Ypulse has partnered with Alexander Steed (Alex), a Gen Yer planning an ambitious journey across the U.S. to interview other young activists who are tapping into technology to help create social change. His first dispatch is from a New York…

We [Millennials] Care A Lot!

While we took off from Boston early-ish, we ended up hitting every traffic trap on our way to New York. We found ourselves at our first meeting, which was also the first New York Changeblogger meetup, just as everyone was exiting. The Changeblogger network, which I explain in greater detail on the NetSquared blog, is a loose coalition of web-savvy altruists who volunteer and work by the motto: "Blogging, vlogging, and podcasting for good." The conceptual collective was started by then-NetSquard community manager, and all-around community-advocate badass Brit Bravo. Despite our late arrival, I was fortunate to be able to talk with meeting organizer Naomi Hirabayashi for a short while.

Naomi reported that the meeting went well, and that about 30, mostly early twentysomethings showed up. On the whole, she was quite happy with the turnout. A lot of the young people were fresh out of college and working at nonprofits. Others didn't quite understand how to use social media for social good and hoped to explore their options.

Hirabayashi's explanation about her own involvement with Changeblogger is one that I have heard variations of dozens of times when talking with fellow millennial activists about their inspiration. She moved to the city and began working for an advertising agency and found that she wasn't particularly happy with her work. Hirabayashi eventually transitioned to a social media marketing company called Attention, a transition she enjoyed, in part, because they do pro-bono work for nonprofits. "I think every company should do that," she explained.

"I enjoy meeting people, and I enjoy doing good things. I'm sick of the bad rap that 'young people' generally get. You can go online and see all of the good things that we're accomplishing now. Apathetic? That's quickly becoming a myth," Hirabayashi said.

I found Hirabayashi's sentiment familiar in two ways. First, we continue to read about the ways that millennials are looking for jobs that have meaning beyond making money. There is a steady stream of reportage and literature fixated on the generation's penchant for, and style of giving. I've always remembered "giving" and "awareness" to be important, though not always thanks to my familial upbringing. They had become pop-cultue commodities, a fact poked fun at over 20 years ago in 80's/90's alternative metal band Faith No More's tongue-in-cheek single "We Care A Lot." Sure, I had learned the importance of doing good deeds in church and in Boy Scouts, but what I remember more clearly is when The Presidents of the United States of America had played an awareness show about the hole in the ozone layer on Nickelodeon — definitely more clearly than I can remember one of the sermons at the Methodist church my mother and I attended in my youth. Feeling concerned and doing the right thing is as ingrained into the psyche of some of us as the importance of owning Dolce & Gabbana glasses is in others.

Callum (my co-pilot, at least until we reach his home in San Francisco) and I have been talking about the value and detriment that is attached to this type of commodification, and I look forward to discussing this further with subjects along the way.

Second, Hirabayashi's anger at accusations of apathy that have been leveled against "youth" generally exists in contrast to our collective relationship with the pop cultural coolness of concern. These attitudes, seemingly dated and reactionary, were part and parcel of the generational assessment of Generation X. This is not who we are, and our penchant for giving is authentic (though for some of us, it may have been so brilliantly marketed that we haven't questioned its origin). When we hear or read these criticisms, which many of us feel are outdated and out of touch (you can actually read a "It's about time the kids are finally involved with the electoral process – but where the heck were they before?" comment on the forum underneath Julia Moulden's Huffington Post column about the tour), we find ourselves inspired to work harder to disprove the criticisms, and reinforce our altruistic authenticity (formed and brought to you by church, Boy/Girl Scouts, Nickelodeon, and The Presidents of the United States of America). It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

Categorized under: Youth Marketing

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