Mood: contemplative
Music: under pressure - the used ft my chemical romance
i got this from wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_Yi found it really interesting, i'm a generation y'er, and my older sister is the MTV generation
<3 Nem
xx
Generation YGeneration Y is a term used to describe the youth of today. [1]
Other terms used to name members of the same generation include Millennial and Echo Boomer. [2][3]
The first indication of a second generation to follow the Baby Boom generation came with the publication of Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069 by authors William Strauss & Neil Howe. Their dating system was based on the reason that 1982 gave birth to the class of 2000, with the positive attention ushering in a new age in childhood development. [4] Then in 1993 a new term came into being - Gen Y. The term first appeared in a August 1993 Ad Age editorial to describe those teenagers born between 1974 -1980. [5]
Today the term Gen Y and its associated labels Millennial and Echo Boomer are generally used to describe three types of generational spans which include, mid 70s through early 80s, late 70s through early 90s, and the early 80s to the early 2000s. [6][7][8]
Is Gen Y simply late Gen X?The inherent similarities between Generation Y and its predecessor, Generation X, have led many to view Gen-Y as a mere protraction of Gen-X, going as far as to question the existence of two separate generational classifications. There are, however, very important differences between the generations, including (but not limited to) the age at which modern technology was introduced to members of each generation, and much of the doubt of the difference between the two generations is simply founded upon ignorance.
Also, categorizing the span of people born from the 1960s to 2000's would be far too long to consider a cultural generation as it is about as long as a biological one. It is, however, important to note that the difference between generations is less significant as of the 21st century then it was in previous times.
The digital factorIn his book Growing Up Digital, business strategist and psychologist Don Tapscott coined the term "Net Generation" for the group, pointing at the significance of being the first to grow up immersed in a digital--and Internet--driven world.
However, they may be the last generation to appreciate its significance in a changing culture, as most of them can still readily recall older items of the pre-digital era such as VHS tapes.
In addition, most Generation Y members, even those born as late as the early 1990s can still clearly remember a time before widespread use of DVD players, digital audio players, cell phones, TiVo, digital cable, broadband, eBooks, and other now ubiquitous inventions. Those born prior to 1986 can probably clearly remember a time before the World Wide Web broke out in the mid to late 1990s.
It may be accurate to mark the boundary by the ubiquitous presence of computers in the everyday life of Generation Y. Generation X grew up in the 1980s when computers were rare, primitive, and chiefly for nerds, business, or Yuppies, unlike Generation Y which have always been surrounded by computers, and would not find their presence remarkable or interesting as they came into mainstream use when most Yers were young children or not even born during the late 1980s and early-to-mid 1990s.
The moment that defined Generation YPerhaps the best way to define the boundaries of this and other generations in the United States is by considering dominant national events. Events that shape national identity, although not completely explicative of all personality traits, may nonetheless shed light on broad characteristics in any given generation.
As such, national events proposed as boundaries for Generation Y include: the Challenger explosion (most members of this generation did not witness the tragedy in schools, were not aware it had happened, or were not born yet, in contrast to members of Generation X, who watched the takeoff—and the explosion—in the classroom) as a way of determining Generation X'ers from Y'ers.
On the other end of the spectrum, the date of the September 11th attacks is an often proposed end-point for the generation. Those that were not yet born in 2001 and those that were otherwise too young to remember and/or understand what occurred on that infamous day (about 1997 up) would thus be grouped into Generation Z or what Cryderman defines as the iGeneration as they would have no memory whatsoever of the 20th Century and any predigital technologies still around in the Nineties. Meanwhile, people who were still in school (or had recently graduated) would be called Generation Y. Such propositions, of course, remain disputed.
Gulf War II may in fact become the war that defines Gen Y. A contrast to this opinion is that the current conflicts involving Generation Y may end up mimicking the Vietnam War, which greatly impacted both the Silents and Baby Boomers, corresponding with generational and ideological divides over the war. One major difference, however, is that all servicemen and women currently deployed in Afghanistan or Iraq are volunteers, as opposed to the Vietnam War where many young Americans were draftees.
