Social Citizen

Each week, we’ll cull the interwebs for the most relevant articles, videos and commentary about Millennials and social change, and then present them right here in a weekly round-up. It’s not to say we won’t also provide our own fresh content and perspectives throughout the week, because we will—as will our provocative and savvy Social Citizen Ambassadors. But you can view this space as a central repository for all of the great stuff that’s filling our newsfeeds, twitter feeds, and Facebook streams.

We’ll do the curating for you, just come by and pay us a visit – and drop a comment every now and then to let us know how we’re doing and what we’re missing. And now for this week’s round-up…

Every Vote Counts

Remember that adage from civics class—every vote counts? There are many times throughout history that we’ve seen this saying play out in election races… the latest of featuring the Iowa Caucuses. In the end, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney beat out former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum by a mere eight votes. Despite Romney’s technical victory, many see Santorum as the real victor here because he was slated as the underdog in this race, but came out tied for first place.

Jacob Soboroff who is a correspondent for MTV’s Power of 12 initiative, made a very interesting observation related to the real impact of Millennial voters that we think is worth exploring.

“In 2008 the percentage of young people who showed up at the Republican Iowa Caucus was 11% of all voters. This time around it was 15%—and just about half of those voters caucused for Ron Paul and gave him the boost he needs to stay in the race. Put it this way: according to CIRCLE, The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, more young voters caucused for Ron Paul than ALL the votes Michele Bachmann received. One also can't help but wonder, if young folks didn't come out to vote for Ron, where would he rank in the Iowa caucuses?”

Where indeed… Looking several months ahead, what impact will young voters have on not only deciding who the Republican party candidate will be, but also who the next President will be?

Silence is Golden

As members of the generation known for being tech savvy, plugged in 24/7 and always first in line for the next “big” tech gadget it was almost shocking to read a piece by Pico Iyer in The New York Times forecasting that the new trend of “finding stillness” is quickly gaining momentum among the next generation. “In barely one generation we’ve moved from exulting in the time-saving devices that have so expanded our lives to trying to get away from them — often in order to make more time. The more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug.”

Iyer cites numerous examples of this growing trend such as the rise of “black hole” resorts where guests have no choice but to disconnect from the electronic world, or the growing popularity of Freedom software that allows users the ability to self-install specific applications to prevent themselves from opening certain “time-eating” websites such as Facebook or Gmail for a predetermined amount of time.

While finding more “time” for oneself is a common goal for many, it is particularly interesting to see what will happen as the next generation struggles to find the balance between freedom resulting from increased connectivity and freedom from that very same tie with technology.

Top Trends for 2012

Countdown lists and trend predictions were everywhere leading up to the New Year… YPulse created one of the more interesting lists as it relates to the next generation that you should be sure to check out!

Here’s a quick breakdown of the top five trends they see shaping up in 2012:

• Trend #1: Music Ownership Is Over
• Trend #2: Cord Cutting And Cutting Back Becomes The Reality
• Trend #3: We’ll See What Works With Mobile Shopping Tools
• Trend #4: Students Will Be Toting Tablets
• Trend #5: Twitter Takes Over

What trends do you see happening in your network for the new year?

Each week, we’ll cull the interwebs for the most relevant articles, videos and commentary about Millennials and social change, and then present them right here in a weekly round-up. It’s not to say we won’t also provide our own fresh content and perspectives throughout the week, because we will—as will our provocative and savvy Social Citizen Ambassadors. But you can view this space as a central repository for all of the great stuff that’s filling our newsfeeds, twitter feeds, and Facebook streams.

We’ll do the curating for you, just come by and pay us a visit – and drop a comment every now and then to let us know how we’re doing and what we’re missing. And now for this week’s round-up…

Millennials to business: Social responsibility isn’t optional

Earlier this week, Michelle Nunn, CEO of the Points of Light Institute, cautioned businesses and organizations across the country to sit up and take notice of the changes that Millennials are driving in the workforce in an article for The Washington Post. Nunn believes that, “As consumers, employees and entrepreneurs, Millennials are shifting the norms of corporate America’s conduct, ethical imperatives and purpose.” It is clear that over the course of the next decade that Millennials cannot be ignored by the corporate sector, and those that do will be quick to pay the price. The inevitable “change” for companies is both internal and external—Millennials will continue to gain an increasing amount of consumer power relative to their spending and similarly over time they will take on more and more leadership roles within organizations.

