McCann recently conducted a massive study, asking 33,000 millennials from all over the world, to find out exactly how technology has influenced their perceptions of life and achievement. We were part of the small crowd that filled up ASpace as McCann presented the results via a talk entitled “The Truth About Youth.”
Indeed, technology has heavily affected how today’s youth see their goals. A top career of choice is a blogger or to live stream, and 59 percent of Filipino youth believe that a small time away from their cellphones will make their “personal connections suffer.”
Nevertheless, the youth of today, with the many options the Internet presents, are even more confused on how “to adult.” McCann reports that 83 percent of Filipino respondents still admit that they still look to their elders for advice.
The terminology may have changed as “adulting” is now a term to define responsibility and the bigger roles we play in society. But the value of friendship, the ability to pay one’s bills, and the luxury of being able to book a vacation still top the list of what makes an adult. It’s this driving force that makes the youth still seek stronger connections through sincere ways. That’s why social apps based on spontaneity like Snapchat and Instagram Stories beat out the more curated and stagnant apps like Facebook. Simply put, the ephemeral 24-hour clips are cooler because they are perceived as unedited.
So what’s the takeaway? As Curtissmith and Reese Lansangan performed in between the talk, we understood how the world hasn’t changed. It’s just the method on how we achieve our goals. The Internet has made us more aware or “woke” to what’s happening half a continent away and has raised our ideals. Life isn’t all about that perfect flatlay and there is something beyond the four corners of a good photo. This is why we try to capture what we can and understand the truth and experiences that come to us in the most authentic way possible: through songs based on Messenger conversations or photos taken from our camera phones.
And it’s backed up further with the study. As 61 percent of Filipino youth say they don’t mind posting unedited photos online. Hmm, I guess that just brings a deeper meaning to #iwokeuplikethis.
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