By Sarah Newton

I was recently asked some really fascinating questions regarding social media and youth for an interview. I have posted them below – what do you think has social media changed today’s youth?

1. Do you believe that social media sites have placed a pressure on our youth to perform or behave in a certain manner?

I think what social media has done is given our children an ‘always on’ perspective; they all feel that they are one YouTube away from being famous. However, I don’t think this is a pressure as such; I think it allows them to be more creative and express themselves more. Unlike before, social media teenagers can now play with identities and ways of behaving on line that may be different to who they are, to see how it fits them. They no longer have to play these things out in real life. I think there is a pressure to be always connected to our friends, so that we don’t miss out, but I don’t think the feeling is any different, just the medium used.

2. Do you feel that Facebook has driven young consumers to increase their clothing and cosmetics consumption?

No, not at all. Youngsters will always be interested in these things and actually they stay in much more than going out, so they may have less clothing. What it has done is make them feel pressured to always look good, but you can position a photo or webcam to only pick up the bits you want.

3. Do you feel that social media sites are breeding a ‘look at me’ culture, or at least fuelling materialism/consumption? If so, how does this occur?

Not necessarily a ‘look at me’ culture, but one of, ‘I am influential and have something to say’. Social media has given our young people so many more influences from all over the globe and I think this is certainly impacting their belief of their self importance. I don’t feel it is fuelling materialism/consumption at all, in fact I think it is making youth more discerning. They don’t listen so much to advertising messages and trust their friend’s recommendations over anything else.

4. What advice would you give to parents whose children are addicted to Facebook, or are posting pictures of them on the internet?

I always advise every parent that they need to make a condition of their child joining Facebook that they are their friend. I think we need to be careful about saying people are addicted to Facebook; just because a young person communicates that way and that is the way they connect, that is not an addiction, it is about connection.

I always advise parents to:

1. be your child’s friend.

2. Check through their friends regularly and challenge them on people you don’t know.

3. Ensure their privacy settings are set so their profile is private.

4. Have a technology-free day in your home where everyone is free from the computer.

As for posting pictures, if you’re child has their privacy settings set up correctly I see no problem with it, it is just a form of self-expression.

5. Do you think that social media will have a positive or negative impact on Gen Y’s and Gen Z’s? If so, could you please expand on the matter?

Wow, big question! I think it has had both.

Positive

It has made them more creative.

It has given them a voice.

It has opened them up to information.

It allows them to find innovative ways to communicate.

It allows them to be more discerning about the networks they build.

It is making them quick decision makers who are good at prioritising.

Negatives

I am not going to state the obvious like paedophiles and bullying, as I think they are old problems with a modern twist

Overload – modern teens fit 8.5 hrs into 6

The ‘always on’ mentality – always having to look good

The lack of consequences or responsibility in on-line behaviour

Increased search ability is meaning that teens are not learning the skills of researching and discerning information so well.

Lack of meaning – while the internet can deliver a lot, it cannot deliver the meaning of emotions such as honesty, etc.

By Renato Andrade

Another edition of the “Results ON Day” took place in São Paulo, this time on the theme of social media.

Besides for the latest tendencies, research, and case studies about social networks (Twitter, Orkut, Facebook, blogs, etc), Gen Y’s behavior and life online was a topic of frequent discussion.

Here, I’ve made a summary of 12 topics which were commented on during the debates by 8 social media experts.

- Network, follow interesting people on Twitter, participate in blogs and virtual debates. Sign up for classes that have to do with your work or other interests. Personal tip: Many classes that are advertised on social networks are also transmitted via the web.

-Everything you write online is monitored, even if it’s unconscious it can influence the success and price of a product. A question on Twitter like, “What cell should I be” or “Buy the cell phone by brand X” is constantly evaluated by advertising agencies specializing in digital marketing.

-We live in the era of the impatient consumer, also a characteristic of Gen Y. Businesses spend fortunes to serve and comprehend this new generation.

- The consumer today has the following thought process: “I want everything now, or I’m going to cry very loudly!” this is the infantilization of the Internet.

-I’ve read almost everything on “Cloud Computing.” It’s the buzz word right now, and is being used by companies like AT&T, Dell, HP, IBM, Intel, Microsoft e Yahoo.

