Jennelle.

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Other videos related to our Topic...Good Watch.

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Media shapes our society. It sends us messages of the “mythical norm”. This is the idea of what is ‘right’ and things that deviate are othered. The norm is based on characteristics of gender, race, sexual orientation, age, religion, ethnicity, etc. Media also reinforces our values and defines who we are as a nation. We become unconscious consumers of these biases. Dangerously news sources present themselves as unbiased truth in the world of media. Just as you will question my subjectivity in my writing which is shaped by my identity, we must also do the same of our news sources. The mythical norm identity behind our news and media is that of a white cis-gendered wealthy christian man. This view is now subjective based on that identity and can no longer be viewed as an unbiased universal truth.

David Goldberg’s Racist Culture argues that racial discourse may be interpreted as aversive, academic, scientific, legalistic, bureaucratic, economic, cultural, linguistic, religion, mythical, or ideological. Racism can be perpetuated in all of these ways whether blatant or not. Social media helps hold these things in place by creating and reinforcing mythical and ideological racism. If we are constantly fed bias information that’s portrayed as fact wouldn’t we think it’s true?

As issues of crime and race again came into the national spotlight during the 1990s, many social scientists and communications scholars sought to study the portrayal of racial minorities within news media. Numerous studies documented the high rate at which people of color were typically portrayed as violent or dangerous in newspapers and television. A study in Los Angeles found that 37% of the suspects portrayed on television news stories about crime were black, although blacks made up only 21% of those arrested in the city. Another study found that whites represented 43% of homicide victims in the local news, but only 13% of homicide victims in crime reports. And while only 10% of victims in crime reports were whites who had been victimized by blacks, these crimes made up 42% of televised cases. These disparities exist nationwide and are greatest when the victim’s race is taken into consideration.

This bias in reporting then creates a bias in society as a whole. It makes consumers uniformed and hold prejudices against people of color. The Washington Post recently pointed to a 2012 study in Florida comparing two telephone polls on perceptions of crime with actual crime statistics. The study found that the white respondents regularly overestimated the percentage of black people who commit crimes, saying 50 percent of criminals involved in violent crime were black when the actual percentage was closer to 20 percent.

Crime coverage also betrays subtler racial differences. A study of television news found that black crime suspects were presented in more threatening contexts than whites: black suspects were disproportionately shown in mug shots and in cases where the victim was a stranger. Black and Latino suspects were also more often presented in a non-individualized way than whites – by being left unnamed – and were more likely to be shown as threatening – by being depicted in physical custody of police. This visual bias is also apparent in how black victims are represented, so much in fact that the black community took to twitter with the hashtag #Iftheygunmedown.

Outlets from Breitbart, to Fox News to The New York Post to NewsMax dedicated considerable time to smearing Eric Garner as a “career criminal” who somehow caused his own death by resisting arrest. As Managing Director of the Drug Policy Alliance Sharda Sekaran noted in the Huffington Post at a news conference discussing the preliminary findings of an autopsy following Bland’s alleged suicide at the Waller County Jail in Texas last week, officials placed heavy emphasis on marijuana reported to be found in the young woman’s system. Why this emphasis? What does this have to do with widespread demands for accountability around the circumstances of her death?

They divert attention away from racial issues in american and further polarizes people. They create conflict amongst “consumers” so things can’t be achieved in changing the systemic issues in America. People of color aren’t given excuses even if dehumanizing videos of their deaths and assaults are on display.

The language used in media has had pervasive impact in our society.

[consumerclapback]

Terrorism & The Media

When we think of terrorism what are the first things that come to your mind? 9/11 attacks? America? White people? Christopher Columbus? Paris attacks? While many people perceive terrorism differently, we all have an understanding of what it entails and how it affects not only victims of terrorist attacks and community residents, but it affects the entire country.

Let’s first define what terrorism is. “Terrorism has been described variously as both a tactic and strategy; a crime and a holy duty; a justified reaction to oppression and an inexcusable abomination” (Terrorism Research). While terrorist attacks are considered both violent and cruel, it is often always considered “inexcusable”. What many people today, especially here in the United States are not aware of, is that terrorist attacks occur on a daily basis. These attacks are not known to citizens of the United States because media coverage of these events are not recorded or shown throughout media outlets. Is this a good thing or bad thing? Many people would argue that it is bad, especially people who identify strongly with these events or people who are victims of these attacks. Others would argue that it is a good thing because they will often feel “depressed” by listening to the ongoing attacks that occur each and everyday. One thing we should know for sure is that even though media coverage can sometimes be biased, it is important for the individual to research the facts.

