Peter Sheahan - Generation Y Blog

Do Australians watch too much TV

The latest survey on Media habits from the US says that in 2005 the average American will watch 1760 hours or more of Television. That is more than 5 hours a day. I don't know where they get these figures, but say they are accurate. That is 2.5 months a year. GET A LIFE! The question is are Australians the same? Some of the research I collated for my soon-to-be released book on Generation Y suggests that the average Gen Y'er has 5 hours of screen time a day, shared between TV, Computer and Games.

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Gen'Y'Nese

Gen'Y'Nese is the language of generation y, and includes a radical new way to communicate using various forms of technology.

This appeared in the new Yorker

IM Romeo and Juliet by cartoonist Roz Chast, first published in the New Yorker Login: Romeo : R u awake? Want 2 chat? Juliet: O Rom. Where4 art thou? Romeo: Outside yr window. Juliet: Stalker! Romeo: Had 2 come. feeling jiggy. Juliet: B careful. My family h8 u. Romeo: Tell me about it. What about u? Juliet: 'm up for marriage f u are.. Is tht a bit fwd? Romeo: No. Yes. No. Oh, dsnt mat-r, 2moro @ 9? Juliet: Luv U xxxx Romeo: CU then xxxx

TV is going truly interactive

In an attempt to stay popular with an every increasingly interactive generation TV is making some moves in the right direction. Start with a Frequent Viewer loyalty program. Add the ability to watch a motor race from the in car camera in of your favourite drivers car and some on screen real gambling and you have what in europe has become quite a profitable idea. Read more...

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2005/tc2005031_2320_tc119.htm

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Google gets it!

www.google.com have added an additional feature to their US based site. Now you can simply enter your postcode and it will tell you all the movie times for cinemas in your area.

Rock on google.

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Do you have anyone on your board under the age of 27?

Pepsico US CEO had the following to say about the diversity of his leadership team.

"To be a leader in consumer products, it's critical to have leaders who represent the population we serve."—Steve Reinemund/PepsiCo

Let me ask you; how many people under the age of 27 do you have in your leadership team? Not only are people under the age of 27 (Gen Y) considered the most influential consumer group on the world, but they are also going to form the bul of the work force as the Boomers retire. FIX THIS!!!

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Generation Y are causing the world to catch up with Apple

I love this quote from Stev Jobs (my Hero) founder of Apple.

"The great thing is that Apple's DNA hasn't changed. The place where Apple has been standing for the last two decades is exactly where computer technology and the consumer electronics markets are converging. So it's not like we're having to cross the river to go somewhere else; the other side of the river is coming to us."—Steve Jobs/Fortune/02.21.05

I reckon that if any company on the globe has a Gen Y mindset it is Apple. LONG LIVE STEVE JOBS!!!

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Generation Y want CONTROL!

Have you heard of Podcasting? Well it is like the Ipod users way of replacing radio. Whilst still very much in its infancy it is just a nother example of users (mainly young users) wanting to have control over their experiences. Imagine a radio station that only played what you wanted.

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Generation Y need to express themselves

Check out the teen movie festival. It is phenomenal the number of young Gen Y'ers making their own movies. We have seen the same in recent times with young Aussie films makers doing very well with their creative pieces.

http://reveries.com/cool_news/2005/march/mar_2a.html

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Buying cars online

A US study estimates that 30% of cars will be bought online within just a few years. Well if not already, more than that will at least be researched online before they are purchased.

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-02-2005/0003112234&EDATE=

Bring on the Baby Bosses

One of my loudest rants in my seminars and workshops is that we don't just need to teach the Boomers and X'ers to manage Gen Y, but also how to cope with being managed by Generation Y. I speak from personal experience. In my career in the Hotel industry I found myself the General manager of a 4.5 million dollar Hotel with 30 staff at just 19 years old. I had some staff who were more than twice my age and did not like being managed by someone as young as me. The power trip I was undoubtedly on, and my need to prove myself certainly did not help matters, but there was definitely and ego clash for those who were significantly older than I was.

My case is far from an isolated example. This is happening across all industries and is only going to get more serious. How well would you handle being managed by someone younger than you? What about someone 20 years younger than you? Are you and your organisation ready for this?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050302/CAYGBOSS02/TPBusiness/General/

www.petersheahan.com