Generational demographicsMany in Generation Y are the children of Baby Boomers, and the generation is also known as the "Echo (Boom) generation," because it is, in some areas, the largest demographic grouping since the baby boom that immediately followed World War II (the U.S. birth rate per 1,000 population, however, declined for seven consecutive years starting in 1991 — the second longest such streak on record, exceeded only by the eleven-year baby bust of 1958 through 1968). Most parents of the members of Generation Y are from the Baby Boomer or younger Silent generations; significantly fewer parents are from Generation X (mostly kids born in 1991 or later). Their grandparents are mostly from the G.I. Generation, with some older Silents. While the echo was much larger than the previous cohorts, the relative size of this generation is much smaller than that of the Baby Boom. The American population was much larger in the 1990s than in the 1950s or '60s. From 1946 to 1964, the U.S. total fertility rate averaged 3.3 — high enough to double the population every two generations. Since around 1980, it has averaged 1.9, which is below the so-called replacement rate, though in recent years it has moved slightly above 2.0. Families continued to get smaller than in previous decades, usually with only one or two children.
The Echo Boom The actual “Echo Boom” was a five year span between 1989 and 1993 when for the first time since 1964, the number of live births reached over four million. It wouldn’t be until 1985 that the live birth number would even match that of 1965 at 3.760 million. Also it should be noted that the birthrate of 1971’s 17.2% has yet to be reached according to the 2000 census. [9]
Generation Y in the United StatesMost have few memories of the Cold War (apart from perhaps action movies, toys, or video games with such themes) and came of age during the technology-driven changes in the years of President Bill Clinton. They were the first to grow up with the Internet in a developed, prolific form, including music downloads, instant messaging and cellular phones, which came to fruition at about 1997. The portmanteau "screenager" was coined in 1997 by Douglas Rushkoff in his book "Playing the Future" to describe this techno-savvy generation.
Other major social changes in recent times include immigration and developments in race relations. Characteristically, Generation Y members are generally very tolerant towards multiculturalism and internationalism. It is also not uncommon for post-1970s born children to grow up dating people outside their own race or ethnic group, as well as having a wide range in friends. This growing trend towards interracial relationships is sometimes a source of negative friction between youth and their parents or elders, who grew up in a society where interracial romance was once considered extremely taboo and even banned in a number of states until the late 1960s. The state of Alabama only officially disbanded its anti-miscegenation laws in the year 2000. As well, many people in this group are themselves multiracial in background, and this is also a considerable change from previous generations.
Opinions on Gay rights and gender roles have also been altered to some degree by this group. Generation Y is known for having among the most wide-ranging opinions on such issues as many members of this generation hold a grudge towards homosexuals while many others are openly accepting.
This generation was the subject of much concern during the 1990s, though, despite some of its positive features. The Columbine school shooting, along with similar crime, as well as youth participation in street gangs, hate groups, and behaviors such as teen pregnancy fueled a wave of action by schools and other organizations. These events however, save for the school shootings, were very present, if not even more common, before the 1990s but were simply not talked about as much.
The 2004 Presidential election was the first election in which Generation Y was able to vote in significant numbers. John Kerry received most of the votes. Notwithstanding, the ratio between young voters voting Democratic or for the incumbent George W. Bush remained relatively stable, suggesting that Gen Y may in fact be reflective of American society as a whole rather than a defined independent generation in itself.
Generation Y elsewhereIn a strict sense, the term "Generation Y" and its variations can be said to refer only to the United States, but the close cultural connection between the U.S. and other Western countries has led to the term being used to describe any youth culture, even if the emerging generation does not bear any characteristic similarities to the United States version of "Generation Y" besides chronological birth years.
In many rich countries, the 1980s and 1990s were a period of rapidly falling birthrates. In Southern Europe and Japan, and less markedly in Northern and Eastern Europe, Generation Y is dramatically smaller than any of its predecessors, and its childhood years tended to be marked by small families, both immediate and extended, small classes at school and school closures. In the Soviet Union during the 1980s, there was a "baby boom echo" similar to that in the United States, and Generation Y there is relatively large; however, birth rates fell through the floor in the 1990s to extremely low levels. This meant a lot of individual attention from parents in a period in which society was becoming intrinsically more risk averse.
The child poverty rate was still relatively high in many Western countries throughout the 1980s and '90s.
The increasing stratification of wealth in many societies has led to an increase in the societal differences between poor and rich members of this generation. Although many middle class and wealthier families arrange many extra-curricular activities for their children, less affluent families cannot afford such extras, increasing the pressure on their own children. Since much of the generational character is tied to the prevalence of "extracurriculars" and relatively expensive technologies such as computers, some feel that the description of the generation only applies to wealthy members or at least the broadly middle class.