At Social Citizens, we are actively engaging others in this dialogue about Millennial-driven change within organizations and we welcome your thoughts on this. Have you seen any examples of companies that are embracing this shift? As for companies that have not already started discussing this issue, how do you think they should respond?

What could you do with $40?

No matter what political party you affiliate yourself with or not, all Americans who receive a paycheck are looking at a $1,000 tax hike because Congress did not approve a proposed payroll tax cut extension. If Congress does not act to approve the extension before January 1, 2012—which is very likely—the average American would see a $1,000 tax hike take place. Broken down, that $1,000 will cost the typical family about $1,000 a year, or $40 per paycheck. Also to consider, since payroll taxes are only collected on the first $106,800 of income, as noted by ABC News, “cutting the rate has the greatest impact on low and middle income earners, groups that tend to spend the largest proportion of their income.”

You may have seen an outpouring of responses from concerned citizens via social media, and in particular twitter using the #40dollars hashtag. The White House launched this initiative in the hopes of striking a chord with Congressman who seem unable to agree on the extension. The Washington Post reported that “Opponents of the payroll tax cut dismiss its impact by insisting $40 isn’t a lot of money,” David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser wrote in an email to supporters, “but that’s not the case for many families who are already working hard to make ends meet. Forty dollars buys a tank of gas or a fridge and pantry full of groceries. It covers a water bill or the cost of a prescription.”

What does $40 mean to you?

Failure is the name of the game

Jeff Stibel, Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Credibility Corp. recently posted in the Harvard Business Review blog about the importance of acknowledging and accepting failure—in one’s life and one’s work. For anyone this can be a challenging concept to embrace, especially for Millennials who are either just starting out in their careers or entering into a leadership role on their career path. Contrary to what I would say many believe about “failure” and what that failure says about someone, Stibel notes that “If you're not failing every now and then, you're probably not advancing. Mistakes are the predecessors to both innovation and success, so it is important to celebrate mistakes as a central component of any culture.”

As CEO of his company, Stibel has come to realize that “When you make a mistake, you're forced to look back and find out exactly where you went wrong, and formulate a new plan for your next attempt. By contrast, when you succeed, you don't always know exactly what you did right that made you successful (often, it's luck).”

 

And, that's where we've rounded out this week, but stay tuned and let us know your favorite picks and "wish I wrote this" moments. We're excited to reengage and look forward to making 2012 the year of the Social Citizen.

Fellows Friday is a weekly series on the TED Blog that profiles one TED Fellow each week. We have asked the Fellows to answer our question below to share their knowledge and advice with other social entrepreneurs, innovators, and changemakers who are coming up with big ideas that can change the world. Read past Fellows' answers here.

Anab Jain's design studio Superflux envisions a future where the blind are given ultraviolet vision and invasive species are engineered to combat the effects of climate change. Read on to learn more about her perspective on our not-too-distant future.

Question: There are many aspiring social entrepreneurs out there who are trying to take their passion and ideas to the next level. What is one piece of advice you would give to them based on your own experiences and successes?

Answer:  You don’t have to be this fresh-faced 21-year-old to be an entrepreneur. If you have an idea, you can go with it at any time. Also, talk to everybody. You don’t know who might be interested in your idea, and you need to be looking for resources in places that you might not otherwise have considered.

Read the rest of Anab's answers here.

 

 

 

“The future of the world rests with women,” according to Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo Worldwide. Nooyi explained that more than 70% of the world’s buying power is controlled by women, and therein lies a new source of power. She believes this power is enhanced through mediums such as social media and blogging, democratizing information and amplifying women’s voices.

While an interesting point, Nooyi’s emphasis in her keynote at this month’s BlogHer11 conference was less about thought-provoking stats, and more about urging attendees to challenge their notion of today’s societal norms of power, success, and social good. Her message was simple and empowering—these are tough times for everyone, and we all must strive to embrace a “can-do attitude with a must-do responsibility” by not limiting ourselves in thinking about what is possible.