-Specialists in education believe that University education is still important, but the mistake is creating the “package of courses” that the student will never use in the business world. In the future, it won’t make sense to study for 4 years if only a few classes are necessary for your work.

-Young people from other parts of the world don’t used social networks in the same way Brazilians do. The biggest social network in oriental culture is a version of Twitter where users have two accounts: one is their personal account and the other is a character which represents them. Because it’s such a conservative environment, full of military repression, individuals are afraid to show their true identity.

- Students are lost when they have to decide what they want to do with their lives. One reason for this is the lack of references and real knowledge when it comes to the future. Generation Y, in many cases, is the first of their family to pursue higher education.

-Different from the opportunities other generations had, it’s now easier to enroll in University. But there’s a lack of real role models and references when it comes to choosing one’s profession.

-Universities in the future need to help the student choose their profession. This isn’t happening today.

-The web has created a professional world which is more competitive and complex. Proof of this are new positions that are emerging (IT, webmaster, programmers, etc.) However businesses have a lot of trouble finding qualified professionals to carryout roles in these new departments.

-The majority of research regarding online behavior talks about generation Y, but executives (currently Baby Boomers for the most part) are the ones who navigate the web most.

In conclusion, participating in ResultsON Day made me realize that businesses are opening up space for consumers to give their opinions about products and services. Therefore, we should enjoy being a collaborator, and make use of the tools we have in the market, creating a virtual identity, which adds value to this universe.

What about you? Are you part of a virtual community exchanging ideas and information? What’s your opinion on the current use of social networks for young people?

Leave your comment here.

For more info visit:
http://resultson.com.br/day2009midias/

Once upon a time there was a little girl named @littleredridinghood. Little red riding hood’s mother walked by her daughter’s bedroom and warned:

Honey, your grandmother is sick. Let’s go visit her?

So @littleredridinghood sadly glanced at the chaos of her flickering AIM, MSN, and twitter messages. She didn’t respond to her mother. She faced a major challenge: how to express the excruciating sorrow about not being able to make the awesome party with her gang of friends, because she had to visit her sick grandmother. How totally lame! How could she express all this in only 140 characters? She had to explain to all of cyberspace that she was suddenly disconnecting, like….#now!

Her 139 followers who were online at that moment, not to mention the 468 followers she had won over, got the following post: “whatdoyoumean grandmother sick on a Saturday?!! Plans for the club # fail. Kisses.

This didn’t mean that @littleredridinghood didn’t love her grandmother, or that it didn’t greatly affect her to know that her grandmother wasn’t well. It simply meant that @littleredridinghood preferred staying home tweeting until it was time for the party, where she would meet the hottest big bad wolf of the moment, than visiting her sick grandmother on a Saturday night. But for her mother just didn’t get this.

Where were the family values? Where was the consideration? Where was the ingenuity that she had when she was @littleredridinghood’s age? Where was the respect? She doesn’t even have time to visit her own grandmother? But she has time to spend hoursssssss talking to her friends on AIM and MSN messenger? Where was the real big bad wolf when you needed him? The questions that filled mother’s mind were infinite. Inevitable.

Clearly, there are generational conflicts. We try to understand the reactions of each generation based on the paradigm established by past generations, usually our own. The questioning which starts to appear in our brain is a fusion of our values and of our perception of the world. This is perfectly normal, of course. Those who don’t agree with the current reality, are actually reflecting a personal perception of facts, but not necessarily the objective facts. Right?

This generation asks for changes. Connected to the digital world, these young people are born under the reign of technology, transferring the virtual environment where they live, letting this spill out onto everyone and everything. Their interpersonal relations reflect their desire for immediacy, online and offline. They hope for a world that’s only their own, connected, open to dialogue, speedy, global, and with a completely different understanding of hierarchy and leadership.

Cell phones, Facebook, Orkut, MSN, and Twitter give young people the ability to constantly dialogue. They value communication. They are not very tolerant of criticism or being contradicted, and generally they develop personalities which can be quite egocentric. They demand direct access to their superiors (in the workplace) and the expect explanations when they ask for them.

These young people live a fragmented rhythm, due to the variety of their activities and their simultaneous execution of them. They listen to music, surf the net, and watch movies, all at once. Isn’t it logical to think that with the current intense stimulus of their world, their values and reactions will be different from those of their parents and elders?

