Gen Y is Patriotic. Surprised? Most people are. The misconception that Gen Y’ers are apathetic about their country is a generalization that will have profound effects on the future of politics. I saw this first hand last year during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. The stereotype that Canadians lacked patriotism was shattered. Never in my life have I seen such a showcase of Red and White. The streets were packed with Gen Y’ers in Jerseys, Canadian Flags, face paint, sing O’ Canada, and cheering for no apparent reason other then they were proud to be Canadian. The media took notice. Interviewing and running coverage on what seemed to be an unending avalanche of pride. And everyone was surprised.
A year later, I can say as a resident of Vancouver that this pride is still here. Sure the Olympic glow has worn off, but what has remained is a deep rooted respect and admiration for the things that make Canada amazing. If you wear the team Canada hockey Jersey today, people single you out with a smile or a “Go Canada!”, and we’re not even competing for anything.
The Vancouver Olympics gave Gen Y a venue and a reason to express their patriotism, and it was only the linchpin. With the upcoming elections, (Canada in May and the US next year) many pundits have been skeptical about voter turn-out among this voting audience, and for good reason.
While Gen Y is patriotic, in Canada, Gen Y is disinterested in our politicians. (I’m speaking about the general majority) Gen Y is disinterested in our politicians because OUR POLITICIANS ARE BORING. It’s one of Gen Y’s key traits: Bored Easily when unengaged. It’s fairly obvious that politicians, much like larger corporations, are out of touch with the differences of Gen Y, especially their driving appetite for authenticity.
This is where the two poles collide. You have the freshly minted, largest consumer demographic that is Patriotic and WANTS to vote, however none of the politicians recognize their need to be transparent and appealing to attract Gen Y’s vote. So what is going to happen? It’s anyone’s guess, but my prediction is that voter turn out of Gen Y is going to be larger then previous elections (see video below). And maybe, just maybe, for the next election, politicians will clue in to power that these new proles have.
To find out which Politician’s campaign matches your values, check out the innovative Vote Compass created by CBC.
[youtube XbGGjnoqfFs University of Guelph Vote Mob]