 If you are a millennial, you know that probably the most terrifying terrorist attacks that was closest to our homeland were the 9/11 attacks. From my experience, the attack felt surreal like something from a war/crime thriller film and I was one of those people running in the background from all the madness. Being really close to the attacks, in Jersey City, I remember seeing the twin towers collapsing from my eyes. It was something that scarred me for life seeing terrorism firsthand.

Now those of you who are reading this might not say the same. Maybe some of you are from different parts of the world that have experience attacks form terrorism to a greater extent. This post is for you guys, allowing your voices to be heard from the brutal and violent crimes that happen in front of your homes everyday.

Now, to give you guys a general background on the most brutal terrorist attacks (according to Elist10), so that you guys are familiar with that has occurred in the past

1.     9/11 attacks in the United States

2.     Piazza Fontana Bombing in Italy

3.     Dubrovka Thearte Siege in Russa

4.     Beirut Barracks Bombing in Lebanon

5.     Ma’le Akrabim massacre in Isreal

6.     Airliner Explision in the Phillpphines

7.     Menarsha Synagogie Attack in Syria

8.     The Mad Bomber in the United States

9.     British Mandate for Palestine

10.  Wall Street Bombing in the United States

This list was made 2 years ago, so there are probably new things that would be added to the list. However, one thing I do want to point out is how the way they terrorist attacks are covered by media, if at all. What is the role of media when it comes to terrorism? How does it affect terrorist groups and the victims? “Media coverage is a double-edged sword. On the one side it contributes to inform the public about the atrocities committed and serve to raise awareness and support against terrorism and violent acts. On the other hand, media coverage helps these groups instill fear and reach potential supporters far away” (Netivist).

 In a way the U.S media is a platform for terrorists to create fear among people. It also allows terrorist groups like ISIS, a group that is heavily saturated in contemporary media, to build connections with other members across the globe. Due to media, it expands membership among terrorist groups since they are able to promote their attacks through media in different countries. In other cases, it leaves certain people that affected out of the picture. “Like hello? I am affected, how come no one knows about me?”. What kind of age have we come to that U.S media censors and hides information that is vital for us as citizens to understand what is going around the world? In a further post, we will include a video that just tries to answer, Why does the media censor and hide information? Why do they try to sugarcoat brutal events? Why are voices bring unheard of and how these actions give an image that the U.S media is weak? These are just all important questions to discuss in conversation with your teachers, your peers, and activist groups.

Terrorism is a topic that not only we as millennials can heavily identify with regarding the current global terrorism crisis, but it is our duty to speak up about bias in media regarding terrorism and make it noteworthy that U.S media is both biased and censors critical information.

[consumerclapback]

Sensational Media

We all have been there…you know that moment when you are watching the news and some catastrophic event happens to flash after a red and white “BREAKING NEWS!” hits the screen. Something insane happens, like a plane crash, “terroristic event”, a new deadly disease, etc. And each time we see these things the first thing that pops into our heads is, “Am…am I gonna die from this? and then the next logic thing is to say well if I am, how and when? The good news from this bad news is that the media has all the answers and is able to tell you that this particular event, disease or crisis is probably the only thing that you should worry about dying from in the next coming weeks. So what is the cause for this? Well…Media Sensationalism.

John Daly a writer/contributor from BernardGoldberg.com discusses in a piece his brother’s run in with a robber at the grocery he worked out near their home and he explained how when reading about the crime the next day in the paper, it was almost like reading a slightly different thing. Nothing that he read matched what his brother had told him. Instead what he read was almost like a short story. Details were exaggerated for..sensationalism. Well what are the explanations for that. There are a couple of reasons for why media chooses to sensationalize often very sad and devastating stories.