For my generation, for example, the question, “Let’s go visit your grandmother?” doesn’t exist. It would be a concrete affirmation, “Let’s go visit your grandmother.” Period. Did this bother or upset me? Not at all! However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that I loved my grandmother more than @littleredridinghood. It simply reflects two different reactions to the same situation. Inputs and outputs of different worlds and different times. Affection and love for a grandmother don’t necessarily have anything to do with it.

Family members, coworkers, educators, and business executives, who are currently absorbing this new generation in their institutions, can opt to create new ways to motivate and develop healthy inter-personal relationships, creativity, and dialogue. Or they can continue investing in the conservative attitudes that will continue to fuel generational conflicts.

By saying this, I certainly don’t mean to encourage permissiveness. Generation Y has a lot to learn from the wealth of experience of their elders. This is incredibly obvious. But I also believe that Gen Y can teach the Baby Boomers and Gen X, a lot as well.

And so, I dedicate this post to all the grandparents in the world. As a Gen Y friend says, “Press F5 and update that!” So I’d like to extend that to all the business executives and educators. A great F5 for all! Refresh! #Go!

By Manuela Mesquita

There’s a lack of ethics in the world currently, especially in regards to young people, who haven’t been raised to talk about ethics in the family or in school.  This is the opinion of Yves de La Taille, a psychologist specializing in moral development.  He is also a Professor at the Institute of Psychology at USP (University of Sao Paulo.)  In an exclusive interview with Talking about generations, he speaks of the lack of ethics, linking it to a culture of boredom, in which quality of life doesn’t exist, and neither does respect for others.

How do you define ethics?  Is it a rigid concept or something that varies?   Does it intersect or confuse itself with the concept of morals?

It’s perfectly relevant to use the phrase “moral” as a synonym to ethics.  It pertains to the dimension of rules, duty, and what needs to be done.  When we speak of ethics, we think about rules that politicians should follow, which we could also call morals.

But there’s an important difference, which is the following: the word moral carries the connation of right and wrong, which implies how to act, thus making it normative.  The original meaning of ethics was “having a good life.”  It signifies reaching a certain quality of life, which of course takes others into consideration, as well as the notions of respect and justice.  It implies a life that has meaning and makes sense.

How do you perceive young people’s practice of ethics today?

Preserving the original meaning of the word ethics, if you ask me if young people have a good life, I would say that for most of them the answer is unfortunately, no.  Many young people don’t live a life with meaning.  They have superficial values, and they confuse the meaning of a good life, with fun and leisure.  They partake in activities that aren’t necessarily important.  Their use of cell phones or the Internet makes this clear.  I’m under the impression that many people use these technologies to try to kill their boredom.  I’m always surprised that when a plane lands, even after a 30 min flight, all the passengers, frantically turn on their cell phones.  We are currently living a time characterized by high rates of suicides and depression.  We live in a culture of boredom.  And young people live with this restlessness, in a very superficial manner.

Where do you think this superficiality comes from?  Does it have to do with the intense use of technology?

I don’t attribute the causes of a possible culture of boredom to technology.  I think that technology can feed this.  Through the Internet, for example, in which people have the possibility to communicate with everyone and no one in practice. However simply getting rid of cells phone and the Internet doesn’t fix the problem, it’s much more complex and multifaceted.

I attribute the problem more to the necessity to constantly consume, and the way consumerism becomes extremely linked to identity, and to other aspects of one’s life like politics.  Of course, it’s clear that young people are living in a world that we, the adults, have built.  I think that adults today, especially because of their own necessity for consumerism and fun, have somewhat given up on values and establishing deeper feelings.   We live in a society where celebrities are more important than feelings, deepness, and authority.  Without a doubt, the way we raise our kids in this world is the main problem.  It isn’t technology.

You talk about this culture of boredom.  Can you explain the concept a little more?

Boredom has two meanings, the normal one which occurs when you have to wait in a long line. And the second one, the deeper one, associated with depression and melancholy. To break away from this boredom, you may feel you need to have fun. You aren’t well, and so you try to keep busy every second.   Just like with the example of turning on cell phones right after the flight lands, checking your e-mail every second to see if you have received a new e-mail, is also a sign of boredom.  The culture of boredom is a metaphor for the contemporary world. This world lacks emotion and feeling.  Because of this, values, norms, and principles, are hindered.

