Page 177 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Speaking of . . .

Connecting with “Generation Me”

Every generation is a little different and possesses a “cul- tionships, gender equality, and willing to volunteer to help
ture” of its own with unique beliefs, customs, and values. out others.
The current generation of young adults between the ages Do you consider yourself a member of “Generation Me”?
of 18 and 30 recently has been slapped with the label Do you think the preceding description is accurate? Do you
“Generation Me.” This label suggests that the beliefs, val- see any unique challenges speakers face in their attempt to
1
ues, and customs of this group are a manifestation of the connect with an audience dominated by GenMe’ers? If so,
attitude that everyone is special, everyone is entitled, and what are they and how can they best be met?
everyone’s opinion is of equal value. GenMe’ers are said
to have been pampered by overly indulgent and protective
parents and told that they can be anything they dream. A 1 Jean M. Twenge, Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans
survey of 18–25 year olds conducted by the Pew Research Are More Confi dent, Assertive, Entitled—and More Miserable Than
Center found that about 80% said that getting rich is a top Ever. (New York: Free Press, 2006).
2
goal in life for their generation. At the same time GenMe’ers 2 Martha Irvine, “Young Adults Want Wealth,” The Sacramento Bee,
are more accepting of human diversity, non-traditional rela- 23 January 2007, D1.

such as age and ethnicity, are usually readily observable. Others, such as re-
ligion, occupation, and socioeconomic status, may be less obvious. We’ll start
with some of the easier ones to observe and move to the less obvious.

Age
We both began teaching college students in our twenties. As a result, our experi-
ence was not that much different than many of our students. Although not iden-
tical, our tastes in music, TV, and fi lm were similar enough that we could draw
on popular culture for examples that we hoped would make our lectures more
relevant to our students. Needless to say, we no longer enjoy this luxury. We
need to continually remind ourselves of the fact that the defi ning experiences in
our lives largely occurred before most of our current students were born. Thus,
when referring to examples of moving eulogies, we used to cite Ronald Reagan’s
address to the nation after the explosion of the shuttle Challenger in 1986. Today’s
freshmen were born long after that event. In fact, for most of our students, us-
ing Reagan as an example of a speaker is no more a part of their life experience
than talking about Franklin Roosevelt or Woodrow Wilson. For a discussion of
how today’s generation of college age students differs from previous generations,
see the box “Speaking of . . . Connecting with Generation Me.”
Speakers should know not only the median age of their audience but also
the range of ages and how those ages compare to their own. The age demogra-
phy of the United States is changing at an accelerated rate; so is the demogra-
phy of the classroom. At one time, college classrooms consisted of a relatively
homogeneous group of 18- to 22-year-olds. Today’s classroom comprises a much
more diverse mix of students. For example, college classes in a state university
in the 21st-century are likely to be of mixed ages. It’s common for students to
be as young as 17 or as old as 75. As a speaker, you need to take into account
this demographic diversity in both preparation and delivery of your speech. You
have to consider not only how 18- to 22-year-olds are likely to respond to your
presentation, but also how continuing and reentry students are likely to respond.
144 Likewise, you will also have to think through the response of students who may