Let’s first talk about the Ebola crisis and how that particular disease was covered. For a while, everyone including myself, (I tend to have moments of germophobia and OCD to things like this so it was inevitable thinking for me) thought that anytime someone that was near us who coughed or breathed on us would give us Ebola. Or if there was even any cough or sniffle that came from our faces that would mean that we would have Ebola and die. With very little known on the disease and how it could affect the American public, reporters started reporting on this as if it were something that was an imminent threat and if we didn’t take heed to what they said we would likely die from it. And a lot of the times in these cases it isn’t so much of what they are talking about but instead the language that is being used. Take this example in the way language was used during the AIDS epidemic:

“Medical detectives are calling it the century’s most virulent epidemic. It is as relentless as leukemia, as contagious as hepatitis, and its cause has eluded researchers for more than two years. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or AIDS, was first seen in homosexual men – particularly those who were promiscuous – but it has now struck so many different groups that its course cannot be predicted…The AIDS patient may survive his first bizarre infection, or his second, but he remains vulnerable to successive infections, one of which is likely to kill him” (NYTimes 1983).

That of course was an example of the AIDS epidemic in the earlier 80s, but this has been a present phenomenon even more now due to the presence of social media. Similar language was used in the way different mediums covered the Ebola crisis so (”Fear of Ebola Breeds Terror For Physicians” (NYTimes 2014)). At this point, how does this go about informing people? Well, it definitely scares people more than it informs. People don’t hear the information and processes it to understand it. The public hears warning signs and starts thinking of ways to protect themselves from something that is unlikely to happen to them. The truth of all of this is, considering the amount of people that live in the US and the resources we have, we were less likely to die from Ebola having never been in contact with people from the places that were had the virus or because we have adequate resources.  To think about the things that we are more likely to die from as the picture below shows, our lives in America, the way we eat, the lack of exercise, the lack of understanding of health in general makes us more vulnerable to the dying ourselves. And that has a lot to do with decisions and choices that we make. And if this is so why does media chose to sensationalize one thing over the other when there are dangers that are more prevalent for us and our lifestyles.

Now lets talk about the capacity at which the news is being distributed to the public. 24 hr news outlets and multiple news sources means that there are many places for people to get news and information especially with the internet. Because of this media outlets have to sensationalize the story to make people want to listen to or watch their news outlets. After something BIG happens there is a influx of people wanting to know and understand and get to know the problem and issue. Media plays on that need for information and will probably repeatedly report on similar stories related to the topic while all eyes are focused on that particular subject. 

Perfect example of this can be seen in the reports on the Malaysian missing airplane fiasco, which created an influx of reports afterward detailing other airplane crashes and issues that were happening around the country or world. Also the  mysterious nature of it made people want to know more. This is another thing that the media does is play on the curiosity of the people watching or taking in these media outlets for the sake of finding out what is going on in the world around them. This subjected the public to a lot of anxiety because of the fact that they were under the impression that this was a recurrent phenomenon that was happening all the time. 

So what does this mean? 

Well…first off journalists could try to use language that does not include too much of the dramatics, why? Well if the language isn’t clear on how things really are, that means that people will get the wrong impression and begin to think the world is over and that we all really are going to die. Which is true…we will all die one day but hopefully not because of a silly plane crash or a virus that is in no proximity of us. You are more likely to do because of a car accident or even getting hit by one, so why are those things so pressing? Media Sensationalism.

If the media has got you concerned about what you are going to die from, below is a very colorful graphic of what that might look like. (P.S. Terrorism isn’t it but the US debt sure does show that the US thinks so.)

[mysweetresistance-blog]

Bias in the Media

Raul, Edressa, and I have decided to take it a bit further from the “How To Be An Activist” we conducted, along with Dimitri. We would like to share how being an activist has “radicalized our minds”, which Shaheena Shahid touched on in our video. We have become hypersensitive to injustice and biases causing us to examine our language as well as others to make sure not to be taking on the role of an oppressor. However, with the current headlines we have been hearing in places such as Paris and how our social media has influenced our perspectives.