In your opinion why, aren’t adults passing on moral values to young people?

I can’t identify a cause. It’s a social process, and it’s hard to identify the veritable roots.  Clearly though, adults and schools are failing.  School has given itself over to fun and leisure, there’s a lack of criticism, and this doesn’t give students the tools to develop their own critical capacity.

On social networks like Orkut, Facebook, etc, there’s the illusion of freedom of expression.  Young people say whatever they want. They may criticize people, businesses, or even co-workers.  How do you see this in terms of ethics?   Is it ethical to criticize people or institutions without something very concrete, in a virtual environment?

Of course, if you criticize or make a negative judgment, without any proof, or without some sort of respect, even if the criticism is valid, it becomes a moral problem.  This applies to criticism on the Internet and off the Internet as well.  It’s part of a larger question. If I criticize you, I should do it in a respectful manner, and with some concrete grounding.  This is where the question of morals fits in.  The second point is that the Internet works in the coward’s favor, in the sense that you become anonymous and distant.  You judge and you don’t assume responsibility.  Lastly, there’s a sort of unconsciousness that seems derived from the privatizing of public spaces.  For example, at the University, young people put up disrespectful things on their Orkut, MSN, or blogs.  This eventually becomes public, and creates a lot of drama and controversy.  I’ve spoken to these students, and they’ve told me that when they write things on the Internet, they do it in a “relaxed” manner.   But how can you write something like this in such a relaxed manner, especially if it is public?  What you write on the Internet, is read by people, and never erased completely.  If there’s one place where people should think very carefully about what they write, it’s on the Internet.   If you write something on the Internet, you really lose control.  This is the big paradox.

Currently parents aren’t raising their kids and educating them about how to behave in regards to this sort of communication.  Relaxed conversations can happen at a party not on the Internet.  This is a moral problem.  There’s a heavy use of technology, and very little consciousness in regards to how it should actually be used, and how dangerous it can be.

Recently a business sued a young person who criticized a business on his blog, without any concrete proof.  Young people like this are obviously exercising their freedom of speech.  Is writing this sort of opinion on your blog immoral?

I don’t see expressing criticism, with concrete foundation, on a blog as immoral. It is however immoral to damage the image or honor of a person or business.  This isn’t simply saying that you don’t like a certain product for instance.  If you say that a manufacturer lied, this isn’t moral, unless you have concrete proof.
But you phrased your question, with the word “opinion.”  An opinion is an opinion.  However, I don’t have the right to spread my opinions if they will hurt the honor or dignity of other people.

I can say that I don’t like a certain type of music.  But to talk about a person, damaging his or her ethical image, that’s an accusation.  One of the current trends of the culture of boredom is that everything becomes an opinion.  Again, we are faced with the superficial.  Certain themes aren’t a question of opinion.  This needs to be understood, and the knowledge of this needs to be deepened, or else we lose our freedom of expression, and this can harm our sense of morals.  Freedom isn’t an absolute value.  We have the freedom to come and go, yes.  But we don’t have the freedom to lie about a certain person, in the same way that we don’t have the freedom to put up signs of fascists or swastikas on the streets.

In your book “Nos Labirintos da Moral” (“The Labyrinth of Morals”) you talk about young people’s sense of urgency.  How do you perceive the future of these young people?  How do you see the creation of their values?

This is also a dimension of boredom.  The difficulty is to have patience, and to wait.  It’s something that doesn’t just affect young people, but also affects adults.  It’s negative because you become a hostage of technology, and you need to obtain things very quickly.   I think that a more contemplative world could compensate for the world of consumerism in which we are currently living.  I don’t find this world positive.  There’s a lack of calm.

What do you think work, school, and the family, can do to contribute to giving the new generation moral consciousness?