For many, Nooyi’s remarks served as welcome affirmation. Their power came not only from the idea that an internationally renowned company like PepsiCo can in fact do well and do good at the same time; but that more importantly, an individual can do well and do good at the same time without sacrificing success.

Nooyi also shared how she finds balance between performance and purpose as CEO of the second largest company in the world, mother of two, and a Social Citizen. For Nooyi, combining performance and purpose, both professionally and personally, is critical for success. She cautioned that you cannot have one without the other. The secret to her success — the Five C’s:

1) Be Curious: Don’t be a generalist! To stand out, you need to excel in specific areas that appeal to you, so become a lifelong student continually seeking new information.

2) Have Courage and Confidence: You can be the smartest, most capable person when it comes to a specific subject, but if you are unwilling to share ideas or stand up for them, then why does it matter?

3) Refine your Communication Skills: Nooyi reflected on a required communications class she took at Yale (failed the first time, but went on to pass) as a turning point for her when she realized the importance of being able to clearly communicate ideas.

4) Be Consistent: Here Nooyi noted it is perfectly acceptable to change one’s mind from time to time, but you must do so within a consistent framework so as not to be inconsistent or irrational in your decision-making.

5) Never Lose Your Moral Compass: The most important “C” reminds us to always follow one’s internal compass to know what is “right” and to make the “right” decisions – if one does not, Nooyi warns everything else will come crashing down.

Being a social citizen in business and in life is an ideal that Nooyi strives to achieve. She acknowledged that it is not always easy to do so, and may not always lead to profits, but anything else would fall short of true success.

What do you think about Nooyi’s Five C’s and philosophy? Do you have any “rules” for success? How do you balance performance and purpose?

Today MTV launched Act.MTV.com. The pro-social website seeks to engage its readers on many different levels by using unexpected approaches that resonate with the younger generation. MTV believes that “every action counts,” and hopes that Act will help motivate its audience to take action around the issues that matter to them. The question on everyone's mind will be whether or not MTV’s audience will be able to move from shows such as Jersey Shore to taking action in defense of animals losing their habitats?

The website will cover many different issues, including: digital health, jobs, social innovation, sexual abuse and education, just to name a few. Visiting the site you will find stories on everything from pop culture’s intersection with the pro-social and “how-to” columns focused on topics such as recycling, voting, volunteering and petitions; to “day in the life” style pieces focused on a young nonprofit leader and the work that they are doing. Being MTV of course, the creators are also developing connections to music, such as creating video playlists for issues.

Act.MTV.com hopes to spark action among youth by fulfilling three key roles:

• Digital Presence:  Promote simple and quick ways for people to get involved with social issues that are relevant to its audience.

• Stories:  Celebrate the stories of young people, celebrities and nonprofits that are making an impact on pressing social issues. As master storytellers, MTV is in a unique position to share personal and provocative stories with its audience like no other.

• Matchmaker:  Connect those who may be disengaged with the organizations, people and tools that they need to help them take action.

With integration of the site across multiple MTV platforms, including: MTV news, mobile, events, consumer products, and the social web, I believe Act.MTV.com’s messages will have a pretty good chance of getting to the right people. According to Act’s creators, they want the site to be, “informative without being preachy, and integrate humor and creativity where possible… when we do critique, we focus on solutions, not the problem.”

Think Again?

This is not MTV’s first foray into the online activism space. MTV launched a website called Think.MTV.com in 1997 that according to Reuters, was “designed to be a resource for social and political issues, aiming to inform as well as let users connect with other like-minded people on issues from the environment to sexual health and discrimination.” Several foundations helped MTV develop this site, including the Case Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Amelior Foundation. The site is still live, but with the launch of Act.MTV.com it appears that MTV is trying a new approach to engaging its audience—and if all goes well an entire generation.

Lesson Learned

MTV debuted in 1981 and in those formative years was a very different beast than today’s MTV—as are its viewers. In particular, MTV’s hold on, and influence of, the younger audience has appeared to wane at times as audiences changed. MTV Networks chief executive, Judy McGrath was quoted in a recent New York Times piece as saying that MTV “should be the ‘forever young network,’ [but] had clung to Generation X a little too long, some believed, at the expense of the Millennials.”

