(...Talkin' 'bout my generation)
Hi Everyone,
Yes, I'm going for a twofer tonight. I'm back to talk briefly about America's younger generation, my generation, now that I've got that Who song stuck in your head (ha ha ha). Anyway, I'd like to elaborate briefly on perceptions about my generation, and what I've come to realize. I wrote this past February about a new trend in activism among young, college-age people like me. And since then, I've come to realize a lot more about my peers.
I was in Borders yesterday, and I spotted this book with the title on the cover reading The Dumbest Generation. The subtitle said something about how our generation's tech-savviness would bring about the end of reading, but I forget the exact wording of it. It seems to me that to be disparaging about the younger generation is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser in certain circles. It seems safe to complain of the forgotten values of "our generation." It seems like one can use this line over and over and not encounter any resistance.
I bought into this idea myself. When I was younger, I thought that no one around me thought deeply about anything, that they were all preoccupied with themselves, that they couldn't appreciate anything non-tech, and a myriad of other concerns. I believed all this myself for a while. But reading those articles that I discussed with you really changed. In an ethics class I took this past spring, along with a poli sci class, I found people my age very engaged and in the know about the things I've talked about with you, the reeders.
Now, I still understand some skepticism of the younger generation. We are quite imperfect. I am quite imperfect. There are plenty of things we could be better about. But this sort of cynicism about us is just the new verse of an old song. That old song is wrong. Elders similarly complained of the Baby Boomers, even of the Greatest Generation. It is not surprising, then, that the Millenial Generation, as we've come to be known (people born in the 80's and early 90's, would be the subject of similar derision. I'd like to elaborate more on this, but it is now about 1 in the morning, so it will have to wait for another day.
One last thing I'd like to leave you with is this clip. In it, Fox News's Steve Doocy talks to young children, much younger than me, even, about governmental policy towards school. Whether or not you agree with what these kids have to say, you have to acknowledge that these kids are knowledgeable, and that they are engaged in the issues. Listen to the one girl. Listen to her answers, and then remember that she is 11 years old. If only I'd been that smart when I was 11...just think of where I'd be now. Oh well, I'm plenty bright as it is.
This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.
Showing posts with label Youth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Youth. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Some Thoughts on the Iranian Crisis
Hi Everyone,
Well, I'm sure you've all heard about what's going on in Iran. The election between the incumbent, the hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and the moderate, somewhat pro-western Mir-Hossein Mousavi (His name's Hussein, too! Well, kinda). Ahmedinejad claimed a landslide victory, which seems very fishy. The people of Iran smelled fraud, and took to the streets in massive numbers. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, under Ahmedinejad's and the Iranian Ayatollah's direction, have attempted to put down the massive protests, and as a result, shots were fired, and eight people were killed. Today, the Guard has backed down, and even more people have come out in what Mousavi has decreed a "day of mourning" for those lost.
What has made this interesting is that technology has played a huge role in fueling the protester's efforts. Photos of the guards have been taken and sent to the outside world through Facebook, and updates sent out through Twitter. Finally, Twitter has come in handy. This is one of the good things technology can help you do. Another thing is the generational factor. Most of Iran's population is under 30. Middle-aged Iranians were largely lost in their war with Iraq in the 1980's.
Remember that election in Lebanon a week or two ago? The one where the radical, pro-Hezbollah faction was thrown out and the pro-Western party came in the day after the Cairo speech? Well, perhaps the leaders of Iran were worried about a similar thing happening in their country, so they pulled something fishy like this. I don't know that this is the case, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. Not that this Mousavi would be a huge change; technically, the Ayatollahs would still be calling the shots. But the hard-line element of Iranian leadership would be curtailed. This Mousavi told Ahmedinejad that his denial of the Holocaust was making Iran "a laughingstock."