Families and schools can do many things.  Firstly, they must present young people with clear values, principles, and moral rules. This should be a theme, along with other things.  Secondly, the way to coexist within the family and in school in the best way possible, involves a translation of these moral values.  Many times, in school, they say it’s important to respect the other and to establish solidarity.  However, they simultaneously put a lot of emphasis on competitiveness and stimulate the “winners.”  Therefore, the message of school becomes very conflicted.  I feel that morals and ethics should be clearly expressed, and translated through respect, justice, solidarity, and dignity, thus making ethics something that simply makes sense. The material taught in school doesn’t make sense, it’s purely competitive, and doesn’t speak of morals.   Through this we are doing young people a disservice.

In the last weeks a phenomenon has swept over social networks in Brazil. Nothing unexpected, especially because as social-network-addicts know, it’s impossible to predict what crazily cool thing they’ll come up with next.

Allowing Orkut contacts (currently the most popular social network in Brazil) to be transferred to Facebook, is a monumental step. Perhaps the creator of this application didn’t realize what kind of enormous reprecussions his creation would have.

Brazil has the most Orkut users in the world. Other social networks like Twitter and Facebook are slowly growing in Brazil. People have gotten used to the Brazilian style of Orkut. It has truly become a second home to them.

Generation Y discovered these tools, allowing them to connect with friends, that they might have never seen again or kept in touch with, without social networks. More than just a distraction, social networks are becoming a social habit. Society has grown accustomed to, and become relatively dependent on this medium of communication.

Perhaps this is why Gen Y has been a bit resistant towards Facebook. They were happy in their Orkut world. Orkut and its applications are extremely familiar to them, and easy to use.

Also, the new innovations popping up on Orkut were never hard to get a grip on, as they were always user friendly. While other countries dominated Facebook from A to Z, Brazilians still asked “Why Change?” Especially because most of their friends didn’t know the site. Moving everybody to Facebook would be a lot of work.

Yet little by little, young Brazilians, especially those belonging to Generation Y, became the motor propelling social networks. They were invited and encouraged to get to know “Facebook.”

One thing that Brazilians really seem to love is the idea originally taken from Twitter where Facebook users share “what are you doing?” The idea of telling others in real-time what you are thinking is really interesting. Also, a lot of games available exclusively on Facebook allow friends to play and compete together. This also goes along with the idea of sharing in real-time.

And so the Facebook fever rose. Now with the ability to import Orkut contacts onto Facebook, people will feel more and more at “home” on Facebook. Brazilian participation has risen significantly, for the simple fact that this tool greatly facilitates conversion, and wasn’t available before. There’s no doubt that with a large Brazilian presence on Facebook, the social network will continue to grow exponentially.

And what does all this have to do with Gen Y and Brazil? A lot! It allows us to understand what moves youth today. They are moved by familiarity. They are drawn to that which is not threatening, and doesn’t go out of their comfort zone too much. Of course, Gen Y in Brazil does want to “shake and move,” exploring new experiences, but only to a certain point.

Brazilians, especially in comparison to Europeans and Americans still romanticize this idea of “home sweet home.” Although Gen Y is constantly characterized by their speed, velocity, and instantaneous nature, they are still loyal to their origins.

In this case, the origin is Orkut, and Brazilians may take a while to realize that they can come and go as they please when it comes to social networks. Facebook was a beginning, but clearly there will be many more beginnings and middles, captivating the attention of Gen Y in Brazil. Whether we like it or not this generation is the beginning of everything.

By Manuela Mesquita

I’ve always thought of my mother as a baby boomer, but a baby boomer who doesn’t fit the stereotype. My mother introduced me to e-mail, even though I’m part of generation Y. My mother got on MSN chat before I did. She knows way more about computers than I do. I always relied on her knowledge whenever I had any doubts! She downloads music onto her cell phone. She’s always updating her computer with the latest software, and yes she’s on Orkut! (Brazil’s leading social network.)

She’s very present in my life. She tells me to update my pictures. She leaves comments and messages for me in cyber space. She doesn’t have a blog (yet), but I won’t be surprised the day she creates one.

Yet in the past few days, I’ve gotten concrete proof that some things go beyond the cyber world. Culture and the way people have been raised, ends up creating a gap between baby boomers and Gen Y.

A friend of mind has just lost someone very dear to her. The wake will take place in another city. I couldn’t be with her at that moment. I didn’t know how to act.

The first person I thought of in this situation was my mother. I didn’t think twice, I called for help. Immediately she told me,

- “In these moments, only a telegram will do.”

- What? Tele what?

