Shout-Out!!

For this week, I would like to give a shout-out to my good friend Scott Eyre.

He is a fellow blogger and a fellow millennial…barely.  Scott is 32, so if my math is correct (and it should be since I’m using a calculator), he was born in 1982, therefore he is definitely on the older side of the millennial generation 🙂  We also have some things in common.  For instance, we’re both “older” undergrad students at EMU.  We’re both married and depend on our wives for financial support.  I’ve never discussed it with Scott, but being dependent on my wife took some getting used to.  It hasn’t been easy and I’ve had to overcome some of the “cultural norms” I have grown accustomed to.  Scott just posted a blog titled “Bill Watterson is My Hero” and I think it is a great representation of the journey Scott and I have both been on.

Scott is also on a journey of his own, a twitter journey!  While the main theme of this blog is “connected millennial’s”, it is important to remember that not all millennial’s are connected!  For some, social media platforms, like twitter, represent a vast expanse of uncharted territory; moreover, finding the courage to plunge ahead can seem like a daunting task.  Scott’s blog 32GoingOn19, highlights some of the obstacles a new “tweeter” can be presented with.  By using the metaphor of “walking down a highway at rush hour”, Scott describes his confusing, and often times maddening, encounters with the realm of twitter.  Figuring out @’s and #’s were just the beginning.  He eventually experimented with “live twitting” and ironic hash-tags, which he has mastered become a master of.  Click here to see him on twitter! 

32GoingOn19 is honest and strait forward.  It’s clean and easy to navigate.  All of this I really appreciate but it does seem to be missing some elements of self expression.  I’d like to see more color (I realize my own blog is black and white, I’m working on it) and artistic expression.  Nothing over the top, maybe add a picture to the background.  Also, I’d like to see a little more personal detail.  This would be a great addition to the About page!

Overall, I found the blog to be an interesting read and it’s challenged me in my own blogging adventure.  How do other Millennial’s stay connected?  What tools do we use to share information?  Though provoking.  Thanks for the great work Scott!

Until Next Time,

Stay Connected Millennials!!

Sharing Our Creativity Online

Why is it that our society teaches us to cling to our own work?  If you come up with an innovative design for a new product, or write a new song, your taught to get it patented or licensed.  I guess the answer to that question is easy: money.  If you don’t take credit for your work someone else will; and they’ll make a lot of money with it.  Pride probably makes its way into the equation somewhere along the way.  If someone uses my idea I want the recognition I deserve, that’s not asking too much is it?  What would happen if people shared their work?  Is such a thing possible?  Check out this video from Creative Commons.

If you get a chance, I would recommend checking out CC’s About page.

It seems that our culture is changing into a Shared Culture….hallelujah!  To be sure, this transition is not happening over night.  I myself have experienced others unwillingness to share information.  If you poke around the Creative Commons website you’ll notice it has a lot to do with art, music, photos etc.  I want to take a minute to look at it through a business lens.

Over the past few years blogging has come to dominate the business world.  Companies are beginning to realize the potential in shared information, or as they say in world of business blogging, content.  It’s now called Content Marketing.  Companies are having to engage their audiences with useful, relative content.  To do so, they maintain a blog and advertise it through different social media platform.  I mean, it’s what any blogger does.  It drives people to your website and optimizes you SEO.  It leads to making money!  Simple right?

Here’s the kicker.  I’ve noticed that most content is shallow.  It lacks personality and sophistication.  The goal really isn’t to share, it’s to catch your attention and get you to a company website.  I think most companies refrain from being too vulnerable.  They don’t want to reveal any secrets (as if they are the only ones in their given industry that know how to do business).  Give me a break!  What’s really going on?  Businesses are sharing without really sharing anything.

The good news?  The game is changing.  Artist, social activists, photographers, film producers, entertainers, creators and their viewers (everyone) are becoming increasingly accustomed to shared information that can be reused.  The internet has given everyone a part in this story.  We’ve started to realize that shared creativity connects us in ways that go beyond followers, friends, and likes.  Our imaginations start to become one and when that happens, change is possible.

Thank you Creative Commons for giving people creative freedom!

Until Next Time

Stay Connected!