It is clear that MTV is actively reinventing itself to better reach Millennials. Through MTV’s research about the Millennial generation, MTV spokespeople noted that “teenagers and twentysomethings nowadays were less rebellious than those in the past. They are not rebelling against their parents so much as they are watching TV with their parents.” With research in hand, MTV is keen on reworking itself, including its shows, and from the look of it, Act.MTV.com.

The Right Place, Right Time?

I think MTV is on to something here and that there is great potential for Act to really resonate with younger generations. The site is fresh, engaging and does what it sets out to do... all while keeping things somewhat entertaining, light and maintaining the fundamental essence of MTV.

Have you visited the site? What do you think of Act?  Is Act's belief that "every action counts" valid?  Is there value in promoting small acts of good, or is this just a way to placate Millennials and the younger generation?

This month marks the 10^th anniversary of National Mentoring Month (NMM). Created by the Harvard School of Public Health and MENTOR, NMM draws much needed attention to the need for mentors, and celebrates how we can work together to help young people from all walks of life find their own success. We at Social Citizens have noted time and time again the importance of having a mentor(s) and cultivating that relationship for both personal and professional successes.

We turned to iMentor, a special group that facilitates mentoring relationships using a unique combination of email exchanges and in-person meetings, for tips on how to create a meaningful and lasting mentoring relationship. This year, iMentor is serving 1,800 high school students in New York City and bringing its online program nationwide through partnerships with schools and nonprofits in over 20 states.

This special two-part blog post (visit CaseFoundation.org next week) pays tribute to both mentors and mentees in honor of NMM and explores the evolving nature of mentoring relationships. 

What are some of the greatest challenges for young people, who may want a mentor, but do not know how to find one or may not even know that an outlet such as mentoring exists?

All young people—regardless of their race, class, gender, ethnicity or location—need people to guide them through making informed decisions. The two of us believe that adults have a responsibility to make mentoring a visible part of our lives. Successful adults often feel that they need to appear self-sufficient, even when this isn’t the case. 

Neither one of us has ever met anyone who had achieved success without the help of a support network. Adults need to spread the message that no one should face life’s challenges alone. As this message becomes clearer, mentoring will become more a more visible thread in the fabric of American culture.

At iMentor, we primarily serve first-generation college students and recent immigrants with limited financial resources. This population faces many difficult academic, financial, social and emotional challenges. Without relationships to college-educated adults, they face a disproportionate risk of not finishing high school and never entering college.

The lifestyle of a young adult now is markedly different from that of older mentors when they were at the same age… for example there are different academic pressures, technology opportunities and social networks to contend with these days.  Do you think that mentoring relationships can still be successful despite these “differences” in experience? 

Technology is developing at lightning speed, and we have even observed differences between mentees in their teens and mentors in their mid-twenties.  Regardless, we have found that inter-generational mentoring can be very successful. The key is for mentors and mentees to embrace their differences and recognize their respective strengths. Differences often provide great learning opportunities. 

When inter-generational conflicts arise, we encourage our mentors to find out what their mentees are experts in (such as sports or social media). We then coach our mentors to let their mentees teach them about what they know. This makes mentees feel great, and actually helps them bond with their mentors.

Age is just one of the many differences that can exist in mentoring relationships. The key to negotiating difference is refusing to be intimidated by it. Instead of ignoring difference, recognize it and commit to viewing it as a learning opportunity. Mentoring can be a great way to gain exposure to new cultures, experiences and viewpoints. This process takes work, but it’s worth it. 

How can prospective mentors and mentees get involved and connect with one another? What should someone interested in mentoring do if there is no established mentoring program in their community?

Students: If you can’t find a mentoring program in your community, look for a mentor among the adults in your life.

• Create a list of the adults you know who care about you and make it your goal to build closer relationships with them.
• Be creative!  Your teachers, coaches and pastors are all potential mentors. 
• The key is to find someone you admire and trust. 

Grown-ups:  If there isn’t a mentoring program in your area, you can still be a mentor. Do you know a young person who could use your support? If so, reach out and begin building a relationship. If you don’t know where to start, contact a school, church or community group in your area to find out how to volunteer.

