Understanding Gen Y Narrative:
The Transformer Generation
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Understanding generations
Getting a clear picture on what contrasts and
unites generations helps track how trends
manifest as part of the cultural narrative
GI Silent Baby
Generation Generation Boomers Gen X Gen Y
1901-1924 1925-1945 1945-1964 1965-1981 1981-2001
Industrial Era Mass Media Era Micro Market Era
Manufacturing WW2 Interstate Highways Cable TV
Global resources Internet
TV Advertising
Scientific advances Social Networks
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The Generational Codes
GI Silents Boomers
CODE > > optimistic cautious rebellious
emotional rational
social/economic forces
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The Generational Codes
Gen X Gen Y
CODE > > innovative empowered
emotional rational
social/economic forces
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Assimilation/Differentiation
Assimilation/Differentiation
Parents GI Silents Boomer
Kids Boomer Gen X Gen Y
Establishing difference is a natural part of the maturation
process - it becomes critical in understanding how each
generation defines their own cultural narrative
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Assimilation/Differentiation
Gen Y has joined their Boomer parents in their
commercialism - but with a more global
perspective and greater ambiguity.
Parents Boomer
Kids Gen Y
Assimilation: Materialism Differentiation: Global
Gen Y kids were raised in the Gen Y most disconnects from
context of Boomer’s embrace Boomers in the way they see
of materialism and status as culture beyond demographic
they matured. boundaries - beyond suburb -
beyond nation - a global view.
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What shaped Boomer code?
childhood
maturation Progress/Freedom + Fear
imprint
rite of
Disillusionment
passage Vietnam Civil Rights
imprint Struggle
DNA Independence/Rebellion
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Boomer maturation realigns code
Disillusionment
Vietnam War
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Boomer maturation realigns code
Disillusionment
Civil Rights Struggle
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Boomer Rite of Passage Archetypes
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What will shape Gen Y code?
childhood
maturation Fame Privacy
imprint
+
rite of
Disillusionment
passage 9/11 Economic
imprint Meltdown
DNA Empowerment
Gen Y is at their point of maturation as a generation
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Post-9/11 Zeitgeist
9/11 Attack
Ambiguous Invasion
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Beyond the Boomer Fear Narrative
War of the Worlds
Ambiguous Invasion
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New Rules of War and Boundaries
guantanamo bay
Ambiguous Enemies
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Internet Terror Messages
Technology of Fear
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The Era of Commercial Snuff Films
Saw Movie Series
Transformation and Redemption
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The Generational Network
Forces that shape the code
Boomer Gen Y
The emotional
narrative of
each
The generation is The
Road shaped in
different ways Internet
In search of In search of
individuality empowerment
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The Generational Network
Defining the emotional code
Boomer Gen Y
The emotional
narrative of
each
generation is
shaped in
different ways
Push Button Open Source/
Expressive
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Gen Y defined by consumption
 Grew up with Cable TV
(MTV).
 Grew up with computers and
the internet.
 Cameras everywhere.
 Influence of Asia (Anime &
Comics)
 Collector Culture (eBay)
 Hip-hop & Mash-up Culture
 Hi-Lo Culture
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Gen Y Codes
Fame Privacy
social surveillance
currency ambiguity
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Surveillance Culture
Technology affords a multiplication of views
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The Amateur Videographer
The Birth of Consumer Content
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The News Spectacle (OJ Simpson)
Now car chases fueled by what they have seen on TV
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Surveillance as Entertainment
Birth of reality TV with MTV’s Real World in 1991
Nobody Superstar
The “nothing” narrative
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Process as Entertainment
Nobody Superstar
Making the process transparent and faster
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Consumer Interaction with Celebrity
Celebrity is the New Joneses..interacting with narrative
Nobody Superstar
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Auction Economics
Culture and Identity as CURRENCY
Fueled by a generation raised on merchandising
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Paparazzi & the Currency of Celebrity
New measures of valuation….(some begin to opt-out)
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Credit Cards & Trade Up Culture
Access to anything - shopping defining identity
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Economic ambiguity growing up
Rich Not
Became harder to distinguish status and hierarchy
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Y Tween Female Archetypes: Sex & the City
“I shop therefore I am”
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Economic ambiguity as Y matures
Credit Cash
New economic reality may rewrite how narrative evolves
from this point… back to cash and relative assets.
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Y Male Archetypes: The Metrosexual
The layering of male consumer identities
Male personal care product growth outpaces female
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Y Male Archetypes: The Male Bimbo
As the mirror to the 50s female bimbo of Marilyn Monroe
An equalizing of gender’s lowest common denominators
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Y Tween Female Archetypes: Spice Girls
“Girl Power” - feminism as slogan
Media dilutes the old messages of Boomer feminism
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Gender Ambiguity
Female Male
American Apparel as Gen Y gender narrative
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Digital Ambiguity
Online Offline
Gen Y is not just “online”…it is more complex than
that… they switch ON and OFF - while X wear online
more as a badge - Y is more skeptical
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Interface Ambiguity
Push Expressive
Button Interface
Beyond the push button paradigm of Boomer interaction
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Interface Ambiguity
Push Expressive
Button Interface
…for Y technology is an extension of them.
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Identity as Currency
What ID you see…
…determines how important you are to me
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Influence Ambiguity
The friend request as social distortion
Stranger Friend
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Intelligence Ambiguity
Dumb Smart
Knowledge transformed from destination to journey
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Culture Playlists
Influencer Influenced
New social pecking order..how good is your culture mix?
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The Currency of Culture
Hip-Hop goes mainstream as Gen Y grows up.
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The Currency of Culture
Suburb City
Distance eroded by the power of media
The beginnings of culture over demographics
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The Currency of Culture
Hip-Hop goes to the suburbs via Cable TV.
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Culture Co-opting Culture
Street Business
Suburbia flashing gang signs
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Y Male Archetypes: The Gangsta
A narrative about turf & getting paid
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Culture Co-opting Culture
Hip-hop evolves as universal language of rebellion.
Street Business
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Culture Co-opting Culture
Rich Poor
Hip-Hop flashing luxury signs
Brands as badge and equalizer of class hierarchy
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Global Culture & Asia Rising
West East
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The Globalization of Food
Exotic Staple
Sushi represents the speed of exotic shift to ordinary
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Global Culture Co-Option
Global Local
Cities become global mirrors and harder to distinguish
local identity
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Thank you
To request a pdf of this presentation please email
marielena@scenariodna.com
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