What is This Generation All About? Me.

Generation Y. The Net Generation. Millenials. Call this generation what you wish, but the label of “The Me Generation” has always resonated the strongest with…me.

Please consider the following about me:

• I have never written a blog post before, for business or pleasure; but I love to write long winded diatribes, and frequently make such comments on the blogs I frequent.

• I have never had a Myspace account, and were it not for the free streaming music while at work and home, I would have no use for Myspace; yet I spend more time on Facebook than any other site on the internet.

• I work for the single largest force spreading and evangelizing the benefits of social commerce and word of mouth marketing on the planet (which I won’t post, for fear of setting off hundreds of Google Alerts); yet I have never written a product review on anything I have purchased, online or offline.

The common denominator? It’s all about independence. It’s all about me. My likes, my tastes, my wants. Without sounding (overly) narcissistic, I cannot claim this desire to be independent, is at all unique for those in my generation. This drive for independence may even be a byproduct of the lack of anything that is truly unique in our generation.

When is the last time you saw an article of clothing (or combinations of them) that was truly unique? It seems even the most hideous and obnoxious fashions have groups of followers. Completely customizable sneakers are about as unique as a build-a-bear.

How about the last time a band/song/album was like nothing you’ve ever heard before? If you are a music nerd like me, you understand everything has its roots somewhere. 30 some years before the Flaming Lips gained notoriety; the Beach Boys were making experimental pop albums. Without Neil Young, My Morning Jacket may never have existed.

When was the last time a movie or TV show was unique before a slew of imitators followed? So many elements of The Matrix were copied and mocked that a first time viewer may wonder what was ever so special about it to begin with. After only one episode of the Fox TV show “Lie to Me”, it has become readily apparent (almost to the point of being laughable) that the producers wanted to capture all of the successful elements of another Fox show, “House”, and simply repackage it as a detective show instead. This is not quite a knock on either show, but a spade deserves to be called a spade.

The funniest thing about all of this: The “Me Generation”, myself included, eats it all up. There have to be 7 different C.S.I. and C.S.I. knockoffs running on primetime TV by now, and I can pick and choose which (if any, or maybe all) that I like best. Like the podcast mentioned, there must be at least 300 different social networking options out there. I choose to use Facebook, but could just as easily be a Myspace user. Choice, beyond something highly valued, is an integral part of who I am, so flooding whatever market I am in with options, makes me a much happier customer.

What I find a bit frightening, is how a website written about my generation a decade ago, describes me as accurately as anything I could have written. The “Ten Themes of N-Gen Culture” is in my estimation, a comprehensive list of my defining personality traits. Interestingly enough, “Strong Independence” tops the list, and other “me” qualities, such as strong vocalization of opinions, the need for everything in the blink of an eye, patronization of small businesses, and openness in expression, make an appearance on the list as well. I sometimes have a hard time with labels, but the author did not miss a step when labeling me.

As far as the Podcast and Article Generation Y are concerned, consumer involvement in the brand, the experience, is integral to success. My job guarantees I would see this no other way, but what others are thinking, saying, and experiencing enhances my decision making process, and give ME a chance to make my opinions known. Driving a car built for customization, the Toyota Scion, could provide an excellent opportunity for Toyota to capture brand loyalists who would love to compare and contrast what features are on their Scion. The podcast nails it on the head though, when it claims that no one cares what Toyota has to say, but people are enthused by what real people think.