You know, that thing people used back in World War II. In a few words they had to send a very succinct and expensive message. That’s what my mother was talking about!

I didn’t burst out laughing simply because I was going through such an emotional moment. She continued explaining that sending my condolences through the Internet would be extremely indelicate.

I decided to send flowers, along with a card, to the site of the wake.

But I still wasn’t satisfied. How could I be certain that the right person had gotten the flowers? Would my friend know just how much I wanted to express my solidarity? How long would the flowers take to get there? I logged into Orkut, and found that people had left several messages. Now, I’m against this. I find it really morbid. But I couldn’t resist the urge to speak to my friend. So I sent an e-mail, expressing my feelings, and asking if she had gotten the flowers. In less than 5 minutes I got a “thank you” e-mail, sent via Blackberry. I finally felt at peace. At least my message had been delivered.

As far as my mother’s surprising advice goes, it reveals just how much communication has changed. Yes, an e-mail is impersonal. It’s impersonal, and it’s not the most well-mannered way to go about expressing my condolences. But this isn’t important. What is important is that my friend got the message, and that my message seemed to help her.

What I take from this whole situation is that for us, Generation Y, it’s important for information to flow, and to arrive at the right time. We haven’t stopped using our common sense or etiquette. But in this case, the message I was sending would have had no value even a day later. Timing was extremely delicate.

How would I have known that she had gotten the telegram? And if I had sent a letter, it could have gotten lost. Why risk it when we have all this technology?

To generation Y, it would have been rude not to communicate right away, especially since there are so many different ways to get in touch! I do understand my mother’s perspective, and she’s incredibly modern for her generation. Still, culture is culture. Even the Internet or social networks can’t bridge this gap, at least not as quickly as we’d like.

By Flávia Vianna

It’s incredible how a tool used to send messages through 140 characters can be used to update us, convey emotion, encourage thinking, reflection, and laughter, or “all of the above.”

A few weeks ago, I got a post through Twitter talking about a mom who went into an electronics store and asked the salesperson if he carried Twitter. She said she needed to buy Twitter for her son.

After this I went on a trip. Streaming velocity, downloading images and insights in my mind. I was thinking about Generation X and Generation Y.

It’s funny. No mother on earth is required (or even stimulated) to know about online social networks. But this mother was trying to understand this new generation. As my trip ended, I thought to myself: “what many big businesses need to do, hasn’t actually begun yet.”

When businesses are disconnected from technology, it’s sad. If this attitude comes from a big business, it’s completely unacceptable and embarrassing.

This week I got some comments, in regards to my last post. The comments were mostly from individuals belonging to Gen Y who work in businesses that are very set in their traditional ways, and haven’t realized that there’s a digital conversion to be made. Reading some of the comments, I couldn’t believe that there are still businesses that block access to social networks, on the grounds of “productivity.”

Employees born from the 1980’s onwards are at the epicenter of businesses and will be for years and years to come. Businesses that aren’t in tune today are going to become junk like in Wall-E, if they don’t adapt fast.

If you want to hire and tap into the competencies of these Gen Y creatures, please update your corporate world. Old concepts must be re-examined. There’s no point in listening to Pity on your iPod, if the machine that plays music at the office is still a record player with an LP by Trio Irakitan. Proof that this generation is hungry for information, is that I’m sure that at this exact moment, the gen y readers have already opened Youtube and are searching for “Trio Irakitan.

I’m not saying that Gen X readers aren’t interested in knowing more or researching things. It’s the way in which they research and function that’s different, and that sometimes causes conflict.

My interpretation is that the multi-functionality of Gen Y is what creates corporate conflict. And yet this conflict is a pure waste. A waste of time, a waste of energy, and a waste of money. Managers, leaders, and bosses, should try and take advantage of these Gen Y characteristics to minimize conflict and guarantee sustainability in their businesses.

I’d also like to reference the blog post “What’s Age Got to do With it” by Silvana Avinami. It’s an excellent post and very well written. It shows that respect comes with admiration and not with your birth date. We need to respect our differences and compile our distinct visions of complimentary worlds.

What is necessary to build mature work relationships isn’t age. It’s behavior, ethics, professionalism, and most importantly open heads and open hearts. And if you don’t know what that is…Google it.

