in search of: THE HEART AND MIND OF EUROPE’S TEENAGERS & TWENTYSOMETHINGS

Europe’s teenagers and twentysomethings have a lot in common. They all grew up with bombardments of advertisements, they have a vague remembrance of something called ‘the Wall’, they were watching ‘9/11’ live on TV, have already visited more countries than their parents and they cannot be separated from their mobile phone. It’s an empowered generation, living in a globalised world. Still they seem to be disconnected from society, at least according to public and private decision makers: these decision makers simply cannot grasp the new orientation on values of the current teenagers and twentysomethings, Europe’s first true Europeans.

They are now the consumers that buy their first products as adults, they vote for the first time and take first steps on their career paths. These youngsters are creating new patterns on consuming, voting and working. Patterns, which will impact their behaviour throughout life. The rise of prosumerism is an excellent example of how patterns of consuming are already changing. Finding out what really matters to them is the first step for understanding them. This empowered generation turns consumerism into prosurism. When possible they prefer to do ‘it’ themselves: consuming = producing. Companies, governments and political parties are bringing the wrong content through the wrong media. No wonder these current voters, future employees and consumers feel disconnected. To be in tune again, decision makers need to understand the main driving forces of Europe’s teenagers and twentysomethings.

Let’s take ‘New Idealism’ which is one of the driving forces of this ‘new’ generation. Today’s teenagers and twentysomethings are eager to change the world, but they won’t manage unless they can develop and apply their own tools. Traditional forms, such as the youth wings of political parties or action groups have largely failed. Instead, young people try to change the world by starting with themselves, but there is not much you can achieve on your own. How can we reinforce the warm ties between young people and the world in such a way that the former actually acquire power?

The up and coming generation of twentysomethings is simultaneously positive and realistic. Neither God nor the state provide a future for you, neither economically, nor morally, but there are plenty of chances and opportunities, there is just so much to choose from! The cohesion and basic principles young people wish to position themselves on with regard to concrete and abstract ‘others’ are a major problem. Those currently in their twenties are forced to rebuild morally impoverished countries and to reinvent their own role in society. Unaffected by infeasible idealism and cynical hedonism, this generation is thankfully sufficiently flexible. The old collectivism just doesn’t work any more. This generation’s sense of us starts with me. Because healthy self-awareness and development offers more options for opening your heart to another.

Up until a few years ago, the discourse was that youngsters couldn't give a damn about politics, were too stupid to write a sentence in their native tongue and primarily found their purpose in life taking Ecstasy at house parties. The institutions gave up. Time to wait for a new generation. It is a shame that the institutions did not reflect on the matter. For example, the political parties and government interpreted the lack of interest in events in national politics as social disinterest from the population and complained long and publicly about the void between citizens and the political system. But people did not give up because of disinterest in the common good; they gave up because the system no longer met their needs. The system consists of standard ingredients, fixed people, a fixed caste, with standard procedures and rituals, and this means that 80% of the decisions have basically been taken in advance. This makes achieving real change by participating in institutions difficult. In other words, it's not surprising that young people couldn't be bothered to vote any more.

Nowadays, people aren't inclined to spend all day debating ideology or to sign up for some association which you'll be tied to for an extended period of time. But this does not imply that Europe’s teenagers and twentysomethings are not inclined to 'do good'. If Moses won't come to the mountain, then the mountain will have to come to Moses. In other words: the relationship between public interest and me has to be clear. This is not the same as continually asking: “what’s in it for me”. After all, that would be pure egotism. But it does mean that commitment has to be mutual. After all, young people have to fulfil countless roles. This makes them seek added value in the way they spend their spare time, they will want to know how it pertains to them, but will also be more than willing to be inspired by any hope they perceive to think of others as part of their commitment.

Coolpolitics' (a Dutch registered not-for-profit organisation) answer to the above is to organise (amongst others) a series of debates at pop festivals between artists and politicians, which are broadcast on MTV. Its success is not only attributable to associating entertainment and the public interest, but also to the fact that the debates are relevant and are non-institutional. A pop festival, with its entertainment and idols is an excellent place to organise debates on relevant themes such as war and peace, the limits of pleasure and the latent generational conflict. You don't simplify them and you don't spice them up, but you do ensure that you don't have to be a seasoned politician to understand the debate. To achieve that, you invite politicians to express their opinions and some outspoken artists. And what proves to happen? Thousands of young people attend such debates. And that doesn't even include MTV's viewers. It proves possible to involve people in society; you just have to think about how you want to do that. After all, young people have to fulfil countless roles. This makes them seek added value in the way they spend their spare time, they will want to know how it pertains to them, but will also be more than willing to be inspired by any hope they perceive to think of others as part of their commitment:

farid@studiozeitgeist.eu