In Eastern Europe, Generation Y is the first generation without mature memories of communism or dictatorial rule. In newly rich countries such as South Korea or Greece, Generation Y has known nothing but developed world standards of living, while their grandparents often grew up in developing world conditions, causing considerable social changes and inter-generational difficulties as the young reject many traditional ways of life.
Generation Y was the first generation in countries like India and China to benefit from western modern amenities due to liberalization of their economies.
Relationship with other living generationsGen Y are usually children to the Baby Boomers and rarely early Gen Xers (about 1950 to 1969). Because of this they have a tendency to share social views with the Boomers and culture with Gen X, who serve chiefly as their "older cousins" or even older siblings. Gen X are commonly called "Old-Schoolers" by Gen Y youths.
Music and subcultures
BackgroundGenerations have often used music to set themselves apart, testing out values, rebelling against their parents, declaring what they stand for and stand against. In many English-speaking countries including the US and the UK, hip hop, so-called alternative rock, emo/pop-punk, electronic dance music, R&B, form the common backdrop for Generation Y and latter Gen X.
These styles came of age themselves during roughly the same period, from origins in the late '70s and the '80s to widespread cross-cultural currency and commercial success in the 1990s, just as many Yers were in their preteens and teens and Gen X were dominant. By the proposed end of Gen Y near the millennium, these three wide umbrella genres and various derivatives and cross-pollinations between them formed the basis for the most popular and culturally influential music in the world.
Most members of Gen Y cannot personally remember much about Ronald Reagan or Margaret Thatcher, and they probably also cannot recall a time when rap, grunge, metal, punk, techno, and synth-pop were unfamiliar to them, whether by conscious choice on MTV or the radio, or from a neighbor's boom box, passing cars, or hits on the loudspeaker in the supermarket aisle (true Muzak was abandoned in the late 1980s).
Although these styles may have seemed revolutionary for the prior Generation X, experiencing them in their infancy, for Generation Y they have always been a normal part of the musical landscape, sounds long since "co-opted" by the mainstream and routinely melded with every type of pop music in an attempt by its makers to attain generational currency because of the slowdown of pop music revolution beginning in 1997 because of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Rifts with Gen X And Earlier Generations
Hip Hop Rise/Fall of Rock and RollHip hop music, and accompanying movements in fashion and slang, create perhaps the largest musical rift between Gen Y and its forbears. Gen X and the Boomer generation were both fond of rock and roll even despite their differences, but while Gen Y also contains many fans of rock since beginning in the 2000s rock is no longer considered to be "cool" but rather an alternative taste and by about 1992 hip hop had replaced rock as the "parent-angering" music as rock became more about emotion and less about having a "good time". It should be noted that hip hop, especially old skool hip hop and the gangsta rap made prior to 1997 does cross into Generation X and that later Xers tend to more tolerant of hip hop than early Xers and the Xers as a whole do not dislike hip hop quite as much as the Boomers do. Also, the early days of hip hop's mainstreamization in the late 1980s and early 1990s was very much fueled by latter Gen X born in the 1970s.
During the 1980s rap was largely confined to the African American community, especially that in large American cities such as New York and Los Angeles. In the late Eighties, however, rap did begin to become mainstream as other cultures began to demand it with artists such as the Beastie Boys, NWA, Ice T, and Public Enemy.
The 1990s represented the assimilation of rap into the mainstream, by 1990 rap was only beginning to top the charts but by 1999 rap was the most popular form of music on pop radio except for perhaps the teen pop groups of that time.
By the 2000s almost all non-rock/punk popular music on MTV and pop radio was either rap or rap-influenced music; while rap and hip-hop were extremely popular for most of the '90s there were many other popular genres of music in that decade while 2000s pop is more musically one-tracked on rap and rap/R&B.
Acceptance of Adult-Oriented MediaAlthough the Boomers were considered controversial during their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s and Gen X saw the beginnings of looser censorship standards, Gen Y was the first generation that pretty much lived with things such as the PG-13 label and the Parental Advisory sticker.
As technology boomed in the 1990s and the then-young-adults Gen X gained influence over the media Gen Y, at the time children, gained easier access to explicit material. By about 1993 crude language began to become acceptable on television and within a few years cable networks such as FOX and Comedy Central pushed the bounds on what could be shown on TV.
