Forwarding the Conversation

This is an incredibly interesting documentary called The Young Americans Project. Below is how TYAP creators describe their mission:

The Young Americans Project seeks to provide a voice for our generation. America wants to know who its young citizens are, what they desire, and how they will shape our nation’s future.  There are many questions that need answers. How will unlimited and readily available information change the way we view the world? Are we plagued by a sense of entitlement? Do we have the desire and tools to lead America into the future? Who are the innovators, the leaders, the role players? Where is the idealism? How will we respond to the globalization that has brought terrorism and unprecedented competition to our doorsteps?

To some, America’s youngest adult generation is viewed as a nameless and voiceless band, unified only by clustered birth dates.  But the young men and women of America are in fact a burgeoning and dynamic class that is coming of age in the post-9/11 era.  They are working to find their place in a changing world, growing into their adult skin, and yearning to be heard.

I think that these guys are really onto something. As they travel the country what becomes apparent through their video is that our generation cannot be lumped into one category as either ‘apathetic’ or ‘pampered’ or ‘stupid.’ This generation, like those that came before us, share the qualities of humanity. As a generation we have been shaped both by our shared and individual experiences, which makes us both the same and different than our parent’s generation and our grandparents generation.

Take a look at this trailer and see what you think. As you watch think about some of the following questions:

• What makes THIS generation different from the previous one?
• How is this generation similar to all others?
• How do YOU assign value to a specific generation?
• What impact, if any, do our shared generational experiences have on our worldview?