Berkley Center

We are in the Connective Era and what this means for Millennials is using weak network ties, individuals that are not in someone’s close circle of colleagues or friends, to engage in politics, culture, and social interactions. Millennials are characterized as the most affluent, most educated and most diverse population. Our civic mindedness is not focused solely on American issues, but we develop a global perspective. We don’t recycle because it’s good for the local environment but because we believe that we can save the rainforest. Our predecessors were concerned about joining formal organizations like the Boys Scouts or the Lions Club whereas now Millennials can find meaningful connections through their weak network ties.

Millennials engage in YouTube video campaigns to build a following for complex diplomatic and global issues (e.g. Kony 2012). The Millennial generation sees the potential in connecting with like-minded people in order to create change, educate each other, and define their individualism. The value that weak networks ties have for a global society is that they can create a grassroots campaign for a worthy cause. We value making an impact past our own neighborhood.

Preceding generations confuse social media activism as “slacktivism” (e.g. #stopKONY) but reposting a video or including a link on a Twitter page is our form of pinning a support button to our jacket. The Millennial generation personifies social media to the extent they do because they are constantly branding themselves as a single retweet places them in the spotlight. This is not lackadaisical but proactive and they value the independence they have to create their own image.

It should come as no surprise that Millennials value teamwork, achievement, and education. Group work is valued in all levels of education and this extends to our leisure activities where everyone receives a trophy for being on a little league sports team. Individuals do not want to only feel included, but they value the opinions of those around them. They have grown up under baby-boomer parents who are more protective of their offspring and rather than see a world of cautionary signs, Millennials advance forward looking to create positive change in a world that is becoming smaller to them. This is fundamentally different than our predecessors and it is an exciting time now that Millennials are beginning to influence policy, enter the workforce, and educate the newest generation.