Why not get your friends involved and start your own mentoring program? Today is a perfect opportunity to make a difference!

If you live in NYC or in a city where an iMentor Interactive partner operates, sign up to become a mentor today.  If iMentor isn’t in your area, MENTOR is a great organization that provides information about mentoring opportunities nationwide.   

 

Special thanks to iMentor’s Brooke Bryant, Development Manager; Ellen Mahoney, Director of Volunteers; and Unique Fraser, Director of Curricula for contributing to this piece.

This interview is part of our "Social Citizen Sightings" series, in which we highlight how people are using their creativity, idealism, and digital fluency to support their causes every day. In 2008, Rocco Falconer planted a seed in Sierra Leone and from it grew the organization Planting Promise. The nonprofit provides an opportunity for local people from Sierra Leone to provide for their families and communities by linking education with profit-making enterprises. At the age of 22, Falconer is not only the founder and CEO of this organization, but he is making a difference in the lives of thousands.

1)      What drove you to start Planting Promise?

Falconer:  Travelling to some of the poorest parts of the world made me aware of two things. Firstly, how awful, and also unfair poverty is. The second was the inadequacy of the responses by people trying to help. NGOs, with the best intentions, didn’t seem wholly relevant to the problems they faced. They weren’t making the real and lasting change Africa really needs.

This dissatisfaction stayed with me when I travelled to Sierra Leone in June 2008. I didn’t go with a plan to start a project; I just wanted to see what Sierra Leone was like. When I arrived I was struck by the poverty: the highest infant mortality in the world, desperate inadequacy of the education services; huge unemployment. But on the other hand I saw the enormous opportunity amongst the poverty: a huge number of people willing and desperate to work, arable farmland going to waste in a nation that can’t feed itself, and the most delicious tropical fruit that ends up rotting in the streets.

I met with a local philanthropist, Eddie Boston-Mammah. We thought that charity, or the provision of free services, was not enough to make a lasting change. It creates dependence and doesn’t make people free. But at the same time, there was a desperate shortage in the provision of free education. So we came up with the idea of running a school on the profits from businesses: making progress dependent on the success of the business would also be an incentive for profitable growth.

2)      The model Planting Promise operates on is an innovative one – what did the participating farmers think when you and Eddie first approached them with this opportunity. What obstacles or reservations did your team have to overcome during those early days?

Falconer:  For the farmers, our arrival was a bolt from the blue: we turned up one day in a battered old car. Some of these villages were so remote they had never seen a white man before, so the first response was always surprise!

There was practically nothing in these villages. Farming is subsistence. In a bad year they go hungry. And now, most of the young people in the villages are leaving to seek their fortune in the city, leaving the villages understaffed and depressed, and leaving a time bomb for the country.

So we said: farm for us. We’ll provide the tools, wages, seeds and bags. We’ll organize getting the equipment in, and the crops out. We’ll give you 22% of the profits. The rest, we’ll use to fund our schools. And we’ll try to bring education and genuine economic opportunity into the villages in return.

Almost universally, the people we asked were delighted. We were offering income, and uses for their land that would otherwise go to waste. We offered prospects for the future and made commitments to helping their children.

3)      Can you highlight some of the progress that Planting Promise has made since it first started?

Falconer:  It has been a tough journey; we’ve lacked equipment, skills, funds, expertise. We’ve bootstrapped our way through, and because farming is quite a slow game, when you make a mistake you pay for it over months and months.

But our business is bringing prosperity to the villages. More importantly it’s bringing aspiration and education. We started in June 2008 with nothing. It was me and Eddie, and we hopped into taxis and drove around Freetown discussing the best way to make a lasting change.

• We’ve gone from one school to four schools: from 160 children being educated every day by Planting Promise, to 550.
• We’ve got an adult education center that teaches illiterate women literacy, numeracy and vocational skills.
• We’re building a secondary school so that our primary school children have a place to go after they finish.
• We’ve started three major businesses to fund the running costs of our schools.
• From one small farm, we’ve gone to six large farms. We farm the two major staples, rice and cassava, and we’ve just laid down our newest farm of peppers, chillies, okra, aubergine and cucumbers.
• We’ve started a food processing factory outside the capital, Freetown, to add value to our crops, give us a permanent source of income all year round, and to allow us to produce more nutritional food sources for the Freetown market.
• We have an internet café and computer learning center in Freetown to generate profits.