How Millennial Are You? 7 Ways to Determine Your “Millennialness”

1.  You’re a city dweller.  Millennials seem to be flocking to urban centers, and I can’t blame them.  Being able to walk, or take some form of public transportation, to work  has its upside.  Plus, cities have all the jobs!  Finding employment after college seems to be getting tougher.  I actually just went to Job Fair here at EMU.  I couldn’t believe the amount of companies offering unpaid (or low paid) internships!  It’s a job fair for crying out loud!  Big cities definitely have more opportunities.  Check out this list of the Top 15 Cities for Millennials.

2.    Smartphone Addict.  This one seems obvious, and it doesn’t seem to be limited to only Millennials.  The little handheld computer is just so stinking fun and functional.  It’s our connection to the world!  They contain everything from a our calendar, to our music, to random apps that help us pick a restaurant because we’re indecisive.  In fact, this article argues that most of us are more willing to give up our car than our smartphone!

3.  Familiar with the term metrosexual.  This seems to be the marketing buzz word of late.  To me, it refers to men who are in tune with the their feminine side.  Men who are just as interested in fashion, wine, and moisturizers as there female counterparts.  Our generation seems to be redefining the traditional stereotypes of masculinity and femininity.  I’m don’t know if this is good or bad, but it’s happening.  Wondering if your a metrosexual?  Click here to find out!

4.  Obsession with Documentaries.  Thanks to Netflix, I now have a constantly updating list of documentaries.  I’m becoming increasingly conscious of the impacts of every decision I make.  I can’t eat prepackaged foods, by a product or turn on a light switch without wondering what materials I’m consuming, or what catastrophic pollutant I’m putting into my body.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad to know the things I know.  It’s just easier to watch documentaries than it is to alter lifelong habits.

5.  Love the Night Scene!  This goes without saying.  Millennials love there nights out on the town (another explanation for us flocking towards big cities).  We also love our alcohol!  Click here for some interesting statistics.  I live in Harrisonburg, VA.  We were recently voted as the #1 Beer Town in the Blue Ridge Mountains!  Guess whose drinking it all?  Millennials!  Click here for our towns demographics.

6.  Pay Rent.  Paying rent does not seem as glamorous as the previous 5 but it’s true!  Some are even calling us the “Rent Generation“.  It’s gotten harder to buy a house.  Interest rates may be low, but more and more banks are wanting a significant down payment, something few Millennials are capable of.  We’re too busy trying to pay off student loans!

7.  Progressive.  While this certainly does not apply to every member of this generation, it is certainly true by and large.  We are progressive!

Until Next Time,

Stay Connected!

The Power of Storytelling

A few weeks back I attended a conference at American University title Media that Matters.  It took place over the course of two days and covered a variety of topics, for more information see their website here.  During this conference I attended a workshop put on by Felicia Pride and she introduced me to the concept of participatory storytelling.  Has an active ring to it doesn’t it?  Now most of the folks attending this conference were film producers whose main objective was to bring awareness to a variety of social issues.  I was amazed at innovative these people were!  As I listened to the presentations I kept hearing the same message, get your audience involved!

We live in an age of information and our access to that information is incredible.  Just a few decades ago, major corporations and government agencies had control over everything.  Copyright laws ensured that they maintained this level of prestige, but the world has changed.  Check out this video by Henry Jenkins, Ph.D. Comparative Media Studies, MIT.

Crazy right?  We all have a voice!

As Millennials we face a host of societal problems.  Climate change, terrorism, government/corporate/financial corruption, injustice, a busting food industry and the list goes on.  The problem is most folks are completely unaware!  The good news?  Technology has equipped us with the tools necessary to make a difference.  A documentary title Food Inc dramatically changed how I view the food industry and it’s even led to some changes in my own life.  Here’s the trailer.

If you haven’t seen it I would encourage to watch the film in its entirety.  I believe its available on Netflix.

Perhaps you have not found something your passionate about.  Not to worry, there is still plenty of time.  My advice, education!  And I’m not referring to college!  Although college is a great thing.  Watch documentaries and youtube videos, read blogs, engage people on twitter!  There is no limit to what you can find!

Until next time,

Stay connected!