Something interesting is definitely happening now. Remember the Revolution of 1979? That was the response to the brutal Shah that was installed by the West in 1953. This began the West's tense relationship with Iran. That was when the hard-line, anti-American Ayatollah was put in power. Now, it seems something similar is happening, only it's not working to the Ayatollah's benefit. Anyway, I found this one post here about the role of Iran's younger generation in this. It notes that the same kind of generational shift that fueled Barack Obama's rise in the United States may deliver change in Iran. And the people of Iran have shown their newfound commitment to a more democratic government (this is much more important to people who haven't had it).
If you ask me, which you are now, I'd say that whether the election results were legitimate or fraudulent, the leaders of Iran better pay attention to this trend, or suffer the consequences. Maybe we can say again the words I paraphrased last week,"Mr. Ahmedinejad, tear down these walls!" As this instability continues in Iran, my (and I hope yours, too) prayers are that the people of Iran may find a more peaceful, free and just country, the kind you and I take for granted. So be thankful, and keep your thoughts and prayers with Iran.
This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.
Well, I'm sure you've all heard about what's going on in Iran. The election between the incumbent, the hard-liner Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, and the moderate, somewhat pro-western Mir-Hossein Mousavi (His name's Hussein, too! Well, kinda). Ahmedinejad claimed a landslide victory, which seems very fishy. The people of Iran smelled fraud, and took to the streets in massive numbers. Iran's Revolutionary Guard, under Ahmedinejad's and the Iranian Ayatollah's direction, have attempted to put down the massive protests, and as a result, shots were fired, and eight people were killed. Today, the Guard has backed down, and even more people have come out in what Mousavi has decreed a "day of mourning" for those lost.
What has made this interesting is that technology has played a huge role in fueling the protester's efforts. Photos of the guards have been taken and sent to the outside world through Facebook, and updates sent out through Twitter. Finally, Twitter has come in handy. This is one of the good things technology can help you do. Another thing is the generational factor. Most of Iran's population is under 30. Middle-aged Iranians were largely lost in their war with Iraq in the 1980's.
Remember that election in Lebanon a week or two ago? The one where the radical, pro-Hezbollah faction was thrown out and the pro-Western party came in the day after the Cairo speech? Well, perhaps the leaders of Iran were worried about a similar thing happening in their country, so they pulled something fishy like this. I don't know that this is the case, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. Not that this Mousavi would be a huge change; technically, the Ayatollahs would still be calling the shots. But the hard-line element of Iranian leadership would be curtailed. This Mousavi told Ahmedinejad that his denial of the Holocaust was making Iran "a laughingstock."
Something interesting is definitely happening now. Remember the Revolution of 1979? That was the response to the brutal Shah that was installed by the West in 1953. This began the West's tense relationship with Iran. That was when the hard-line, anti-American Ayatollah was put in power. Now, it seems something similar is happening, only it's not working to the Ayatollah's benefit. Anyway, I found this one post here about the role of Iran's younger generation in this. It notes that the same kind of generational shift that fueled Barack Obama's rise in the United States may deliver change in Iran. And the people of Iran have shown their newfound commitment to a more democratic government (this is much more important to people who haven't had it).
If you ask me, which you are now, I'd say that whether the election results were legitimate or fraudulent, the leaders of Iran better pay attention to this trend, or suffer the consequences. Maybe we can say again the words I paraphrased last week,"Mr. Ahmedinejad, tear down these walls!" As this instability continues in Iran, my (and I hope yours, too) prayers are that the people of Iran may find a more peaceful, free and just country, the kind you and I take for granted. So be thankful, and keep your thoughts and prayers with Iran.
This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Nobody cares? Don't think so!
Hi everybody,
Well, that post the other day about Bush got me down, but it's important to realize that thankfully, that's in the past now. And since then, I've read two articles that have warmed my heart and fueled a growing sense of optimism I've been having about our country's direction. One article talks about the nature of activism today, the other dismisses the notion that youth, that is, my peers, are apathetic when it comes to politics.
Alright, on the first article. The fact that the protesters aren't taking to the streets like they were in the '60's means that nobody really cares anymore, right? Not according to what this article finds. The world is different today than it was back in the '60's, so doesn't it make sense that the activism would change, too?
