In Conclusion...

Many different conclusions can be drawn from the previous content of this blog. In the area of propaganda techniques, the iGeneration appears to be the most succeptible to bandwagon, glittering generalities, card stacking, and transfer, all of which are used to market the constantly changing and improving technology. Outside of propaganda techniques, the iGeneration has been increasingly succeptible to the appearance or advertisement of a business as "going green". This new environmental consciousness will hopefully result in future changes so that the children of this generation can live in the same beautiful world that we have.

In the end, the iGeneration has been involved more and more in technological development and social reform. As the years pass, we will be able to tell more and more about how this generation will be remembered. We hope you have enjoyed our presentation, thank you for your time. What is your overall impression of this presentation? Is there anything you would like to have?

Spoiled Rotten

The iGeneration is often viewed as a generation of overindulged, whiney, inactive children who are detached from the rest of society. In many cases this is true, but there are many contributing factors to why this has come to be. The "get-it-now" idea of immediate access and often purchase has resulted in a negative image of the iGeneration. The newest technology allows even more for this immediate access; the internet allows for easy access of knowledge and even instant shopping orders and other everyday activities that were not normally technology based.

Children are a product of their environment. They learn based on what is presented to them and copy many of the traits of the people they interact with. For this reason, parents and members of the community are the reason for the detachment of the iGeneration from the supposed mainstream. To what extent does economic privilege play a role in how people are characterized and subliminally stereotyped? Do stereotypes apply to every individual of a certain demographic? Why or why not?

Glued to the Screen

America is beginning to develop a preteen culture centered around video games as a result of their advertising. The video game "Halo 3", played on the Xbox 360 platform has become a national phenomenon, increasingly popular among the youth generation, pulling in $170 million within the first 24 hours of its sale. Other popular contemporary video games include the "Madden NFL" series and the "Call of Duty" series (many popular video games have sequels after having initial success). The video game industry is able to exploit the popularity of their products to create new technologies that force more and more people to buy their wares (many different platforms have developed internet connections between systems).

It may be true that there are educational video games that can be used to create a fun medium for learning. However, these games are meant for children and do not effectively apply higher level curriculum enough to be efficient in transferring the information. What are some possible applications of video games to improve the quality of our modern lifestyle? Are video games positive or negative in the development of youths?

The Power of Music

As stated in a previous posting, this generation is beginning to listen to music that speaks about current events and other socio-economic issues. The argument can definitely be made that the iGeneration is becoming involved in the world through the knowledge they gain by listening to music. Similar to the counterculture of the 1960's and 1970's, the younger generation has been moving towards a more politically and economically conscious state of mind. Music is definitely one of the more powerful advertising techniques because it can be repeated over and over again for free and the same message used can be driven home even more effectively.


Another shift in the iGeneration is becoming evident by the music that makes it onto radio nowadays. The iGeneration's lack of analysis involving things like movies and music is growing by the day. For example, singer Katy Perry has recently put out a song called "I Kissed a Girl" (obviously written about the writer kissing a person of the same sex). Perry's strongest following comes from the teenage demographic indefinitely. Rapper Lupe Fiasco even wrote a song called "Dumb It Down" about the evolution of the music industry and its overall decline. For centuries, music has played a role in every generation's lives, never more true than for the iGeneration. Are there any songs currently in radio circulation that you feel are pointless and why? How does this show a shift in the overall intelligence and purpose of music?

Commercialism in Fast Food

America's youth are trending more and more towards overweight and obese. The cliche classification of this increasing obesity is that it is a result of rising consumption of fast food. The stereotype of a fast-food customer, a starving college student, are becoming more and more vulnerable to the advertisement and easy access to food. McDonald's has a new marketing campaign where they try ease the guilt of their customers by changing the appearance of their restaurants to a more modern, earth-friendly look. Almost using the propaganda technique of card-stacking, the fast-food industry fails miserably to make the consequences of consuming hamburgers and french fries so frequently.

The iGeneration is incredibly vulnerable to the advertising and marketing techniques used by businesses, such as McDonald's. In a routine by Eddie Murphy off of his comedic tour, "Raw", the American affinity with fast-food and the idea that home-cooked food is no longer "cool", is made evident by a scene where children with Mcdonald's hamburgers make fun of a lone kid with a homemade  hamburger. This generation is unintentionally ostracizing those without the resources to have the "finer luxuries of life", such as fast food. The result of these marketing techniques is a culture that looks past health consequences and focuses more on convenience and ease of access. How many times per week do you eat fast-food? Are there any specific marketing techniques used by these organizations that draw your business?

Exploitation

The iGeneration or Generation Y has once again been characterized for its lack of analysis and excess gullibility when it comes to advertisements and publicized media. In an article by Microsoft writer, Joanna L. Krotz, the modern teenage generation has been characterized as "unbelievably enthusiastic about winning free concert tickets or cars or ski weekends." In other words, our generation is more vulnerable than ever to excitement surrounding contests and other consumer giveaways. Radio contests, discounting, and promotional pop-ups are all ways to effectively reach the teenage demographic.

In my own personal experience, it is evident that teens are obviously very open to bandwagon and other propaganda techniques  that make heavy use of excitement and reflex decisions. In that same article by Krotz, it was suggested that this vulnerability may point to a strong desire for community and fellowship. Even if that is the case, the end result is that there is a fail-proof propaganda technique that is being used to exploit the iGeneration. To what extent are you, as the reader, influenced by promotional media and other discounting/giveaways? Would it be safe to say that all teenagers are affected by these techniques?

Making History: Unforgettable Events

Illinois Senator Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States on January 20th, 2009. His election marked the first time that a minority has held office as Commander in Chief of the U.S.A. This is one of many historical events that will be associated with the iGeneration because of their vast support for the Obama campaign. As a whole, the history that has occurred in our lifetime closely resembles that of previous ages.

The War on Terrorism closely resembles the Vietnam Conflict of the 1970's because of its lack of support coming from Americans and the Presidential determination for victory. Even today, media coverage shows that there is dwindling support for the war and that popular American opinion is that the war has no purpose. The Obama victory almost resembles the election of John F. Kennedy to office because it marked the first time someone from their demographic had been elected as President. Also, the Recession we are currently going through is almost like the 1929 Stock Market Crash (to a lesser extent). All of these historical events can be found in pop culture, such as the Will.I.Am song titled, "Yes We Can", written about the ideals and vision of Barack Obama. The song "My President" by rapper Young Jeezy was written about the election of an African-American president (the song was aimed at the black demographic, probably those of the iGeneration based on the genre of the music). Media coverage of his inauguration was broadcast to record numbers of televisions around the world. Young Jeezy has even titled his latest album "The Recession" to take advantage of the fear of another depression. Another historical disaster, the Hurricane Katrina incident found its way into pop culture in songs, such as "Get Your Hustle On" by rapper Juvenile (music video depicts a post-Katrina New Orleans). Another song involving the disaster, "Minority Report" by Jay-Z, directly addresses the issue of post-disaster action and the lack thereof. Much controversy surrounded the lack of response by hurricane/disaster relief organization FEMA and the coverage of the event by FOX News. This generation has many different historical events that will be forever associated with us. What are some other historical events that you believe will be associated with us? How are these events portrayed through our media?