This is MySpace

After reading the Generation Y article and listening to the MySpace Generation podcast, I immediately felt resentment. Just because I was born in 1987, does not mean that I am Mountain Dew drinking, Mudd jeans wearing college student that spends 2 hours a month on MySpace. Then, I sat down to type my blog and procrastinated for about ten minutes as I checked my facebook profile. Crap! These marketers know me better than I know myself.

Still, I could tell that the article was clearly outdated. The brands that the article claims are no longer "in style" are brands I see on nearly every corner of the UT campus. It seems like every girl I see is sporting Nike running shorts and every Indy band member is wearing Converse sneakers. This may show how both Nike and Converse have won their places in eyes of Generation Y despite possible trouble at the time the article was written. The article quoted David Spangler, director of market research for the Levi's brand, who said "We all got older, and as a consequence, we lost touch with teenagers." I think this statement is outdated because now companies can easily keep in touch with the teenage market by hiring young professionals, joining teen social networks, and using modern communication to reach young consumers.

I thought it was interesting that the article and the podcast expressed the importance of teens telling other teens what is cool. I think this is completely true in middle school and high school, when students desire to "fit in" more than anything. If the "coolest" kid in your school tells a fellow student that he thinks something is "cool" he has just made it "cool." Teenagers in middle school and high school follow trends and each other. Teens will believe they will like something if someone their age already likes it. This is more effective marketing than a commercial that tells teens they will like something.

I think that the reason my first reaction to the article and podcast was defensive was because I don’t think the assessments made accurately describe my friends and me. I like to think I am more of an individual that is fighting groupthink and will do anything to avoid what the group is doing. I will not wear designer jeans because and only because “everyone” is wearing them. I am on facebook, but I don’t like that I am because “everyone” is on facebook. I’m beginning to think that this individualism may be a college thing, through, rather than a generation Y thing.

Ten insights about me:
1.) I am concerned about the environment. But I always forget to bring my recyclable grocery bags into H.E.B. with me.
2.) I love Whole Foods Market for the experience and not for the food.
3.) I like to be outside.
4.) I want a cell phone that can make phone calls and send text messages only. Nothing else.
5.) I strive to be an individual.
6.) I don’t like to work hard to get information because the Internet makes everything at my fingertips.
7.) I don’t spend a lot of money on clothes.
8.) I like to be around people all the time.
9.) I text message all the time.
10.) I don’t watch TV and I only go to a movie theatre once every three months or so.