Our group will be examining the bias of media in the selective broadcasting of certain issues (global terrorism, violence, brutality, etc). We will also focus on how the language portrayed in the media gives innocence to some while prosecuting another group. As we examine this we will look at how race plays a part in this. Since race is a social construct media is a big part in how it’s upheld. Many stereotypes and misconceptions are developed by socialized ideas that deviate from statistical realities. We will bring specific examples with different mediums of media. We will also examine current events like terrorist attacks in Paris, Baghdad, Palestine, and race issues in America. Our motivation for this topic is to examine how the media generates only specific information and how they use social media to shape peoples views. U.S media and social media platforms focus on producing limited information that focuses on a specific issue in a specific place, without recognizing that those issues are present elsewhere. Our goal is to really examine the role of media in times of terror. And examine what is deemed valuable in the eyes of national news.

With regards to the approach on how we will be exhibiting this information will briefly be discussed with our group tomorrow. We will either focus on writing blog posts or creating a video to make this topic mainstream. We would like to pick out headlines and statements made in real articles and examine the perception they try to create. We will highlight microaggressions and other harmful language. We will compile what these portrayal say about what is valued in the United States. We will then examine the impact how it manifest in systemic and interpersonal ways. Then go on to examine ways in which people combat bias media and how to diversify your media intake.

Here are some questions we would like to explore:

What are the racial biases present in news media?

Do people notice the disparities?

What underlying messages are being told?

How can we combat bias consumption?

What are the affects of this?

[mysweetresistance-blog]

Today at 4pm on the Old Queens Lawn Rutgers University will have their kickoff event for the 250th anniversary. Student Activist have compiled a list of demands to challenge Rutgers idea of revolutionary. We will hold a demonstration at this event to make our presents known and start a revolutionary year of student solidarity that will hopefully result in sysemic changes. At 2:30 we will be meeting at 11 Stone Street (the Faculty Unions office) to prepare signs and regroup before heading to the event at 4. Please attend to show our collective power.

Rutgers is a reactionary institution that has only made change when people have fought relentlessly. As soon as people stop fighting in mass numbers and obstructive actions communities loose the resources they once had. Many of our communities are at a stagnant point where it is obvious our voices aren’t being heard. This movement is to align the university's mission, our money, and students voices. From investing in the oppression of Palestinian people to the over allocation of funds in our failing athletics department, students are fighting and are fed up. 

Edwards email this morning speaking of acknowledging that Rutgers was built on Native Land and on the backs of Slaves is coming as a direct response to the efforts of students. But Rutgers has a long systemic history of oppression that cannot be fixed by an educational event and a slave’s statue being resurrected next to their slave owner. The event will be to hold Rutgers fully accountable for their promises and actions.

[mysweetresistance-blog]

Video Reviews

I really liked this video. It was fun and practical. This group seems to always work well together and it shows in your work. Your target audience and the points you wanted to get across were clear. Some of the images weren't sharp but that has more to do with equipment then you all. Maybe inserting a title page for each do instead of using a zoomed in image from your written list would have produced clearer images. Great job and I hope incoming freshman find this!

I enjoyed this. Your personalities really shown through. It made me think of vloggers who already have a following. I also appreciate how simple the recipes were because I am lazy so the easier the better. Maybe lighting could have been better by adding a nearby lamp but it didn’t really take away from your video. Great job! I’ll probably try your recipes soon.

[mysweetresistance-blog]

How to Be an Activist

The following video was done by us (Edressa, Dimitri, Jennelle, and Raul) to teach millennials out there on how to be an activist and ally. Nowadays, we are mostly taught things on how to manage your Facebook profile and other social media accounts, how to manage your finances, how to manage your time or payments. This year, 2015, we have started to see many major movements regarding LGBT issues, Black Lives Matter ect. Even more fascinating is that there are a plethora of issues occurring in our society and other societies around the world! Have you ever questioned yourself, how can I make a change and speak out for something I believe in? or… how can I get involved with this kind of issues and making it noticeable? The solution is to become an activist or ally! This video shows you steps and points from us as well as an exclusive look from an activist herself, that can turn you into the activist and ally you were always meant to be! Anyone can be an activist or ally, as long as you believe and stand for something! We hope you enjoy our video and tips to become the activist and ally you were always meant to be.

Works Cited

“The Activist’s Handbook.” The Activists Handbook. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <https://activistshandbook.wordpress.com/>.

“Allyship.” THE ANTIOPPRESSION NETWORK. N.p., 10 Dec. 2011. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <https://theantioppressionnetwork.wordpress.com/allyship/>.

