The Beauty of Our Youth

The biggest story of the year broke this week with the death of Obama Bin Laden. It is a great victory for our forces and a significant point of closure for many victims of the war on terror. Personally this event became part of a wider landscape of influence from my children.

Demonstrations and the Age of Tech

The most defining element of the Obama announcement for me was the site of spontaneous celebrations in the streets. The crowds gathered faster than many baby boomers could have received the news. The crowds were predominantly college age people backed up by twenty somethings.

The chants of USA! and bodies drapped in the American Flag could only have happened during a sporting event in previous generations. The attack on the twin towers was a defining event in the lives of American youth. More so than many adults of the time realize. Eighth graders from that date see today as a major victory and reinforcement.

The news spread virally through Twitter and Facebook and texting. All of the dynamics of this generation played into making this a separate meaningful celebration that slower, old school supporters could enjoy later.

The Barnstormer Tour

We drove 2 1/2 hours from Indy to a barn in the middle of corn fields to see a live concert this weekend. Five bands performed live in a classic barn filled with young folks and lots of electronic equipment. The place rocked and the floor bounced and it reminded me of concerts from the day.

There were significant differences. Lots of Bud Lite but no LSD. Although I did faintly smell some pot at one point, no passing joints or stoned out wackies. I watched the show with a music attorney, two web programmers, a doctoral candidate in brain sciences, and an environmental engineer who were all under 35 years old.

The tour was promoted by Daytrotter.com which is a web site group that does live audio recordings of new and hot music groups. They don't do video because, it was explained to me, that it seemed it had been overdone and seemed disingenuous. The site gets a half million hits per month. The tour brings hundreds of people to shows in barns in the middle of nowhere.

The conversations I heard covered all the usual jokes and stuff you would expect to hear young people talk about. But it was intelligent and politically savvy and not overwhelmed by the wonder of technology. This is a group that thinks SEO (search engine optimization) is a huckster show and already work around it and ignores it.

The Beauty of Our Youth

These people are in touch and more secure in themselves than my generation was. They are patriotic without question. They are engaged and show a high moral fiber. It was fun to see all this and enjoy it. But it caused me to smile for two reasons

It was a treat that they welcomed us and let us be part of the crowd. I'm proud to call many of them friends.

With all the energy I see directed at marketing to this group and reaching this group and redefining business to use "their" social media, I smile as well. Where we are aiming they are no longer there. There is no stereotype as described in marketing textbooks. It is more like a bee hive. Each individual so intent and connected by communication that you can't define an individual. But they are even more individualized than can be imagined with a unity driven by instant viral communication.