Generation Y (also known as The Millennials) is emerging now as generation with distinct values. If we take seriously the theory that our approach to life is worked out between the ages of 17 and 25 then this group is worth watching right now.
Check out Reboot, a Jewish group dedicated to leading a generational conversation about changes in identity, community, and meaning from a Jewish perspective. Reboot has just published its research into religion and Generation Y in the United States.
Called OMG (‘Oh My God’ in text talk) the 2004 study was informed by three goals:
1) To ascertain how young people are coming to understand their religious identity;
2) To describe what their religious practices look like in this era of customization and change; and
3) To explore the ways religious identity informs the civic participation of today’s youth.
Throughout, the researchers were careful to note that religious life does not operate in a vacuum and we embed the role religion in the context of their other concerns, such as finding a job or getting good grades in school.
The research results are available in a 51 page pdf document at the Reboot web site.
Here are the five conclusions at the end of the report.
1. There are no silver bullets:
The world around us is changing exponentially, and our audiences have complex needs. There are no quick fixes that can solve all of our challenges in one try. Building an approach that offers a range of offerings incorporating a mix of content and formats will be most effective. The post-evangelical Emerging Church movement is a model example. They use a slew of materials to trigger grassroots conversations that cast the net of renewal as widely as possible. For more information, visit Emergent Village
2. Support experimentation:
New social and cultural conditions demand new approaches and new paradigms that are often the very opposite of the tried and true. Create opportunities for funders to learn about and actively support new models and the innovators behind them. Grand Street is one such example – a growing network of young family foundation board members examining issues of Jewish identity and communal change. For more information, visit 21/64
3. The Power of Culture:
Do not underestimate the power of culture – music, DVDs, the written word – as a mechanism to distribute and convey meaning through personal networks as opposed to institutional membership. Just ask Mel Gibson about the power of film, the followers of the Hassidic Jewish Reggae crossover act Mattisyahu, the founders of Skate Street in Ventura California about the ability of a skate board park to act as a ministry, or examine the extended reach books, journals and publications that have provided for cultural and political enterprises like McSweeney’s and Move On.
4. Respect intelligence:
Don’t expect the audience to be enticed by a party line. There is strength in debate. Play to the defining generational traits of individuality and non-conformity by encouraging this audience to debate compelling questions about meaning, value, life and death. There can be little coincidence that book clubs are thriving for our target audience, even though young people have traditionally been at the bottom of the book buying public. Generation Y now forms the second largest age group of book clubbers, drawn in by the flexibility, the lack of talking heads, the self organized format, and the opportunity to create connections around questions of meaning. Check out Meetup for an example of self-organizing mechanism and The Ooze Forums for critical conversation online.
5. Lose your fear:
Our reality is loaded with possibility. It is unclear where the youth who make up the Undecided middle will ultimately find their religious home. As you read this report, it is hard not to start thinking of ways to experiment in the face of this challenge. If religious denominations are bold, innovative, and self-confident enough, we can construct the meaningful communities that young Americans crave, and deliver the action and values the world beyond ourselves so badly needs.