Flavia Vianna is from Rio, works in advertising as a co-owner of the agency Trafor Comunicação. About 2/3 of her day is spent trying to understand human behavior. During the rest of the time she sleeps. Or tries to sleep. Recently initiated in the 2.0 world, she’s discovered that she’s embarked on a path of no return. She’s Gen X, but she was born at the wrong time. She’s actually SO Gen Y. Her philosophy in life: it’s an eternal process of re-learning.

There’s a theory that Communication majors learn about in college, called the “spiral of silence.” Basically this hypothesis developed by Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann says that less popular opinions tend not to be heard, as they get drowned out by the opinions of the majority. She links this to the role of mass communication mediums in forming public opinions.

I agree with this theory. Those who don’t agree with the majority, often risk getting shredded apart. Society almost never forgives individuals who are against “common sense.” Just look at what happened to the protestors of the Brazilian dictatorship.

But that’s all back in the world of the X’s, Baby Boomers, and Veterans. In the world of Y’s, this theory simply doesn’t apply. Today the norm is disagreement. The dissonance comes from young people, very young people who aren’t afraid to question, contest, and protest.

Online communities, chat forums, and social networks, are the greatest proof of this. It’s very common to see young people joining online communities where they criticize the very businesses they are applying to be a part of. They say what they think without any filters. The spiral of silence is over. Today it’s cool to disagree! And people are actually the opposite of what Noelle-Newman argues. And they are admired and respected, precisely for that.

During her lecture, Eline always talks about how Generation Y wants to be different from other generations. When it comes to speaking their mind openly they are in fact very different. They haven’t lived through a time of censorship. I experienced the end of the dictatorship, and even though I was only a child, I knew that there were certain things you just couldn’t say. You had to watch your back and always be conscious of your surroundings. You had to speak low.

Today we have the great freedom of being able to say what we think. I believe that generation Y and the generations after them will really benefit from this freedom, which no other generation has experienced up until now. They probably won’t realize how valuable this freedom is, for they haven’t experienced the sourness of not being able to really say what they think, as those before them did. So it seems that the theories of communication will have to silence the very spiral of silence.

By Flavia Vianna*

New illustration created by my intern. I signal over to him with my hand. Removing the phone, which is usually glued to my ear, making extra effort for a “personal approach,” and “personal interaction” with him.

He goes, “Ah….(popping chewing gum sounds)…check it out to see if this is cool.”

So, I walk over to his screen to “check it out.” Immediately distracted by the blinking AIM conversation and the 16 windows open at the same time (Yes, I counted). You can tell Gen X and Gen Y apart, just from the number of windows they have open at the same time. Two minutes ago, I had minimized my MSN because 4 windows is too stressful for me to handle. Not to mention blinking…

“Yeah…so is it cool or not?”

His voice brings me back to reality. The illustration. Yes of course. Here’s another characteristic of this generation. They see the world through digital windows, and believe the entire universe actually works like this. Try explaining that those of us over 30, look at MSN chats first, and then look at all that blinking, and only then are finally able to “check out” what we were supposed to be doing in the first place.

“The illustration looks great.” “Just add some color…” I’m interrupted. He answers his cell phone. I didn’t even hear the ring. Puzzled by this, I wondered, is there a ring tone that only those under 25 can hear?

And the other Gen Y employee sitting in front of him starts to laugh. Hauihaiuaihaiu. Yes, because “haha” “hehe” or “lol” is SO Gen X. My favorite illustrator finally hangs up, and explains the mysterious ring to me. I was right. The sound is so low, that as we grow old, we simply don’t hear the ring anymore. Perfect for class he explains, his professors never catch on. Oh yes, technology can be so cruel.

OK. So I know my hearing isn’t what it used to be. But I’d like to make clear that my soul is totally Gen Y. I’m completely enchanted by all post-1980 inventions. The other day, I caught myself at home, with my TV on, MSN chats open, two other windows open, SKYPE, texting through my cell, and to make it a total geek scenario, I was also tweeting. When my phone rang, I almost started crying. Emotional. This gen y thing was growing on me.

The truth is, I learn so much in my daily “laboratory” coexisting with these Gen Y creatures. They are really special, and they bring their worlds of everything.at.the.same.time.right.now. It’s as if they’ve come to me equipped with a chip that understands everything going on around me. It’s even better than Neo’s chip from the Matrix.