The study finds that instead of focusing on huge national issues, today's youth activists choose to pool their, well, our, efforts in a more productive way to make changes in our communities. The author suggests that today's youth generation is getting into battles they can win, as they put it, "Learning the art of the possible."
Perhaps this methodology of changing things in your own midst is a wise one. If a vast majority of young volunteers change things in a positive way in their own schools or cities, then soon the whole state or country will start to reflect this. As an old saying goes, "If everyone kept their front yard clean, the whole world will be free of garbage." I don't remember the exact words, but the words were to the same effect.
In 1989, 66% of college students reported doing volunteer work during their last year of high school. In 2004, 83% of college students reported doing this. There have been many more institutionalized opportunities to get involved with helping communities. I had to do 40 hours of volunteer work to graduate from high school.
At first I was peeved at the prospect of "having to"do something, because I generally don't like being told what to do. But I grew to like doing the volunteer work that I did with my church, which was taking an hour every week to help young kids get their homework done. I developed such a knack for it that I continued to help out after I completed the 40 hours I needed to graduate. Indeed, I have continued after I graduated.
Additionally, the article notes that in the 2004 election, they say, a new generation of politically-involved youth was created. These articles were written a few years ago, so they say youth voters continued to grow in the 2006 midterms, when the first woman ever to become speaker of the house assumed that role.
But the articles were before the 2008 election, which obviously took the youth involvement to a whole new level. This past election has seen the first African-American elected to the highest office and to recieve the highest calling of all, made higher still by all the crises we face. So along with the rise of youth involvement, we also saw a more diverse makeup of non-white males getting into these offices.
Anyway, onto the next article. The article sets up the myth for us that all youth are largely apathetic on politics, that we are largely self-centered. The author flatly rejects this image, and again, 2004 is pointed to as the beginning of this upsurge. This was also before 2008 or even 2006.
Youth (my generation, currently college-age) sees political involvement in a different way than previous generation. Today's young activists are wearing bracelets and using the internet for political discovery and action.
Even the President of the United States, now, has caught on. Barack Obama owes a large part of his success to having utilized the internet, and thus mobilizing the younger generation, for his campaign. Now, as president, his administration has used the internet to make information more widely accessible to the public, perhaps for his goal of "transparency."
Also, I am pleased to announce that I am not alone in this blog. According to the article, there are 917,999 others like me (young people with politically-themed blogs), and this was in 2006. I wonder what a similar early 2009 study would show.
The article also busts the myth that young people are all democrats. While 66% of the 18-25 demographic voted for Obama in 2008, this doesn't mean they're democrats, it just means they voted for Obama. This article states that while those of what they're calling the "Millenial Generation" want to get involved, we are skeptical of party politics and partisanship.
The article says that this is a positive thing, which it is, because politicians will have to work more on the issues that are important to us. I think it's always a positive thing to keep some critical distance from the whole party thing. Too often one party starts calling the other bad, and vice versa. You know what I'm saying, the conservatives attack the liberals, the liberals attack conservatives, and it becomes more of a pissing match than a way of bringing about change.
As one person noted in the political science class I am now taking, and for which I read these articles, said,"There's too much drama in politics." Everybody chuckled at such a frank assessment, but it was true. It was one of those things that was even more funny because it was true.
Another observation from that class concluded that my generation's consensus was that there was too much partisanship, too much meanness in politics. According to the study, we seek authentic solutions to these issues. This is one of the reasons I created this blog, was to hear some of your ideas on the issues.
Anyway, I hope these stories make you, the reader (or Reeder) as heartwarmed by these findings as I was, and let me know what you think, if you have any stories or experiences on the subject, I'd love to hear them. I should have plenty more ripe blog material from this poli sci course, so stay tuned!
This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.
Well, that post the other day about Bush got me down, but it's important to realize that thankfully, that's in the past now. And since then, I've read two articles that have warmed my heart and fueled a growing sense of optimism I've been having about our country's direction. One article talks about the nature of activism today, the other dismisses the notion that youth, that is, my peers, are apathetic when it comes to politics.