“A List Of Privilege Lists.” Alas a Blog. N.p., 26 Sept. 2006. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <http://amptoons.com/blog/2006/09/26/a-list-of-privilege-lists/>.

“She Dances On The Sand.” : The Invisible Crutch. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <http://rioiriri.blogspot.com/2009/04/invisible-crutch.html>.

“So You Want to Be an Activist? 8 Ways to Get Involved in Causes You Care About.” One Green Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/how-to-get-involved-in-causes-you-care-about/>.

“Queers United.” : The Heterosexual Privilege Checklist. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov. 2015. <http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2008/10/heterosexual-privilege-checklist.html>.

[black-culture]

[alienatedwonderland]

The millennial, often described in terms that imply privilege, becomes a category that perpetuates the colorblind policies that often ignores the racialized policies and social relations that still prevail in America. Is the millennial a category capable of addressing the different realities that different demographics face or does it serve to justify a myth of laziness that once again dis-empowers the minority individual? In this podcast we explore the policies that created the racial structures that still exist, look at the way that they create a standard that the minority is always at opposition with, and finally look at the power of social media in the creation of a space and a voice for the millennial of color. 

Keep reading

[leonieprincessbananahammock-blog]

This is the podcast that Laura, Jennelle and I did. We chose this topic because there are so many different types of millennials and it is time to  stop grouping us together. This podcast touches on some of the issues that are creating my grouping us together like micro agression. It also touches on how we are taking back our narrative through the tools at our disposal like social media. Hope you guys enjoy it!

[leonieprincessbananahammock-blog]

Team Millennials!

After listening to these podcasts I feel obligated once again to stand up for my generation. It’s weird because before this class I really did not pay much attention to what generational group I belonged to but now I am 100% without a doubt shout it out #TEAMMILLENNIAL. The first podcast’s beginning millennial panic! really annoyed me. Especially in the beginning where millennials are described as trust fund hipsters who are lazy and don’t look for jobs. By the way I do know when the Pope said we “can’t be saved” but as a Christian I want to scream huh? The podcast does pose a good question about why is this group of people being scapegoated. Why are we being punished because some of our parents have WORKED HARD to provide for us. By the way most of the millennials I know work extremely hard supporting themselves and contributing to the family. I think that a very small minority of millennials are able to not work and cherry pick whatever job want. Most of us realize that you must work hard in order to enjoy a life of comfort.

The second podcast  The Millennials’ Are Here, The Millennials’ Are Here! tried to focus on the skills of a millennials. According to them even though we have helicopter parents and think life ends at 30 (yeah okay where do they get this information from HBO’s GIRLS?)  This podcast made me like ridiculously angry. It was so condescending and comical. Their suggests read like a Dr. Seuss book for millennials. They disguise the fact that they do not think millennials are capable of doing anything by suggesting shadowing and mentoring. For a cruel minute I honestly thought this was some sort of satire because it is so unbelievably. They are basically saying millennials have the mindset as a child so treat them as such. Hold their hand through lala land and spoon feed them everything. At the end of this podcast I just wanted to clap and say very good Johnny you dressed yourself all by yourself today. Good for you! I mean what is this crap.

The mullercast podcast was interesting even though it took entirely too long to jump into the actually topic. I mean come on everyone knows that millennials only have a 10 second attention span. I’m kidding but it was nice to hear Case Kenny’s account on drive and how he left his job to start something he is actually passionate about. I think he is right. He said, “when it is about harnessing and leveraging as many experiences as you can until you reach enlightenment.” I think that he also makes a valid point about the way millennials go about getting employment. There are so many ways to success in this day and age. I think that technology in particular makes the world our oyster. We have the ability to create start ups or gain success without putting up much capital and with very little overhead. This allows us to career hop more because we have a much better chance of landing on our feet than our predecessors.

Overall the podcast were interesting but the Baby Boomers, Gen X and the Great generation better watch out because #TeamMillennial is running full speed ahead and we have no intention of stopping!!

