Signs of the social revolution.
One of the fascinating things about the times we live in is the reversal in mainstream values that is taking place due to the waning influence of the Baby Boom generation and the growing influence of Generation Y. While there are many similarities across all generations, there are some striking and startling differences that I find quite amusing to watch (given my neutral position in between the two).
This story today about a Boomer’s first MySpace experience made me think about it. My favorite quote:
In particular, the indifference to the concept of privacy that I grew up with no longer seems relevant. No such similar hang-up has prevented millions of people from warming to the idea of engaging with others online in concentric mininetworks (sic) of interest or friendship. Maybe it wouldn’t have happened as quickly were we back in 1997, but now it’s entirely natural for people to communicate in this way.
Not surprisingly, this shift is creating its fair share of tension – but because one of the characteristics of Generation Y is its preference for remixing things it doesn’t like instead of simply revolting against them – the majority of the tension resides among the Boomers.
Slowly but surely, Gen Y values will dominate the mainstream simply because of their size. As that happens, expect to see more surprising reversals of values among your elders. As the example above shows, it won’t necessarily be driven first by a shift in beliefs among the Boomers. Instead, they will adopt behaviors that will expose them to a new way to think. This will greatly ease the transition because it doesn’t require a full frontal assault on ideology.