Why Embrace “Social Citizenship”

Millennials are hands-on “experience seekers” who don’t trust the reporting of others. They want to experience change, to touch and feel it, and they want a menu of options for acting now and seeing results in real time for real people.

Nina Rappaport always remembers having social causes in her life. Her parents volunteered at her school and the local hospital. At Horace Greeley High School in the suburbs of New York City, she has vivid memories of helping solicit donations and giving out pink ribbons during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

It’s important to remember, however, that not all Millennials are Social Citizens, and not all Social Citizens are Millennials. But there are many overlapping characteristics that shape Social Citizen activism as practiced by Millennials.

Her school and volunteer activities further blurred in college at Florida State University. Causes came and went quickly, just as classes did, but she always made time to give blood at the annual blood drive. Now 20 years old, Nina is thinking of going to graduate school to become certified as a high school guidance counselor.

“I want a job that makes me feel selfless, and makes me feel like I’m doing some good in the world,” she said. She continues to give blood and support breast cancer awareness, but, like many of her friends, Nina isn’t registered to vote. “The system is so corrupt my vote isn’t going to change it,” she says. “Nothing is going to ever change politically.”

What’s remarkable is that this story is not unique; versions of it were commonly repeated by Millennials interviewed for this paper. This is because Nina represents a burgeoning activist archetype called the Social Citizen.

Social Citizens are energetic and passionate about social causes; brimming with new approaches and ideas for problem-solving; disposed toward sharing the responsibilities and rewards of affecting change in the world; and equipped with the digital tools and people power to make it happen.

Social Citizens are unique in comparison to older generations of activists, not only because of the way they work but because of the ends they are trying to achieve. With a passion for community building and democracy, Social Citizens use their zeal for change in a variety of settings. These include traditional activism areas, like environmentalism and health causes.

But their energies also extend to the creation and shaping of their own entertainment culture, and increasingly for political campaigns—although generally not for government or policy efforts. The context of the activism, which is largely conducted online, matters far less than the process and the results realized by collective efforts.

It’s important to remember, however, that not all Millennials are Social Citizens, and not all Social Citizens are Millennials. But there are many overlapping characteristics that shape Social Citizen activism as practiced by Millennials. The following are open-ended, still-evolving aspects of the Millennial Generation that will help better guide an understanding of them.