For the first time in history, a generation has never confronted the issues of universal healthcare, climate change, pollution, national security and a weak economy all at once. As the Class of 2009 enters the workforce, the unemployment rate continues to rise in record numbers. Broken promises of the past and decisions made by our grandparents and parents have left an unfortunate burden on the country and youth in America. Inheriting a country in decline will be the most challenging role for the Millennial generation. If we don’t take action now, we will likely descend to oblivion. Are you ready to make a difference and solve the wounds passed on to us from prior generations?

The Greatest Generation

Born between 1978 and 2000, Millennials are represented by 95 million of the largest and most diverse generation (in U.S. history) compared to the post-World War II Baby Boomers and Generation X. However, the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1963) currently hold the most prominent positions of power and influence in American society. Our parents, Generation X, are more politically and socially conservative. They struggled with the dominance and huge population of Baby Boomers.  For the “video game and MTV” generation, we have been considered by many as the most important generation of our time.

Eric Greenberg, author of Generation We, stated that, ”Millennials are a special generation, potentially the greatest generation ever. They are not pessimistic or vengeful. Rather, they are sober in their view of the world. They reject punditry and bickering because they are post-partisan, post-ideological, and post-political. Most important, they believe in the greater good and are ready to dedicate themselves to achieving it”.

As we are socially, politically and philosophically more independent than Generation X and the Baby Boomers, our progressive traits will either reshape this country or end in tragedy.  A study conducted by the Greenberg Millennial Study (based in Rutgers University) predicts that by 2015, the Millennial generation will become the heart of America’s workforce.

• In size, we make up 27% of the U.S. population, which equates to 21% of workforce and still growing
• In education, 64% of us are enrolled in college and considered as the most educated generation compared to our counterpart generations
• In diversity, we are 1/3 of the minorities residing in the U.S. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that 18% are Hispanic, 14% are African-America and 5% are Asian
• Lastly, 78% of us embrace innovation and new ideas

The Emerging Power

The most significant characteristic of the Millennial generation was transparent during the historical 2008 Presidential election.  With the use of social networking and citizen journalism, Millennials made a huge impact in politics by electing the first African-American president in record numbers. Many experts emphasized the power of youth vote for influencing the election and being the biggest drive of a grassroots movement.

By the year 2020, it is forecasted that Millennials will reach a population size of 103 million, which also includes 90 million eligible voters. A research conducted by the Center for American Progress, “The State of American Political Ideology, 2009″ found:

“In general, it is fair to say that a new progressive generation is on the rise, and given electoral and attitudinal trends, this rise could have profound impacts on the future of American politics. More than two in three younger Americans agree with progressive perspectives on energy, sustainable living, and climate change, government efforts to protect people and the economy, and new steps to fight inequality. Strong agreement tops 40 percent on many of these progressive beliefs”.

Will we end the culture wars of American politics?

As we are held responsible for excelling at what our parents failed at doing with the Baby Boomers, we showed patterns of voting more independently. As the largest and most diverse generation in U.S. history, four million eligible voters from the Millennial generation will increase each year. We will be challenged to build a stronger and positive government, obtain universal health care reform, continue to initiate go green initiatives for a clean energy economy, sustain America’s workforce as Baby Boomers retire and better our public education system.

The Environment

Karl Weber (Generation We) provided a report conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) fron 2007:

• Between 1950 and 2000, average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere appear to have been the highest in at least the last 1,300 years. The likelihood that these trends were caused mainly by human activities is greater than 90 percent.
• If current trends continue, the impact on climate during the twenty-first century will likely be greater than that experienced during the twentieth century
• Among the effects to be expected are rising sea levels, more severe and frequent storms and droughts, global deforestation, and dramatically shifting patterns of rainfall.
• Human populations will suffer deaths-perhaps in the millions-due to increases in malnutrition, heat waves, drought, infectious diseases, and air pollution

Weber suggests that Millennials revive the “American Dream” by embracing “Project Free”.  The goal of the project is “to create a power source generated within the place of consumption-the car, home, business, or factory. This will liberate us from the limiting factors introduced by long-distance transmission, which is an impediment to large-scale implementation of clean energy, such as wind and solar, and getting it into large markets quickly.”

F stands for FREEDOM FROM ENERGY WARS
Freedom from dependence on foreign sources of energy that threaten to embroil us in wars and conflicts that could put our security and our future in peril.

R stands for RIGHT TO AFFORDABLE, CLEAN ENERGY
The right of every American, and ultimately, every person on the planet to affordable and clean energy.

E stands for ECONOMIC GROWTH
The incredible boon to global productivity, financial savings, and wealth creation that will be sparked by the discovery of a permanent form of cheap, renewable energy and the infrastructure to support it, not to mention the industries it will create and re-create.

E stands for ENVIRONMENTAL RENEWAL
Renewal and preservation of our natural environment and a sustainable future for our planet, which will result from an end to the burning of fossil fuels and carbon emissions.

Image courtesy of: www.cpcc.edu/millennial

As the “video game and MTV” generation, new media and Web 2.0 will create leverage to shape this country but it is up to us to move forward with a plan.  Similar to the Baby Boomers, we will impact the country in different moments of our lives, especially in politics. Going forward, we should continue to be vocal in voter turnout and on the Internet. Progressive values and optimism will provide a new face for America. Other generations and movements have shaped this country in the past. This moment belongs to the Millennial Generation and the grassroots movement to shape and reform the country - will you join this movement?

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Source: Generation We, U.S. Census Bureau, Center for American Progress, Greenberg Millennial Study (Rutger)

Published on 23 November 2009 | 1 |