“Brain blur” is one of the consequences of kids growing up with technology, a term coined by Gary Rudman of GTR Consulting (see my other blog, www.teensinbalance.com). And brain blur is what I have after two days at the Ypulse Youth Mashup East. I’m still digesting all the information from a stellar group of speakers, including the fact that as a younger 40-something, I heard myself being referred to as part of the “reckless Gen X’r” or “baby bust generation.” I’m still chewing on that one; in some definitions I’m the last of the Boomers. This comes in the context of a conference that was all about Gen Y (1982-2002) and their immersion in technology from the get-go. Today, we are presented with a generation of kids whose neurons are being shaped like no humans before them. Here are some of the conference highlights:
Today’s high school students (also referred to by Rudman as the “Flux Gen”) are being forced to adopt, adapt and advance technology. They must upgrade their “personal operating systems” at a breakneck pace. They are conditioned to react to the tech advances mechanically – as a matter of reflex.
Dan Coates, of SurveyU described Gen Y as protected and pampered, yet sensitized to make a positive contribution to the world (vs. the independent risk takers of Gen X). He noted that Gen Y is the first generation of youth soon to exceed 100,000,000. They are: multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-taskers and multimedia fluent. Astonishingly, 91 percent of college students are registered to vote – and we saw the influence of this cohort on the recent presidential election. This group values authenticity and can see through any marketing gimmick. On the other hand, Gen Y tends to avoid risk in spite of a high level of self-confidence and entitlement. They are calculated risk takers.
MyYearbook.com is the #1 social networking site among the youth group in the US. One of the most popular apps, Causes, allows users to donate their “lunch money” or their accumulated virtual currency. Thus currency translates into real donations by the site’s “cause ad sponsors.” Users also earn ranks and badges based on their activity. There is an impressive list of causes, from AIDS to Save the Rainforest. Geoff Cooke, CEO, noted that MyYearbook’s growth was 241 percent over the last year, while the other popular social networks have plateud.
In the spirit of hope and charity, Ron Farris, of Virgin Mobile USA, got the audience going by having us take out our cell phones and text a code (68405) to send “karma” for a cause to end youth homelessness. American Eagle will donate a hoodie sweatshirt to a homeless kid for each text message. Their partner, Sprint, doesn’t take a hefty carrier cut for the text message, either. Farris’s talk focused on creating brand experiences using on the successful Virgin Music Festival as a case study. Virgin Mobile’s marketing mission is to create an experience of “surprise and delight” for youth in both online and offline venues.
The conference ended with a teen panel. Most of them were seniors and it’s a wonder they have time for anything but homework, SATs and college applications. They represented a cross section of teens – from the technocrats to technolites, including one girl too busy to bother with anything multimedia but needed the TV on for background noise. Clearly an anomaly, she didn’t even carry a cell phone: “I’m not an easy person to reach.” Yet, each one had carved out how technology played a role for them. And saw this evolving as their lives transitioned to new experiences.
As for me, by the time I got home, the one remedy to clear up my cerebral blur was to set aside the Blackberry and laptop and mounds of notes – and listen to music.
Live music.
Contributed by Tara Cousineau, PhD, An Adolescent at Heart
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