4)      What advice would you give to other young individuals who seek to create change either on a small or large scale, in their own neighborhoods or internationally?

Falconer:  The most important piece of advice is that nothing beats optimism! You’ve got to keep your spirits up, because you will fail and you’ve got to learn to bounce back, even though it’s often difficult. Cliched, but true!

So what I would say to a young person is be prepared to explore, be prepared to go down lots of roads and accept that some of them will be cul-de-sacs! But as long as you keep your mind fixed on what might be possible, and approach problems with humility as well as enough strength in your own convictions that you can drive change; then, as I have learnt from those I help and those that help me: nothing is impossible!  

5)      What are your goals for 2011 and beyond? How can people support Planting Promise?

Falconer:  2011 should be a very big year for us. We’re on course to be fully financially sustainable by the end of it, meaning we would not rely on donations to fund any of the payments we make to our teachers.

The most important item on our agenda at the moment is to complete the building of our first ever Secondary School. There are only three free secondary schools in the whole of Sierra Leone, and ours would be the fourth.

To learn how you can support the efforts of Planting Promise visit its website or Facebook page.

When news outlets confirmed that Prince William and Kate Middleton were engaged, I have to admit, it broke my heart just a little bit. My relationship with Prince William is a complicated one. You see, it did not really start to take shape until his mother, Princess Diana passed away in dramatic fashion in 1997. It was on this day that most felt sympathy, compassion and adoration—not for Prince William and his brother Prince Harry—but rather, for two young boys who had just lost their mother.

Enter Kate Middleton, who as of this past October is perhaps better known as Prince William's fiance. With the recent flurry of photos and online articles about Will and Kate’s (we’re on a first name basis now) engagement, it’s a reminder that time has not stood still for the last 13 years. For many, Will has “grown up” in front of our eyes, and now he (and Kate) are forging their own identities—which includes being a Millennial. They are by no means your average Millennials of course, but they are most definitely Millennials in many respects. Looking at them from this perspective has dramatically changed our relationship and the way I look at them, and their futures.

Channeling Sherlock Holmes

Pondering the fate of the future “Millennial royal family” I began to wonder what that label just might mean for them, for their generation and for their country. Knowing that one day they may be King and Queen of England, how might their Millennial characteristics impact their decisions? Similarly, while I’m not holding my breath for the engaged couple to take the Social Citizens Quiz, I do wonder how Will and Kate measure up when it comes to being Millennial models of Social Citizenship?

Advice Fit for Royalty

When the Social Citizens report was released in 2008, there were several important and unanswered questions about Millennials and how they operate as Social Citizens. There are no right or wrong answers to these questions per se, and they remain unanswered to this day. Looking at the questions with fresh eyes, I think Will and Kate are in a unique position—as Millennials, as Social Citizens and as royalty—to respond. 

What do you think they might say if posed the following questions taken from the Social Citizens paper? How might the answers impact their choices and decisions?

• Is Access Granted or Taken? A generation of young people accustomed to immediate, open access in most areas has been effectively shut out of public decision making on issues and policies that affect their lives. Can older people and organizations rectify this situation, or do young people simply need to stop waiting to be asked to the dance?

• Are Bubble Cultures Inescapable? Social networking, technology and cultural shifts are quickly changing the way we communicate and interact with one another. Today’s world is focused on “homogenous networks, and self-organizing magnifies cliques.” The views of young people are therefore likely to be shaped almost entirely by their closest relations and friends. There is very little chance that they will come to fresh, unfettered opinions about issues on their own within these boundaries. With the almost ubiquitous use and prevalence of social networks, how can we prevent living in a “bubble culture?”

• Does Government Really Matter? We are witnessing “a generational shift in which young citizens tend to express areas of interest and concern, but often see those interests as unconnected, or even negatively related to government.” While Millennials are pragmatic and not prone to extreme ideologies, they are left without an overarching political philosophy to guide their interest in or opinion of government affairs. They have a sense of futility about political involvement, particularly with regard to changing policy—the kinds of strategies tried by their parents with little or no societal impact. How has this impacted how policymaking incorporates the perspective of young people?