Alright, on the first article. The fact that the protesters aren't taking to the streets like they were in the '60's means that nobody really cares anymore, right? Not according to what this article finds. The world is different today than it was back in the '60's, so doesn't it make sense that the activism would change, too?
The study finds that instead of focusing on huge national issues, today's youth activists choose to pool their, well, our, efforts in a more productive way to make changes in our communities. The author suggests that today's youth generation is getting into battles they can win, as they put it, "Learning the art of the possible."
Perhaps this methodology of changing things in your own midst is a wise one. If a vast majority of young volunteers change things in a positive way in their own schools or cities, then soon the whole state or country will start to reflect this. As an old saying goes, "If everyone kept their front yard clean, the whole world will be free of garbage." I don't remember the exact words, but the words were to the same effect.
In 1989, 66% of college students reported doing volunteer work during their last year of high school. In 2004, 83% of college students reported doing this. There have been many more institutionalized opportunities to get involved with helping communities. I had to do 40 hours of volunteer work to graduate from high school.
At first I was peeved at the prospect of "having to"do something, because I generally don't like being told what to do. But I grew to like doing the volunteer work that I did with my church, which was taking an hour every week to help young kids get their homework done. I developed such a knack for it that I continued to help out after I completed the 40 hours I needed to graduate. Indeed, I have continued after I graduated.
Additionally, the article notes that in the 2004 election, they say, a new generation of politically-involved youth was created. These articles were written a few years ago, so they say youth voters continued to grow in the 2006 midterms, when the first woman ever to become speaker of the house assumed that role.
But the articles were before the 2008 election, which obviously took the youth involvement to a whole new level. This past election has seen the first African-American elected to the highest office and to recieve the highest calling of all, made higher still by all the crises we face. So along with the rise of youth involvement, we also saw a more diverse makeup of non-white males getting into these offices.
Anyway, onto the next article. The article sets up the myth for us that all youth are largely apathetic on politics, that we are largely self-centered. The author flatly rejects this image, and again, 2004 is pointed to as the beginning of this upsurge. This was also before 2008 or even 2006.
Youth (my generation, currently college-age) sees political involvement in a different way than previous generation. Today's young activists are wearing bracelets and using the internet for political discovery and action.
Even the President of the United States, now, has caught on. Barack Obama owes a large part of his success to having utilized the internet, and thus mobilizing the younger generation, for his campaign. Now, as president, his administration has used the internet to make information more widely accessible to the public, perhaps for his goal of "transparency."
Also, I am pleased to announce that I am not alone in this blog. According to the article, there are 917,999 others like me (young people with politically-themed blogs), and this was in 2006. I wonder what a similar early 2009 study would show.
The article also busts the myth that young people are all democrats. While 66% of the 18-25 demographic voted for Obama in 2008, this doesn't mean they're democrats, it just means they voted for Obama. This article states that while those of what they're calling the "Millenial Generation" want to get involved, we are skeptical of party politics and partisanship.
The article says that this is a positive thing, which it is, because politicians will have to work more on the issues that are important to us. I think it's always a positive thing to keep some critical distance from the whole party thing. Too often one party starts calling the other bad, and vice versa. You know what I'm saying, the conservatives attack the liberals, the liberals attack conservatives, and it becomes more of a pissing match than a way of bringing about change.
As one person noted in the political science class I am now taking, and for which I read these articles, said,"There's too much drama in politics." Everybody chuckled at such a frank assessment, but it was true. It was one of those things that was even more funny because it was true.
Another observation from that class concluded that my generation's consensus was that there was too much partisanship, too much meanness in politics. According to the study, we seek authentic solutions to these issues. This is one of the reasons I created this blog, was to hear some of your ideas on the issues.
Anyway, I hope these stories make you, the reader (or Reeder) as heartwarmed by these findings as I was, and let me know what you think, if you have any stories or experiences on the subject, I'd love to hear them. I should have plenty more ripe blog material from this poli sci course, so stay tuned!
This is the Daily Reeder, Over&out.
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