Politicians target Generation Y

[TransitJohn]

By EMILY ZIMMER
Star-Tribune staff writer Tuesday, August 17, 2004


Casper College psychology major Amber Rodgers, 20, shops for her textbooks at the college bookstore on Monday afternoon. Rodgers said she would vote at some point but right now her schedule is too consumed with preparing for the semester to make time to vote. Photo by Sarah Beth Barnett/Casper Star-Tribune.

As national campaigns urge the under-25 crowd to get out and vote this presidential election season, the level of involvement by Wyoming members of Generation Y remains to be seen.

MTV, VH1 and various political groups have bombarded American youth with reasons to vote -- and while polls give conflicting data about the effectiveness of the campaigns, sociologists say this generation's interest in politics exceeds its predecessor's, Generation X.

Gen Y, also called millennials, are those born between 1979 and 1994, and is the largest generation of young people since the baby boom. Appealing to them has been a priority of politicians this election.

Both President Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry have had their Gen Y-age daughters campaign with them to appeal to younger voters and also added more college campuses to their campaign tours.


http://www.casperstartribune.net/articles/2004/08/17/news/c0e3c9c1351446f987256ef3000725c0.txt

(On edit, added link.)

[ixion]

1. gen Y... what a gen X rip off... couldn't they come up with a better

generation title than just to steal the gen X'ers?

No imagination. :-(

[coloradodem2005]

2. I thought I was a Gen X'er.

Most things say that Generation X ends in 1981. I was born in 1979.

[beyurslf]

4. Usually the end and the start sort of varies.... just depends which group

you feel more in line with :)

[TahitiNut]

6. How long is a "generation"?

While it seems many regard it as anywhere from 20-25 years, I think it should be about 18 years. Thus, I'd regard the Baby Boom Generation" as 1946 through 1963, "Generation Ecks" to be 1964 through 1971, and "Generation Why" to be 1972 through 1999. (I guess the next generation will be called the "TwoK's" (pronounced "tukes"?). :shrug:

When the "feeling of things in common" is factored in, I regard the half-generation (semi-generation) to be more significant. The attitudes and experiences of those born 1946-1954 are a helluva lot different than those born 1955-1963.

Being born during WW2, I feel left out. :(

[ixion]

5. yeah, I'm on the 'cusp' of being a X'er or Baby Boomer, being born in 64

but I've always related more to the genX'ers than the Baby Boomers. I was a little too young at that point.

[Eurobabe]

3. hey josh, no votie, no bitchie, k?

[shawn703]

7. I thought I was Generation Y

But I'm not under 25. I always thought Generation X were people born in the 60's, Generation Y were people born in the 70's and Generation Z were people born in the 80's. Oh well, I guess I have to run with the older crowd now. ;)