Individualism and Associational

Life in the New Millennium

Gen Me or

Gen We?

s

Source: www.trendhunter.com

• Those born 1982-2000

• ‘lazy, entitled, selfish and shallow’

• narcissistic personality disorder three times as high

for people in their 20s as for those over 65

• ‘They are the most threatening and exciting

generation since the baby boomers brought about

social revolution, not because they're trying to take

over the Establishment but because they're growing

up without one.’ – the information revolution has

greatly empowered individuals (Stein & Sanburn,

2013)

Who are the Millennials?

No Establishment, no

authority – no rebellion…

• ‘Their great mantra has been: Challenge

convention’

• ‘They are informed but inactive’

• Stein presents an image of a confident,

assured and innovative group of people

who display ‘less civic engagement and

lower political participation’ than previous

generations.

Interpersonal relationships:

better or worse?

• Personal branding via social media –

increased self-promotion and narcissism

• Less ‘face-to-face’ time means this

generation increasingly lacks empathy

• They have larger social networks and more

diverse communities

• Yet they also have more social interaction

with their peers than with other generations

But it’s not

all bad…

Source: We Are Social

People

Jean

Twenge

disagrees…

• "People born between 1982 and 2000 are the most civic-minded since the generation of the 1930s and 1940s...” (USA Today)

• "Generation We is noncynical and civic-minded. They believe in the value of political engagement and are convinced that government can be a powerful force for good…”

Greenberg and Weber, Generation We (2008)

Generation We?

• Jean Twenge (Professor of Psychology at

San Diego State University)

• Children of the 1970s+ born

into a world that celebrated

the individual

• Unshakeable belief that you

are important

• ‘We are all special’

• Spread of self-esteem

curriculum in schools

• ‘Just be yourself’

• ‘Believe in yourself’

• ‘Follow your dreams’

Helen: Everyone's special, Dash.

Dash: Which is another way of saying no one is.

The Baby Boomers

• Post-war generation growing up in 1950s and 1960s

• Individualism is a new territory

• New emphasis on ‘finding yourself’

• But the journeys are typically collective: cultural and

social experimentation (the 60s counter-culture), political

activism (civil rights movement), etc.

• Changing the world, rather than simply changing

yourself…

Jean Twenge, ‘Millennials: The Greatest

Generation or the Most Narcissistic?’

(The Atlantic, May 2012)

• ‘Millennials were less likely than Boomers and

even GenXers to say they thought about social

problems, to be interested in politics and

government, to contact public officials, or to

work for a political campaign. They were less

likely to say they trusted the government to do

what's right, and less likely to say they were

interested in government and current events.’

Twenge cites national surveys on community feeling and civic engagement.

Compared to the Boomers, this generation are:

• less likely to do things in their daily lives to conserve energy and help the environment

• less likely to want a job that is helpful to others or is worthwhile to society

• more likely to volunteer – but she attributes this to high schools requiring students to volunteer in order to graduate

What’s the state of

associational life today?

Putnam: decline of social capital and

associational life in late 20C America

Twenge: rise of self-focus and self-

esteem, decline in political and social

activism among Gen Me

Stein & Sanburn: the Millennium sees the

further empowerment of individuals – this

generation is ‘lazy, entitled, selfish and

shallow’

Source: USA Today

But what about new forms of

associational life?

• What is the impact of social media

on associational life – should we

define it differently?

• The Arab Spring

• Communities of interest

• Social media campaigns –

slactivism?

• Girl Crew: from social networks to

the ‘real world’

Source:

www.mediaispower.co

m

What do you think?

• This generation is

‘informed but inactive’

• Lacks empathy

• Less interaction with

other generations

• Focus on personal branding: self-promotion and narcissism

• But is this generation ever truly alone? Have social networks not also strengthened our community life?

Source:

www.cheesusfried.com

Pause for thought…

• When is the last time you logged on to a social media site? (answer honestly)

• When did you last spend 12 hours or more (in daytime) without being connected?

• When did you last spend 12 hours or more offline when you could easily have checked in?

• How many Facebook friends do you have?

• How many Facebook friends do you have that you would call to meet for a coffee? (assuming you were in the same town)

• In what ways do you think social media enhances and/or detracts from your social capital?

Group work:

research & brief presentation

Investigate:

• A significant social media campaign, e.g. an example of charity fundraising – compare to traditional methods

• A political campaign (e.g. that of an election candidate) in which social media has played a significant role.

• Data that may counter the arguments of Stein or Twenge (it must come from a reliable source) - e.g. on youth activism in Ireland and/or America, on trends in associational life, on demographic support for the Occupy movement or other political movements, etc.