On top of all this, lies their extreme capacity for professionalism, ethics, compromise, and creativity. And of course my desire to know more and more about them just keeps growing.

Flavia Vianna is from Rio, works in advertising as a co-owner of the agency Trafor Comunicação. About 2/3 of her day is spent trying to understand human behavior. During the rest of the time she sleeps. Or tries to sleep. Recently initiated in the 2.0 world, she’s discovered that she’s embarked on a path of no return. She’s Gen X, but she was born at the wrong time. She’s actually SO Gen Y. Her philosophy in life: it’s an eternal process of re-learning.

“This is Cory. He’s our social media guy,” says Manager to the new hires. “He gets paid to play on Facebook all day.” I just roll my eyes and tell the new hires to ignore him. I’m happy because I finally got the IT Manager to undo the block on social media sites that he had instituted company wide. I turn back to my work, where I’ve got 10 different tabs open on Firefox. I do indeed have Facebook up; I also have Twitter, LinkedIn, Gmail, the company blog, as well as several other sites that I’m using for research.

Throughout the day a friend sends me, via Google Chat, a hot lead on a new company that could use our services. Another sends me a DM on Twitter to let me know that Jeremiah Owyang is going to be in town tonight. Owyang just left Forrester research, where he was the youngest analyst they’ve had, after only two years into his career there. His following is legion and he’s leaving to become a partner in a new firm. I can’t wait to go meet him. His meetups are full of useful information on social media, marketing, and best practices for business.

While I’m checking my Twitter account I laugh at some jokes, reply to a couple of random questions, and build relationships with some of the most influential marketers in my industry.

A little later I walk over to refill my water bottle. People are standing around talking in the kitchen. Some of the older generation have been standing around for 15 minutes. It’s nice to stand and take a break after a while. It’s also nice to laugh with coworkers and build relationships with them.

At the end of the day, I’ve built dozens of new links to our company’s website, got us two major positive media mentions, resolved two customer issues, and found three solid sales leads for our sales team. I’m feeling pretty productive.

On my way home I check email via phone and answer a couple of work related emails. I’m really curious about some of what I see, so I log into our analytics tracker to see how our site is performing. Later that night I get a brilliant idea for a new marketing tactic so I log into the corporate WordPress admin page and write up a quick draft post. All told, I’ve probably spent about 90 minutes on work related stuff when I’m not at work. I probably spent about the same amount of time on non-work related stuff while I was at work.

I’ve got this relationship with my job that I just love. I get to do things that I find really interesting and integrate many different skills. At the same time, I can’t turn my brain off when I’m not at work. I’m a pretty right brained person, so ideas strike me at odd moments. I have to act on them when I get them or they go away, so I work when the Muse strikes.

I also like having the freedom to integrate every aspect of my life into my job. I don’t really keep my work life separate from my private life – at least, not the way that my parents’ generation seemed to do. My friends send me great work ideas one minute and a hilarious internet video the next. I do the same for them. We feel productive and we get results – but not the way that some of our bosses would approve.

Every generation has its disagreements with the generation that comes both before and after it. We don’t want to repeat the mistakes of our parents’ generation, and we want to make sure the next generation doesn’t repeat ours.

I totally understand that. I’ve seen too many people in the generation before work themselves into the ground. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. At the same time, I recognize that those of a younger set have to spend some time paying their dues if they want to attain positions of influence and substantial income while working for others. Perhaps that’s why so many people from my generation are starting their own businesses and thriving. It seems like every person I know in my age bracket has their own side business.

As the rising Gen Y integrates more into the upper echelons of the work force, our method of always-on communication will integrate as well. When your communication channels are always on, it’s nearly impossible to completely separate the personal from professional – in fact, the personal often becomes the professional. People that we have built strong ties with will communicate with us and send us funny videos, and in the same five minute time span, send us the contact information for a hard to get client that can end up being a game changer for your organization. It’s just the way we operate.

Then again, perhaps I shouldn’t speak for my whole generation.

Cory Huff is a social media specialist for a search engine marketing firm in Portland, Oregon. He also runs TheAbundantArtist.com, where he teaches artists of all stripes how to sell art online