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Age of Awareness: Obama & Gen Y

According to the Associated Press, two-thirds of Gen Y supported Obama. Why? Because from a communication perspective, Obama and his campaign understood how to engage and motivate what is essentially an emerging new “tribe” in our society — not based on race, age or gender — but on possessing a radically different worldview that has been transformed via mass awareness …there is an emerging new population gaining in size and influence all over the country whose worldview continues to be expanded as a result of on-demand mass awareness. For them, awareness is exhilarating, even addictive. And it has altered the fundamental framework of their lives. For Gen Y, growing up in what I term in my research as the Age of Awareness, they have progressed through all of their developmental stages with what is essentially a sense of omnipotence. It has rewired their beliefs, values and behaviors including how they communicate as human beings.

- Obama’s Victory, Gen Y, and the New Rules for Communication

Just to clarify here … 2/3rds of Gen Yers supported Obama because his campaign tools reached our communication tools? I’d like to hope that political beliefs are not based on what form the Presidential advertisements come in. And “we will now have a President who isn’t afraid of the Age of Awareness and it will go a long way toward bridging the very divisive generational divide currently taking a toll on the world of work.”?

Am I missing something? I get that Obama’s campaign was heavy on the internet – twitter, blogs, facebook and the whole bit but I don’t see how there will be any sort of bridging of the generational divide. Just because our new President knows what twitter is doesn’t mean that my dad will care any more than he did before. I think this will help to have Gen Y be more educated and actively involved but I must be missing the mark about this “Age of Awareness”.

What are your thoughts?

  • Kat
    I think that there's a divide between our generation and some of the old fogies in the GOP. Obama was energetic, and wasn't interested in re-trying the old ways that didn't work. He was progressive. While I do think that some Gen-Yers voted based on which candidate was more exciting, I think that a lot of us were also using all our technology and mass communication skills to read up on all the candidates. I think most of us were informed.

    Sure, part of it may have been because Obama could "talk" to our Generation and get us involved, instead of just seeming like a parental unit chastising us on how badly behaved we're being, but I actually think that the reason he got so much of our vote was because almost all of us thought he was the best man for the job.
  • The real question is...why hasn't Obama updated his Twitter feed since the election? Was he only "reaching out" to get elected? I hope not :(
  • I agree with your reasons on why people should vote BUT I have to congratulate Obama on engaging the masses around politics; and I think, in large part, we have to thank his non-traditional approach to media for this. It's sort of a secondary fact that he picked up the Gen Y vote, I'll be their first objective was to awaken the masses in terms of voter participation. I think Gen Y, just now at voting age, is the most likely to jump on board when any brand says "engage." Think about the Boomers or Xers - cynical and perhaps more set in their ways, not as likely as Gen Y to try something new or jump on the engagement train even IF they've been asking for something to believe in in a while, they're lazier and less accessible. And i'm curious where you found the article from the AP?

    On another note: I hope to see you at the next Likemind! December 5 - mark your calendar girl!
  • The people you would expect to make intelligent voting decisions did make intelligent voting decisions. But in the process of making voting the "cool thing to do" with Rock the Vote, other celebrities speaking out, and various other tools to try to help people understand that it is a right and a privilege, I do think that some Gen Yers probably looked at this election and thought they finally had someone they could vote for in Obama. But why? Obama's policies aren't much different from any other democrats--there was definitely an ex factor going on, and because of the internet buzz, some people were very influenced no only by Obama on Twitter, but other Obama supporters on Twitter, and blogs, and social networks. And in the ultimate example of unintelligent voting, Lindsay Lohan was interviewed asking why this election was so important to her, and she had no answer besides, "It's great to be a part of the country during the election of our first colored president."

    Not that this isn't true in EVERY election, but some people did not vote intelligently, and I do think that Obama's ability to speak to our generation tipped that percentage of votes, whatever it was, in his direction.
  • Agreed. And in all honesty, I hope that people voted for other reasons besides, "He seems more hip than McCain." Just as you said: "I’d like to hope that political beliefs are not based on what form the Presidential advertisements come in." I completely agree with this. I think there are lots of reasons to vote for or against a particular candidate, but I don't know if this is or should be one of them.
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