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/adam-muller/the-mullercast/e/millennial-culture-and-the-experience-driven-life-37260507

https://soundcloud.com/crackedpod/millennial-panic

http://www.advisorpod.com/PB016

http://iglovequotes.net/

[millennialornah-blog]

I agree that the Advisorpod podcast was borderline insulting. They take all the negative stereotypes about millennials and treat them as truth for a whole generation. “Gen X and the Great generation better watch out because #TeamMillennial is running full speed ahead and we have no intention of stopping!!” I also agree with your last statement. Despite all the bashing millennials face we have continued to carve our own place in this rapidly changing world and will continue to do so!

[theabsoluteartist-blog]

Talk about an on point defense! It’s so true that we are being raised by parents who had to work hard to provide for us, and it’s even more true that most of these kids still have to work their asses off (I know that I do!)! Millennials get such a bad rep over such a small number of actual guilty parties, so it’s best that we all carve our own paths and become the individuals we were meant to be!

[mysweetresistance-blog]

Although I had a different take on advisorypod’s mentoring suggestion I do agree that these podcast sound really condescending. I actually missed that quote Case Kenny said so I appreciate you sharing it. I absolutely agree with him and I am glad he fights the idea that we are all the same and that he is speaking on behalf of all of us. 

[millennialornah-blog]

Millennial Mania

This week I listened to three podcasts,“Millennial Panic!” (The Cracked Podcast), “The Millennials Are Here!” (Advisorpod) and “Millennial Culture and the Experience Driven Life” (The MullerCast). Although each podcast was about the Millennials they all offered different perspectives and insights of what this generation is about. 

The Cracked Podcast was by far the most interesting and educational out of the three. Host Jack O’Brien talked about the notorious stereotype that Millennials are often branded with by the media and older generations. David Pargin, executive writer at Cracked, explained how the media portrays GenMe as “aimless, entitled, young people who refuse to get a job”. From there he went on to explain the rapid change in economy, productivity and technology and how the old institutions haven’t adapted to these changes. However, millennials have learned to live in this new “Jeffersonian” world where its not necessary for everyone to do menial labor and work Monday through Friday from 9 to 5. We have the opportunity to really find a career we love and take our time doing it. 

“The Millennials Are Here!” was my least favorite of the podcasts. Business advisors Kirk Hulett and Chris Kirby give tips to help companies attract millennial employees. They started off by describing this generation as all the negative stereotypes that O’Brien addressed in the Cracked Podcast. The tone of the 9 minute clip was very condescending towards millennials and made it seem as if they should be catered to and coddled by their employers. I think the only point I agreed with is the implementation of mentorship programs within companies. I think relationships between millennial employees and their older more experienced co-workers is important in erasing the tension and misunderstanding between generations. 

The third podcast by the Mullercast featured millennial entrepreneur and co-founder of PRSUIT.com, Case Kenny. He offered his own perspective as millennial in the workforce and the journey to his most current project. He briefly talked about how he disagreed with the use of millennial as a marketing label. He also vented his frustration with this generation and they’re tendency to take-in information passively through social media. A frustration I agreed with and am guilty of committing myself. Kenny also holds a skepticism towards the old work institutions and ideals. Much of what he expressed was inline with O’Brien and Pargin discussed. 

My biggest dissatisfaction with these podcasts was the lack of diversity. All the creators of these podcasts were first-world, middle-class (or higher), Caucasian men. While I really appreciated all the insight provided, it came from a similar perspectives. Kenny talked about how varied the mindsets within this generation are and and I would like to hear more about them.

[rachel-blogs-sometimes-blog]

I think your point of the lack of diversity within the current millennial dialogue needs to be heard loud and clear. I think the current image of the millennial is completely shaped within a privileged narrative. Those who describe the millennial often speak of the rich, straight, white, male hipster. Those who give our generation advice, also typically rich straight white males in positions of power, speak to us as if we all have the shared experience of the rich hipster. Our generation is filled with so many voices, stories, and backgrounds that should ALL be acknowledged! 

[mysweetresistance-blog]

I too really appreciate you pointing out the lack of diversity of the podcasts. I even went on Case Kenny’s website and the diversity of their contributors is also lacking, most of them all being young white men that present themselves very middle-class. I think this brings us to an even bigger issue that the idea of a millennials and their wants and needs are that of the dominating narrative which is of white middle class men and even woman. 