• Can Institutions Survive? Should They? In their professional lives, Millennials are wary of institutions, even when they run them. They crave genuine relations, and can instinctively sense when they aren’t there. How will this influence the current and future development of institutions?

Modern Day Millennials

These questions are inherently difficult to answer and illustrate key issues that Millennials will continue to face as their generation ages. While Will and Kate are the subject of today’s post, the issues are relevant to all Millennials who are already embedded in leadership roles and paths and who will one day be the kings and queens, presidents, parents, justices, CEOs and teachers who shape our world.

How will these issues of access, culture, government and institutionalism evolve and will they continue to be challenges for the Millennial generation? How do you think members of other generations might help influence or cultivate social citizenship among Millennials?

 

Photo by Mario Testino/Clarence House Press Office via Getty Images

MTV launched Act.MTV.com today. The pro-social website seeks to engage its readers on many different levels by using unexpected approaches that resonate with the younger generation. MTV believes that “every action counts,” and hopes that Act will help motivate its audience to take action around the issues that matter to them. 

The website will cover many different issues, including: digital health, jobs, social innovation, sexual abuse and education, just to name a few. Visiting the site you will find stories on everything from pop culture’s intersection with the pro-social and “how-to” columns focused on topics such as recycling, voting, volunteering and petitions; to “day in the life” style pieces focused on a young nonprofit leader and the work that they are doing. Being MTV of course, the creators are also developing connections to music, such as creating video playlists for issues.

Act.MTV.com hopes to spark action among youth by fulfilling three key roles:

• Digital Presence:  Promote simple and quick ways for people to get involved with social issues that are relevant to its audience.

• Stories:  Celebrate the stories of young people, celebrities and nonprofits that are making an impact on pressing social issues. As master storytellers, MTV is in a unique position to share personal and provocative stories with its audience like no other.

• Matchmaker:  Connect those who may be disengaged with the organizations, people and tools that they need to help them take action.

With integration of the site across multiple MTV platforms, including: MTV news, mobile, events, consumer products, and the social web, I believe Act.MTV.com’s messages will have a pretty good chance of getting to the right people. According to Act’s creators, they want the site to be, “informative without being preachy, and integrate humor and creativity where possible… when we do critique, we focus on solutions, not the problem.”

Think Again?

This is not MTV’s first foray into the online activism space. MTV launched a website called Think.MTV.com in 1997 that according to Reuters, was “designed to be a resource for social and political issues, aiming to inform as well as let users connect with other like-minded people on issues from the environment to sexual health and discrimination.” Several foundations helped MTV develop this site, including the Case Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Goldhirsh Foundation and MCJ Amelior Foundation. The site is still live, but with the launch of Act.MTV.com it appears that MTV is trying a new approach to engaging its audience—and if all goes well an entire generation.

Time to Move On?

Looking at the bigger picture, MTV debuted in 1981 and in those formative years was a very different beast than today’s MTV—as are its viewers. In particular, MTV’s hold on, and influence of, the younger audience has appeared to slip. MTV Networks chief executive, Judy McGrath was quoted in a recent New York Times piece as saying that MTV “should be the ‘forever young network,’ [but] had clung to Generation X a little too long, some believed, at the expense of the Millennials.”

Lesson learned. MTV has been actively reinventing itself to better reach Millennials. Through MTV’s research about the Millennial generation, MTV spokespeople noted that “teenagers and twentysomethings nowadays were less rebellious than those in the past. They are not rebelling against their parents so much as they are watching TV with their parents.” With research in hand, MTV is keen on reworking itself, including its shows, and from the look of it, Act.MTV.com.

The Right Place, Right Time?

I think MTV is on to something here and that there is great potential for Act to really resonate with younger generations. The site is fresh, engaging and does what it sets out to do, all while keeping things somewhat entertaining, light and maintaining the fundamental essence of MTV.