This trend peaked in the late Nineties with the rise of the Internet and ultra-controversial shows such as South Park went on the air.
By the 2000s the rise of such explicit material declined as incidents such as the 9/11 attacks and the 2004 Super Bowl incident caused the FCC to make their rules more conservative.
It should be noted that the censorship changes of the 1990s were not all more allowing of explicit and offensive material: while graphic depictions of blood and gore, certain depictions of sexual activity, mild language (fuck is still censored as of 2006, and shit and some other curse words are still quite taboo and censored in various mediums), and certain forms of disrespectful activity are now at least somewhat acceptable on television and radio, other offensive material such as violence against women, certain types of racial humor/slurs are no longer acceptable and children's programming tends to be much tamer in content than it was prior to the early to mid 1990s.
Musical ContributionsThe musical genres most commonly associated with Generation Y are post-gangsta rap and pop punk, although there are other genres associated with this part of Gen Y, including underground rap from the likes of Atmosphere and Common, pop R&B from the likes of Mariah Carey and 1990s indie acts that have since become mainstream in the mid-2000s such as Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, and Elliott Smith.
Of course, as many genres of 1990s music still live on into the 2000s many music stereotypes of Gen X, such as grunge, can be extended somewhat to Gen Y.
What might end up defining at least the 2000s section Generation Y music is the heavily charged political nature of music from popular bands and artists in response to the September 11th attacks and ensuing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are a heavy dose of left-leaning, anti-establishment front-men like Billy Joe Armstrong from Green Day, outspoken political singer Steve Earle, Serj Tankian from System of a Down, Chris Cornell from Audioslave, and Conor Oberst from Bright Eyes, as well as from more mainstream bands like Bono from U2, Mick Jagger from The Rolling Stones, and Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher from Oasis who continue to have success with Generation Y.
On the flip side there have been very popular and right-leaning, patriotic songs that have become popular from country artists like Toby Keith, Alan Jackson, and Kenny Chesney.
The Late 1990s (1997-2000)During the late 1990s and first couple years of the 2000s teen pop somewhat like that of New Kids on the Block, Debbie Gibson and similar artists of the late eighties and early nineties were popular, led by Britney Spears, N*SYNC and similar groups, but by about 2002 most of these artists faded out as their fan base of preteen and teenage girls grew up and rap and more-rock influenced and "adult" pop such as Avril Lavigne took their place.
Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani, and Jessica Simpson are respectively popular, showing that while pop of the late nineties variety is no longer as favorable as of 2006 (e.g. the Backstreet Boys endeavor at a comeback in 2005 was a relative flop in comparison to previous records sales in the United States, even despite going platinum), pop still upholds its place in the twenty-first century.
Contrary to popular belief, in 1997 and 1998 hip hop was in somewhat of a dead state as the deaths of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. slowed the genre and Eminem had not yet appeared on the scene. In fact, from about 1995 on hip hop was generally losing fans to "alternative" music; this was increased by the deaths of Tupac and Notorious B.I.G., and was not recovered until about 1999 when Eminem rose to fame.
By 2001 rap was the prime staple of whatever music was left on MTV and began to dominate pop radio.
The Early 2000s(2001-2003By the early 2000s rap was clearly the most popular genre of music, outselling rock and roll for the first time in history in 2002, although post-grunge bands such as Nickelback and punk-influenced pop like Avril Lavigne still periodically topped pop charts. In 2002 Nickelback's How You Remind Me was the #1 song of the year; a year later 50 Cent's mass hit In Da Club was released.
Rock during the early 2000s was mostly numetal, rap metal, and grunge-influenced rock bands, overall not too different from most the 1990s, but pop-punk bands began to become popular in this period and some classic-rock influenced bands such as The White Stripes also, pointing to a new era of rock music.
The Mid 2000s (2004-2006)Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of Generation Y's musical genres during this time period are pop punk and the latest post-punk revival, sometimes termed "Neo-Wave", both of which are influenced by 1990s punk and 1980s New Wave music, the former more influential on sound and the latter on image in the case of pop-punk. Pop-punk is also considerably influenced by Millenial teen pop, albeit often in a tongue-in-cheek way.
