Already a member?
Welcome to Brazen Careerist!
Greg Rollett is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Greg Rollett and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
Greg Rollett is using Brazen Careerist to share ideas. Join now to become a member and start networking with Greg Rollett and other professionals just like you. Learn more.
We all want to get involved and make a change. Unfortunately that change cannot happen solely on Facebook, Myspace or even on a blog. Gen-Y is all about Social Change, and there are many of us that are going out into the real world and making a difference, building houses, changing lives, saving the environment and making a political change.
But there are an ever larger number of people joining online groups and writing a B.S. comment and then never come back, never donate a dollar or give a minute of their time to actually make that change.
In a recent interview with Mike Connery, for Gen-Y Magic, he states that:Voting is the least you can do. If you want to make a change in your community, then run for office. School board, town supervisor, mayor, councilman, it doesn’t matter. If you don’t like the system and the choices you have at the polls, take over that system and change it from the inside.
Here are 5 groups that Gen-Y needs to pay attention to today. It's up to you to find the right cause, but this is where your head and heart need to be.
1. The school system
With standardized testing ruling public schools, and teachers becomming more and more like highly educated babysitters, we need to stand up to help our youth learn and get ready to enter society. Look at the PTA, the fundraisers, getting school supplies or tutoring to help out.
2. Cleaning up your city
No, not grabbing a halloween suit like Batman (although that would be kick ass). Go out and make a difference where you live. Light up dark neighborhoods, paint over destroyed and rusted walls, plant some trees or flowers or even help the local homeless with food, shelter and clothing. Become proud of your backyard and more people will come and visit.
3. The Environment
Al Gore is probably right. Start by recycling, then maybe move on to help organizations change their products to be more "Green freindly." You might even be able to convice your boss to change the lightbulbs in your office and save him some money in his annual budget.
4. The Music Industry
Do your favorite artist a favor and buy something from them. I'm not talking about Snoop or Miley either. Pick a local, an indie or a friend. Send them a note saying how much you love their music. They could use the encouragement (and the cash) right about now. (If you like singer-songwriter stuff, check out Leerone. I will be giving her a big shout out tomorrow, so look out for that)
5. The President
I keep convincing myself that it doesn't matter who wins. I am completely wrong. Whoever you vote for, or whatever party you are loyal too, all that matters is that you get involved, learn the issues and care about what you stand for. The youth vote is the swing vote this year. Even if your guy (or gal, I guess) losses, at least you stood for something and had a voice in the direction of your future. Even after the election, it doesn't mean you should stop caring.
Like I said, it doesn't matter what cause you belong to, who you root for and what side wins. All that matters is that you are socially aware and give a damn. Life matters more when you have something to fight for.
Who are you fighting for?
Good points. Another key point is purchasing decisions.
As consumers with purchasing power, we can either continue to consume as much as we possible, while paying as little as possible. Or we can realize that we don't need so much stuff, and alter our mindset to one of consuming less, but ensuring that what we do consume is high quality and has a broadly positive effect on the society and environment where it was produced.
Great points, especially #2. Our generation has a lot of talent and this is one of the places it is needed the most.
Marcos
http://www.marcossalazar.com
@Brandan - How Gen-Y spends their money will be the biggest influence of future marketing, product development and price points. I think you started to bring up a great point in that, "Whatis Gen-Y willing to pay for things, of we can find them for free?" The music, film and book market is faced with this today and are having a tough time finding answers that are business sustainable. Thanks for bringing that up.
@Marcos - With talent comes great responsibility to use it (stole that from Uncle Ben). We need to get back to helping our backyards get the respect they deserve before looking outward. There is nothing wrong with the big picture, but sometimes you need to get the close up to get the full effect.
I think these are great suggestions for areas of community involvement--but why call them "groups"?
And #5 could also be extended. Don't overlook local government; an awful lot of decisions that affect daily life are made at that level. That's much closer to grass-roots than the presidency.
@KateNonymous - yea, agreed groups is a bad word choice. It's reall just 5 "things" to get involved in. Local governemtn is also a good call. In the interview with Mike Connery, he goes on to say that the Mayor of Pittsburg, Luke Ravenstahl, is 28 years old. Gen-Y can make a difference today in local government right now! Thanks for calling that into attention!
Here's the link to the interview http://www.creatinggenymagic.com/2008/09/gen-y-political-hot-seat-with-m...
You complain about the downside of standardized testing in schools. Yet, how else is one to have a fair evaluation of school performance? In places where such testing does not exist, such as Italy, there is a growing movement to start introducing it, as a pillar of a meritocratic school system (see http://livepaola.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/four-recipes-to-save-italy-mer...). Otherwise, all we have is grade inflation and a great leveling downwards.
Email
Print
