By Christiaan Perez
The University hosted a forum on Friday attempting to nail down the definition of “Generation Y.”
The four members of the forum were Linda Longmire, an associate professor of political science; Lonnie Isabel, a freelance journalist and former deputy managing editor of Newsday; and Morlee Winograd and Michael Hais, co-authors of “Millenial Makeover: Myspace, Youtube, and the Future of American Politics.”
According to Hais, every four years there is a “realignment period,” when a new voting bloc comes of age. Generation Y, or the “Millenials,” encompasses all individuals born between the years 1977 and 1994.
“Members of [Generation Y have] to live with the reputation of the U.S.,” said Isabel. “And as a result [they] have taken an ideological stance on many issues.”
Since Barack Obama clinched the Democratic nomination, upsetting early-front runner Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), there has been an increased movement to understand Generation Y. Mellenials are civic activists, technologically efficient and more diverse than previous generations, according to a study conducted by NAS Recruitment Communications, an agency that helps recruiters maximize human resources strategy.
Isabel was quick to blame Generation Y for Clinton’s losses during the primary season.
“Baby Boomers are running the voting bloc and missing the points,” he said. Hais added that her staffers missing the millenials’ activism led to Clinton’s misreading their influence.
Winograd pointed out, however, that the Clinton campaign did learn quickly, citing their increased Internet campaign that began after initial losses in the beginning of the primary season.
Winograd added that Republicans generally present their most significant advertisements on television, but members of Generation Y gather most of their information from the Internet. Because of this differential, Hais said “Millenials identify themselves as Democrats by a 2 to 1 ratio.”
The definition of Generation Y fluctuates as more information is accumulated about them, causing some experts in the field to contradict each other.
“Generation Y has lived a sheltered life,” Winograd said. Isabel, on the other hand, said Generation Y lives much more globally because they can easily access any form of information.
According to Longmire, the current knowledge of Generation Y is based on how media literacy defines archetypes of Millenials.
“The one statement that many pundits can agree upon is that Millenials are mysterious,” she said.
In the past eight years, voting participation has dramatically increased due to Generation Y’s participation. “This increase has taken place as more members of Generation Y have reached voting age,” Isabel said.
Generation Y’s chance to flex its ideological muscle will come this November.
“On Nov. 4, the full impact of how Generation Y is shaping the election cycle will be understood,” Hais said.