The term emo is often used to describe a rock movement associated specifically with Generation Y, but the term's meaning is controversial and arguably inept. The genre is producing a pseudo-counterculture with bands such as Hawthorne Heights, Taking Back Sunday and My Chemical Romance through mediums such as Fuse and MTV2. Mainstream rock radio, however, is slower to pick up on the trends as they find post-grunge bands (such as Nickelback) to be a much safer bet for their listeners as the genre generally refuses to die even despite being around so long.
Rap music of the post-gangsta and crunk subgenres were widely favored, almost entirely dominating the charts by 2003 as the teen pop explosion of the late 1990s phased out and grunge rock began to fall out of style to emo (it should be noted that "grunge-pop" like Lifehouse is still quite popular among some).
Mainstream artists like 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Lil' Jon, Black Eyed Peas, and Kanye West are very well-liked among many if not most Yers.
However, beginning in the early 1990s as gangsta rap started, but especially in the latter half of the '90s and the 2000s many rap fans disliked the mainstream as it became more "glam" and less meaningful and fun, turning to underground from the likes of Atmosphere or old skool from the Beastie Boys and similar bands.
As MP3 downloads, iPods became popular and the increase of the Internet's use for propagating culture greatly increased during this period, many Gen Y developed very eclectic, international tastes. Examples of this would be the rise of flapper type styles, and the burgeoning popularity of reggaeton throughout the United States. However, record companies claim that internet downloads have negatively impacted their sales.
The Movies of Generation YGeneration Y are maturing during a period where most popular movies are either cult films or renditions of books, comics, graphic novels, other movies, or even other remakes. This in conjunction with declining box office ticket sales and a greater prevalence of Internet piracy have resulted in fewer blockbusters with sales driven by Generation Y.
While preference in film inevitably varies from individual to individual, popular films with Generation Y include cult-hits such as Napoleon Dynamite, Sin City, Finding Nemo, Fight Club and American Beauty as well as main-stream hits like The Matrix, the Lord of the Rings series, and the Harry Potter series. Also, older movie that were released when Gen X-ers were teens, such as John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Sixteen Candles are quite popular, as are Quentin Tarantino movies like Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs and the more recent Kill Bill series. More notorious Gen X films are only now gaining more attention from the Y Generation and iGeneration, as they begin to search for more meaningful, edgy, and thought-provoking filmmaking. Part of Generation Y's self-definition through films occurs by quoting and citing scenes and dialogue from popular films such as Napoleon Dynamite and Office Space. Napoleon Dynamite — a film set in the early 2000s but with a pointed nostalgia for the 1980s — will most likely serve as a reference point for Generation Y nostalgia. Movies such as The Matrix, Memento, and Waking Life lead the generation to heavily question the nature of their reality.
One common movie trend of the 2000s is youth turning to indie, avant-garde, and much older films in reaction to the perceived vacancy found in the mainstream movies of the new millennium. Thirteen seemed to have had an enormous impact upon Generation Y teens, as did Ghost World, Donnie Darko, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I Heart Huckabees, and Rebel Without a Cause.
Another interesting aspect of Gen Y film culture is that films, while individually successful, are becoming more identifiable by their directors. Many popular Gen Y films include blocs of films done by directors like Quentin Tarantino, M. Night Shyamalan, Peter Jackson, David Fincher, David Lynch, Daron Arnofsky, Steven Soderberg and Sam Raimi
It should also be noted that while movie stars' careers are much less fickle than those of musicians, many well-established celebrities such as Tom Cruise have experienced a very noticeable decline in popularity for various reasons while Harry Potter, LOTR, Lost, and even the Disney Channel are producing new stars, some of which are part of Generation Y itself.
The Television of Generation Y
TV OverviewSimilar to the case with movies, members of iGeneration and Gen Y at large are purported to watch much less [10] television in comparison to members of past generations. This is largely attributed to the popularity of the Internet, [11] which was the medium of so-called "nerds" or "geeks" in the Generation X coming-of-age (about 1981 to 1996; the Internet evolved more or less into its current form in 1997), an image this generation has overcome. Mundane programming and lacking television series which honestly depict (and thus appeal) to Gen Y are some contributors of this. Although reality shows are viewed by some, it seems most reality series are actually more popular amongst older adults as many are bored with the trend.
General TrendsTypically, news and current events outside of pop culture are not closely followed by most Generation Y members. Anderson Cooper's program is popular amongst those who follow news. For those less serious, The Daily Show is their answer. The Daily Show has become the most popular news program for the 18-25 demographic even though it is a "fake" news program.
