laughs and cries of an audience when going out to see the latest blockbuster at the movie theater beats a typical night of watching a movie on a small computer screen. After all, the director intended for his or her production to be viewed in such a manner.
The age of going into a record store, popping in a CD and listening to every word, bar, chord, bass, and beat with the best audio quality possible. Times when artists would perform “in-store” concerts at record stores and fans have personal, intimate interaction with the artists at autograph signings following such performances. The closest many kids of today have of getting that close to an artist is to pay high amounts of money for a meet and greet on top of expensive ticket prices. Isn’t there a way to save such a beautiful portion of the musical art form?
One of the remaining ways fans can interact with celebrities is through Twitter. Be it a “favorite” of a tweet, a retweet, a reply, or the ever coveted follow back, Twitter serves as an excellent platform for not only celebrities to stay in touch with fans, but for people from all over the world to connect over shared interests. Still, nothing beats meeting a person face-to-face and having that personal interaction. To look into someone’s eyes and witness their emotions come to life. Hugging them. Holding their hand. Hearing their voice—and not through the sound waves emitted from a computer’s speakers or even from the other side of a phone call.
Another major issue with the Internet is the increase in cyber-bullying. On websites where people can submit questions anonymously, many are unfortunately harassed and told unspeakably hurtful things. This is a new phenomenom that has come with such advances in technology and it is one that must be immediately stopped. Why must one cowardly hide behind an anonymous icon to say such hurtful things? Why can’t they be brave enough to say it to someone directly? Why do they have to share such negativity to even begin with? Many times people forget that there are other people behind these icons and profile pictures, and such a powerful device can be used in a positive matter to build friendships with people that never could have been done a couple decades prior.
The amount of support and positivity offered on the Internet is overwhelming and it is a beautiful thing to see. This is especially evident in the fandom culture, as seen on such popular websites as Tumblr. It’s refreshing to see so many other people as into a topic of passion as oneself, and such interactions can bridge to a stronger community. Aspiring writers and artists can share their interests quickly to a growingly wide audience. There are numerous examples of singers who got their start from posting videos of themselves performing on YouTube before shooting on the road towards stardom.
With every new and exciting development with technology, there are also hardware issues. Some can see it to become frustrating whenever Apple unveils a new iOS update for the iPhone. Older MacBook laptops can not run certain apps because it is too old even though the computer itself works perfectly fine. The same can be said with the iPhone and its updates. The quest to always get the newest and most recent technological product is great, but why is my iPhone forced to update if I want to keep up with such basic functions as playing videos and opening photos properly? While I love the amazing abilities of smart phones, it’s days like this when I tend to long for the simplicity of my old flip phone in a world pre-emojis.
With every generation, there have been new developments. From the mid-20th century protests of the Baby Boomers, to a search for identity and touch of a rebellious attitude among members of Generation X, Millennials can be defined as the generation that has come of age in a world where technology and its advancements are the norm in nearly every aspect of life. While it has made the world smaller, quicker, and easier, one must always make certain that the qualities of basic human interaction are not lost. Sole reliability on technology can be dangerous if the machines fail and no one knows how to, say, operate a cash register. Maybe no more manuals being online only, for example? I’m happy to be a member of this generation at a time when we are here to make a difference in the world and change for the better. As long as Millennials can balance the beauty of the progressions in technology while still being grounded in the reality of the living world that surrounds them, the future is looking very positive, bright, and exciting.
