THE FUTURE of GENERATION Y 2/22/09
by Chantal Bonitto
Generation Y, Millenials, Echo Boomers…I wonder how our generation will be labeled 20 years from now. We are definitely a special group. Think about it, our generation has single handedly changed the way business is done, the way politics are done, and everyday life.
When the inception of Gen-Wire came to mind, it was because I had an intense conversation with a room full of Baby Boomers. They called our generation ungrateful, selfish and lazy. That’s when I understood that what we needed was to see both ends of the spectrum. What was necessary was a form of communication so that we could work together and use our experiences to help all generations succeed.
So here we are today with a failing economy, our place as a world power is uncertain and still we have hope. I could easily say that the Baby Boomers are the cause of our current state. After all, former President Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, in my opinion, had a lot to do with watching our economy go by the waste side.
With the words of hope and change, a Generation X-er, President Barack H. Obama, reached out to everyone using new technology and strategies to reach multiple generations. Today access & knowledge is at our finger tips, period. I even get e-blasts from our President with links to his speeches, support for his decisions and updates on our government. Our President is doing it—and so is the world!
The phenomenon of new technology and social networking is our baby, boys & girls! E-marketing, Facebook, Myspace, Twitter—we made it as popular as it is today. And we’ve shared this with the world.
Just to show you how much has changed in five years-- One of my first boss’ who did not understand new technology and was not open to communicating with me screamed at me about having my smart phone in her sight. She literally degraded me about it in her office, told me it was unprofessional and essentially threatened to fire me if she saw it again. Now it’s common to see smart phones on top of the desk at the office. I was also ashamed of having my Instant Messenger in view on my desk because it was looked down upon by my then supervisor. Currently, this is how most offices communicate with each other. I often wonder if my old boss is g-chatting at her desk today. I’m in a better place now and perhaps it’s because times have changed or I could have just been blessed with efficient tech-savvy managers. I communicate with my colleagues and supervisors via IM even though we’re less than ten feet apart. Also, remember when Facebook was open to those who had college e-mail addresses ONLY? My colleague who is at least 50 years old bragged about her brand new Facebook page!
So what’s next for us? All this new shared technology, belief in hope & change, generations working together…and our economy is failing us. I truly wonder where we’ll be in the future and how history will define us.
Gen-Wire.com is still under construction! Be on the look out for new and exciting changes!