Animated sitcoms, such as Family Guy, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and Futurama are very popular among Gen Y and latter Gen X. Traditional sitcoms fare less well among Gen Y, but are still common in the 2000s mainly because of older viewers.
Comedy Central and FOX are popular channels among Gen Y, the former hosts the definitive Y show "South Park" and the latter hosts many popular Gen Y shows, some of which, such as early-2000s show Andy Richter Controls the Universe have been cancelled in favor of reality shows in the indignation of many Gen Yers. The WB is also somewhat popular, but its popularity among teens is below that of its late-90s' peak, and the network began targeting an older audience in 2005.
Other popular networks for Generation Y are Fuse, G4, VH1, Spike TV, Cartoon Network (mostly Adult Swim), Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, MTV and MTV2.
Notable Gen Y Shows
Popular TV programs amongst Generation Y include:
The O.C. (2003-)
Laguna Beach (2004-)
Spongebob Squarepants (1999-)
Ed, Edd, and Eddy (1999-)
Best Week Ever (2004-)
Desperate Housewives (2004-)
Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001-)
Lost (2004-)
Family Guy (1999-2002, 2005-)
Punk'd (2002-)
Chappelle's Show (2003-2004, 3rd season episodes aired in 2006)
The Real World (1992-)
The Daily Show (1999-)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000-)
TRL (1998-)
Lizzie McGuire (2001-2004)
That's So Raven (2002-2006)
Drake and Josh (2004-)
Even Stevens (2000-2003)
King of the Hill (1997-2006)
American Idol (2001-)
The Simpsons (1989-)
Friends(1994-2004)
One Tree Hill (2003-)
Gilmore Girls (2000-)
Everwood (2002-)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000-)
The Colbert Report (2005-)
Buffy, the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Angel ((1999-2004)
Special mention should be given to South Park as it is arguably the most definitive (if not the most popular) Gen Y show even after 8 years of running, as it came out in 1997 during the early days of the Gen Y era and has lampooned Gen Y culture ever since. Its popularity dipped a bit among Gen Y in the mid-2000s as some of Y's younger members (typically born after about 1989 or 1990) showed little interest in the show. Also, if Chappelle's Show was not abruptly cancelled in 2005 it would have surpassed "South Park" in popularity, perhaps eventually becoming even more quintessentially Gen Y. "South Park" will likely end in 2008 as the end of that year is when their contract expires and Matt Stone and Trey Parker seem to be increasingly interested in other projects.
The Simpsons — while truly being a Gen X show — remains popular amongst a considerable minority, despite many former 1990s fans no longer regularly watching the show because they find it tired and outdated, accusing the show of being on only to break records.
Due to the fact that modern programming generally does not appeal to this generation, slightly older 1990s television series such as Daria, My So-Called Life, Seinfeld, and Buffy all have their legions of devoted fans. Even early '90s sitcoms such as Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Saved by the Bell, and Full House appeal to some.
Anime and "mature cartoons" are also popular: Cowboy Bebop and Aqua Teen Hunger Force both quickly became cult-hits on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program block.
Generation Y LiteratureMany critics point to the fact that Gen Y lacks any consistent literary figure [12] that represents the generation, as all previous generations seem to have had.
Although J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books are immensely popular, the series isn't widely regarded as literary items of Gen Y in particular, as the popularity of the books can be attributed to Rowling's unique approach to literature. She is often credited with helping kids regain interest in reading.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Bell Jar, and Girl, Interrupted have all received cult followings but still remain unknown to those less affiliated with books and reading in general.
The Rules of Attraction and American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis as well as the works of Chuck Palahniuk: Fight Club, Survivor and Lullaby are currently gaining popularity with Generation Y college students, as are many books by Gen X authors such as Hunter S. Thompson.
Argueably the most popular book in recent memory, The DaVinci Code, written by Dan Brown, has had cross-generational appeal, but has seemed to had the most success between the members of the MTV Generation and Generation Y
The cult-like statures surrounding particular authors (such as Michael J. Bernard) suggests that there remains an underlying desire for the next F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Philip K. Dick, Kurt Vonnegut, or J.D. Salinger but whether any author will achieve such a lofty perch remains doubtful
Internet of Generation YUndoubtedly the number one characteristic for Generation Y would be the arrival of the Internet. The internet appealed to this generation mostly through school work and communication. Generation X mostly viewed the computer as a "geeky" thing to have in the 1980s and early 1990s, but Gen Y as been more open to the computer and now a computer lies in almost every household of at least moderate financial means. Ironically, using Analog-age resources such as libraries became seen as "geeky" by Gen Y.
