As 2010 Census Begins: Will the Millennials be Counted?

As director of the US Census Bureau, Robert Groves, arrived by dog sled on Monday to Noorvik, Alaska to kickoff the 2010 Census, I wondered why this remote Inupiat Eskimo Village located 3,000 miles from Washington, DC would be the staging for the launch of this important decennial event. The information the census collects helps to determine how more than $400 billion dollars of federal funding each year is spent on infrastructure and services like: hospitals, schools, bridges, tunnels, and emergency services. Not to mention, it also determines how many seats each US state will get in the House of Representatives.

 

While US Census workers started their task of counting all 310 Million Americans in this remote village 30 miles above the Arctic Circle, I started to think about the barriers that exist whether counting the Inupiat’s or counting the Millennials. But since this is Social Citizens, we’ll focus more on the latter, (plus it sounds like the Inupiat’s are now well accounted for).

 

As the 2010 census shifts into the lower 48, the U.S. Census Bureau is paying particular attention to what they say are some of the hardest-to-count segments of the national populace: 18 to 25 year-olds, the unattached/single, economically disadvantaged, and minorities. Without using overgeneralizations, that accounts for a pretty good number of Millennials. Many of us were filling out college applications during the last census, and it’s likely the majority of Millennials had their parents fill out the form the last time the Census was conducted. Many may not know what the census is, let alone how it could impact our communities. 

 

While the government is spending $133M on advertising and publicity around the 2010 Census, if they’re trying to reach Millennials they’re going to have to do more than the obligatory Facebook Fanpage and Twitter Feed. Between mobile technology, social media and more traditional modes of communication, it's not that we're harder to reach - we just have a lot more content being thrown our way making us more selective about what we pay attention to.

 

So, as a free service to Uncle Sam, below are my suggestions on how to increase awareness and participation for the Census among the Millenial Generation:

• For Millennials who are sold on the idea of participating in the census but have questions about the process, whether they should be counted apart from their parents, etc. regular online chat support could be used to allow people to have their specific questions answered (this could also be supported through the exisiting census Facebook and Twitter presence).

• Partner with on the ground organizations and nonprofits who can send text message reminders to Millennials during key points throughout the process for updates on deadlines and additional resources.

• College campuses could have "census challenge" parties where students fill out forms and are given incentives from local restaurants and stores for completed forms.

• Creative social media campaigns can be used to educate Millennials about the process, its timeline, and the importance of being included. This could include the creation of short, entertaining videos for YouTube, and extensive outreach to bloggers who typically reach Millennial audiences.

• As many nonprofits have learned, you often reach a wider audience and see greater engagement when you let go a little. The Census Bureau could provide small prizes for people who creatively explain and promote the census using social media. This could engage and educate students and young professionals looking for experience and generate marketing materials that appeal to a younger demographic.