Have you visited the site? What do you think of Act? Do you think MTV’s audience will be able to move from shows such as Jersey Shore to taking action in defense of animals losing their habitat? Is there value in promoting small acts of good, or is this just a way to placate Millennials and the younger generation? Is Act's belief that "every action counts" valid?

The holidays are in the air again - but they're also online. From Yeshiva University's the Maccabeat and their viral YouTube sensation, Candlelight - which has nearly 2.5 million hits - to the holiday favorite "Elf Yourself," getting into the holiday spirit at your laptop, on your iPad or on your phone has never been easier. And with social media, the smart, fun and charitable ways to enjoy the season are getting better every year.

These are some of our favorite ways to do the holidays like a social citizen:

1. Cash in when you check in.

Retailers are going way beyond Sunday circulars and email ads. This holiday season stores are using geolocation platforms to reward customers and perhaps attract a younger, more techie clientele. Radio Shack has created a Holiday Hero badge on Foursquare, which allows users to earn a 20% discount by unlocking the badge through the end of the year. On Facebook, Sears has adapted a Groupon model and is posting daily deals on its Facebook page, which will go live once it receives enough likes (but you have to like Sears first to see the deals). Other stores like American Eagle and Zales give foursquare users a discount just for checking in.

2. Give a gift that gives back.

Holiday gifts that delight the people on your list but also benefit a cause have been around for a few years, but the variety, quality and convenience of gifts that give back is greater than ever before. Philosophy bath products have a "shop for a cause" line this season, which includes varieties like "shower for a cure" which benefits the Women's Cancer Research Fund and "sweet to the core" which benefits educational programming on PBS. Or give the gift of fashionable rain gear with Kenneth Cole's Electric Rain Boot, which benefits The Awareness Fund and supports HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. For more ideas, check out lists from Change.org, Philanthropy 411, Forbes and Daily Candy.

3. Download a helpful holiday app.

My Jewish friends were able to light the menorah no matter where they were with the iMenorah (or any one of about 50 Hanukkah-themed available apps). Bargain shoppers can also use apps like Shop Savvy to compare prices without all the legwork, and MobiQpons gives you access to local coupons on your phone, which you can search and show to your cashier when you're ready to check out.   The new app Shopkick allows shoppers to earn points which are redeemable for merchandise by checking in at stores, walking around and scanning item barcodes. The holidays have never been so convenient.

4. Go on a holiday social media scavenger hunt.

With their Gifts on the Go, Gowalla is giving away a number of prizes every day through Christmas to users who check in at secret locations - the more you check in, the greater your odds of winning a gift. Their adorable advent calendar lets you peak at the gifts coming down the pipe, but December 25 is still a big secret! As a closet baker and holiday treat aficionado, I can't resist listing a holiday promotion by New York cupcakery Baked by Melissa. The mini-cupcake shop has hidden 31 gift certificates throughout New York City and is posting clues on their facebook page every day to help fans hunt down the golden tickets. They're also encouraging winners to post photos and videos of their delicious discoveries.

5. Shop at the (online) angel tree.

Over the last 40 years, many families, offices and groups of friends have participated in the tradition of shopping for kids from the angel tree, but for many, the tradition may have fallen off as they have gotten busy and done more of their shopping on the web. Last year, the Salvation Army and JCPenney teamed up to offer this holiday tradition online, so you can still give back without fighting the mall traffic - but hurry the deadline is December 10!

6. Simply give up the gifts.

With many nonprofits still struggling to through tighter economic times, the holiday giving tradition makes a big difference for these organizations and the causes and people they serve. Social media standout charity:water is encouraging people to give up the gifts we don't really need and ask people to contribute to drinking water instead. Whether you're passionate about clean water or something else, consider trading your gifts under the tree for support of your cause.

7. Give a little and get a little.

Gap's Want campaign presents a win-win for social media users who want to shop and do good at the same time. Their videos feature celebrities like model Lauren Bush and actor Ryan Kwanten dressed in Gap favorites and talking about giving in the holiday season. For each "like" their videos receives on Facebook, they'll donate $1 to nonprofits like Women for Women and the FEED Foundation. When you "like" their campaign, you also receive a code phrase that will get you 30% off one item.

How else are you doing the holidays like a social citizen?