One major feature would be instant messaging through AOL Instant Messenger, MSN messenger or ICQ. This connected many of this generation with peers and has proved to be quite a social activity. With the introduction of the Web Cam, Generation Yer's could communicate by actual seeing their partners. This has also lead to popular dating services.
Popular blog-based web-sites visited by Yers include Myspace.com, Xanga, and Livejournal.
Another major feature that the internet brought up was the ability to show off film through either Albinoblacksheep, Ebaumsworld, Atomfilms or ifilm. This led to the belief that anyone could be a star. In fact, Internet flash movies such as Badger, Badger, Badger and Peanut Butter Jelly Time have left their mark on Generation Y's pop culture.
The Internet also proved to be quite resourceful for school projects, making libraries largely obsolete for all but more "square" people. Internet websites such as Encarta or Wikipedia became to be major sources for research projects.
Trends/Problems among Generation Y membersAs with previous generations, many problems began to surface as Generation Y came of age.
Underage drinking is prevalent among high school and college age members of Generation Y. Drug use has also become an issue. In urban areas, rave culture is becoming known for its influence on ecstasy usage. Marijuana, meth, coke, and inhalants seem to be most favored. Drug usage prevails even in spite of most Gen Y members undergoing programs such as D.A.R.E. during childhood. Criticism was gained of such governmentally-funded programs for their numerous contradictions and the misconception that teens are "influenced" into taking drugs via "peer pressure".
Generation Y is one of the most medicated generations in human history, with many Generation Yers prescribed antidepressants and other behavior-altering drugs like Ritalin, which has existed since the 1950s but was seldom prescribed before the early 1990s. It is interesting to note that Generation Y is more depressed and World aware (via the Internet)than any generation previous.
Childhood obesity is another health problem that has plagued Generation Y and X before them. In response, many local school boards have started to remove junk food from school cafeterias in an effort to reverse this trend.
As members of Generation Y begin to enter the nation's colleges and universities in large numbers some of their Baby Boomer parents are becoming helicopter parents. Many college advisors and administrators worry that this could have a negative effect on Generation Y's social progress, ego, and developing maturity.
Generation Y is the first generation that had to deal with the AIDS epidemic during childhood. Some members of Generation Y were born to parents that had AIDS, some being orphaned by the illness, others contracting the disease from the mother, and so on. This is a marked contrast from generations before.
Firsts
TechnologyThis generation was the first generation to use or witness the following technology from an early age:
The Internet, in a more prolific and developed form. (about 1997 onwards)
PCs with modern operating systems and GUIs. (mid 1990s onwards)
Sophisticated computer graphics in many video games, animated movies and television shows. (ambiguous initiation dates)
Cellular phones. (mid-to-late 1990s and beyond)
Instant messaging. (late 90s)
DVDs (about 1997 and onwards)
Digital Audio Players (1998 and onwards)
Tivo and other such DVR devices. (1999 onward)
HDTV (mid 2000s onward)
CultureThese are the events that this generation experience while coming of age:
The effects of a major school massacre in the USA.
Y2K.
The effects of the Bush-approved and widely criticized RAVE Act in North America.
The global War on Terrorism.
The February 15, 2003 global day of anti-war protests.
The SARS epidemic in Spring 2003.
The Indian Ocean tsunami disaster.
The four major hurricanes that hit Florida within less than 2 months of each other.
The events surrounding Hurricane Katrina .
The Hurricane Rita mass exodus in Houston in September 2005, which became the largest evacuation in American history.
See alsoiGeneration
MTV Generation
MC Lars
iPod
Post-Grunge
twenty-first century emo
Hip hop
Pop-punk
Numetal
hipsters
scene kids
scenesters
straight edge (sXe)
youth culture
postmodernity
postfeminism
metrosexual
Eminem
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small}
-_- Fishy----> {|0_0|}
yet anxious.
contemplative
apathetic
anxious
hot weather stupid hot weather
Blakey, looks happy hey?
Phoebe telling santa a big story