[alienatedwonderland]

The Problem with Being a Square in a Society of Circles: The Progression of Thought and Survival in a Job-Lacking Future

com

“We used to play pretend. Wake up: you need to make money” -Stressed Out, Twenty One Pilots

The oxford dictionary defines conformity as compliance with rules, regulations, or laws. The main complaint about millennials is that they seem to intentionally act in ways that does not conform to the norms. What are the norms that millennials do not follow? The Cracked podcast pointed to the obsolete order of society that millennials are expected to follow but cannot follow in the reality of our shifting society. Millennials are a group expected to fit into roles that no longer exist. We are a consumerism driven society with a lack of jobs but a rising productivity. It is not lack of growth that is inhibiting the market but a lack of job growth mixed with the assumption that we must earn our living. As the podcast said we are living on an economy that relies in scarcity and yet products are now more available than ever before. 

Experience is now the main concern of a generation evolving to not work obsolete jobs but finding a fit in a world that is made of circles while they have been raised as squares is the way to an existential crisis only fixed by individual experience. The metaphor of not fitting in to the order of the world is a bit cliche but the possibility of working retail after college and the accumulation of loans is much more absurd than a used-up phrase. We are people living two realities: the reality of what could be and the society of what was that refuses to allow the way for the could be. Wealth inequality thrives in our economy which has been working as a war-time economy since world war II. Jobs are created for the sole intention of people earning a living but those jobs are not necessary. The income generated from these jobs is not sufficient to remain in the pockets of those who earn it. The money always finds its way back to those at the top. 

Millennials are one of the most educated generations and yet we are supposed to become part of the loop that sustains a mode of production that is obsolete and also inhumane. How is it inhumane? Well it definitely does not place a concern for the people at it’s heart to use the Pope’s own words. The only concern of the system is to maintain itself: the people are just parts that have grown obsolete to the entire function. Is it correct to call the people obsolete or is it better to assume that we are now the system’s dominators and can now live the easy life. 

The theoreticals of the entire issue and of the future make these questions rhetorical. But when policy is made these issue should be at the center of the discussion.The reason that the mode of production survives is due to it not being challenged and through government programs that allow it to exist. The re-distribution of wealth for example creates an easier life for people but does not fix the issues that the mode of production creates. Perhaps in my utopian mentality, I hope that one day the people do become the dominators of the entire system of society but until then we can only create our individual reality. We want to play pretend but instead we are told to wake up and make money. The making money part allows the system to exist. So for now I’ll just have to use that money for my own gratification. The system prevails in the individualistic mentality that allows us to survive the alienation hell that is our society. In the same way that the cracked podcast ended: I offer no alternatives. 

[mysweetresistance-blog]

I completely agree with this line “Millennials are one of the most educated generations and yet we are supposed to become part of the loop that sustains a mode of production that is obsolete and also inhumane.” *snaps* ... I have been a bit unaccepting to the idea that Millennials are so unconformist but when you pointed out that we are expected to conform to a reality that no longer exist for us, I also completely agree. I think our lack of conformity doesn’t have to do with us being more accepting or somehow enlightened, it is kind of inevitable when a system can no longer support us. We conform in ways older generations didn’t have to and they are just blind to our reality.

[mysweetresistance-blog]

[sumchckn]

A Black Panthers press conference at the Alameda County Courthouse

A speech by Bobby Seale, in which he points out that African Americans have been fighting for the U.S. government in armed conflicts since the Civil War and they still haven’t won their freedom.

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              “I like having low self-esteem it makes me feel special.”

Daria shows the reality in which Twenge spoke of. A generation so full of talking about themselves and perceiving themselves as so great that it’s deviant not to. 

Self-esteem test that uses superficial means to determine how someone feels about themselves like their appearance and the language they use in-front of people. We have got self-esteem all mixed up. This perception of low self-esteem is not conforming to the typical idea of popularity and acting what is deemed appropriate for your age. 

This has boxed a generation of “individuals” into the same boxes and social rules as the past. The rules may look different but they all have a hold that generations can’t seem to shake. Millennials are being praised for acceptance and breaking down traditional barriers but we are far from dismantling the restrictive consciousness that we live in.

Like Daria, those of us who don’t engage with this self-consumed narrative may not have low self esteem, we just “have low esteem for everyone else”.