Blogging a bust for Millennials?

Hello! I’m Carrie Cannaday, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to be a guest blogger here on the re:Generations blog.

Jessica invited me to blog on this site several months ago, and I was so grateful for her invitation! Since then, it has taken me several months to muster up a post!

I was really beating myself up over my lack of initiative to sit down and blog, until... Jessica sent me this Pew Research Center study on Social Media and Internet Use, and I realized that my behavior is only typical for a millennial such as I!

According to this study, blogging has been on the decline among teens and young adults since 2006. The percentage of teens and young adults (those under 30) who blogged then was 28 percent, compared to 14 percent who maintain a blog now.

This sharp decline in blogging among youth is met by consistency in blogging among older adults. One in ten online adults (ages 30 and up) has consistently maintained a blog since 2005.

So, why the decline in blogging among teens and young adults?

The Pew study indicates that youth and young adults are gravitating toward micro-blogging techniques, as one-third of young adults (age 18-29) now post or read status updates on social networking sites.

In my own personal experiences, and based on what I observe from my peers, I’d say that all this is linked to the fact that we are a multi-tasking/microwave generation that prefers to express ourselves quickly and often in short status updates (like those on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter), rather than take the time to sit down and write a lengthy blog.

Oddly enough, my own personal experiences correlate perfectly with what the Pew study indicates. Prior to 2006, I was an avid blogger - writing, on average, 3 to 5 blogs a week. Since 2006, however, I have ceased keeping a personal blog, and have (as you can tell from my lack of blogs on this site) struggled to blog at all!

All the while, I have, over the past few years, been micro-blogging through posting regular updates on Facebook and Twitter, and I have noticed that my peers are largely doing the same.

So, my advice to you if you’re looking for more frequent updates from re:Generations: try visiting the re:Gens Facebook and Twitter pages! :-)

And, on the same note, now that I’m aware of my generation’s blogging short-falls, I’ll also see if I can attempt to work harder to combat them! I’ll try to be back with another blog soon! ;-)

Until next time...
-Carrie

Millennials and meds

Check out this study on high school/college students and depression. It found five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era. Fascinating stuff... and an area I've been wanting to study more.

http://http//www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/11/AR2010011100261.html

As to the "why's" of the depression/anxiety surge... there's a lot to uncover. The article sites a couple of causes: societal pressures to be rich and beautiful, and doting parents.

Several studies also have captured the growing interest in being rich, with
77 per cent of those questioned for UCLA's 2008 national survey of college
freshmen saying it was "essential" or "very important" to be financially well
off.Experts say such high expectations are a recipe for disappointment.

Meanwhile, they also note some well-meaning but overprotective parents have
left their children with few real-world coping skills, whether that means doing
their own budget or confronting professors on their own.

It would also be interesting to examine the role of technology in all this. Many young people live in a socially networked world that can end up being pretty lonely and isolating at the end of the day. Then there's the confusion between virtual life and real life. Ex: killer wii bowler, yet stink in real life bowling. (aka: me)

We also live in a world that offers a pill for every ill. I'd be interested to see how many parents/doctors just throw medicine at young people as a first resort "fix," instead of identifying the root causes of their troubles... working through the "coping" steps... or seeing a counselor, etc.

Certainly depression/anxiety is a serious issue and often requires medical attention. I don't downplay that at all. But, I find it interesting that our generation (who has it all) is struggling more than the great depression youngsters (who really had it tough).

What do you think is contributing to the problem?

One thing's for sure: we all want our youth to grow up to be happy, healthy young adults. Yet they are hurting. How can we help?