I’ve been worried about the future. I’ve heard all sorts of things about the new generations, specifically the Millennials, that worried me quite a bit.

I’ve heard stories of parents being taken to job interviews and sitting in.

I’ve read stories of young people feeling entitled to jobs, being unwilling to accept responsibility, and not possessing fundamental communication skills.

I’ve seen videos of kids kidnapping other kids, beating them up, recording the entire thing, and then posting it on the Internet, all of which was caused by the kid (that got beat up) talking smack about the other on MySpace. Good luck to them getting jobs in the future. Unbelievable, and very sad. I’m going to ensure that my daughter learns martial arts.

And so moves the wagging finger to the parents of these kids.

I’ve heard stories of parents demanding to be in interviews for entry into schools, and then arguing with administration when their children aren’t accepted. What? Are you serious? These so-called “Blackhawk Parents” aren’t helping their kids any, I’m sure.

I’ve been told that this is how it is, and that I have to accept that.

Well I don’t accept that, and frankly I’m not going to. And I don’t have to.

I have one word for you: globalization. Here’s two more: global economy. Need another? How about, recession. And yet another: immigration.

Last month alone the U.S. economy lost 742,000 jobs. In 2008, the U.S. lost 2.6 million jobs. That means that there are a vast amount of highly skilled professionals out there looking to support themselves and their families. These people understand responsibility, and unfortunately know first-hand that having a job is not an entitlement. These people are hungry, and I bet you they aren’t bringing their parents to job interviews.

And if that’s not enough, there are skilled people all over the world looking for work too. The world isn’t flat. It’s smaller, much smaller than it used to be. I can talk with people anywhere for free using Skype. I can leverage SaaS applications and instant messaging to work collaboratively with people half a world away. In my experience, these folks are courteous, gracious, polite, and do not have an air of entitlement.

I do however, have hope.

I attended the Digital Marketing World Spring 2009 Conference yesterday put on by MarketingProfs. Their morning keynote speaker was David Plouffe, the campaign manager for Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign. The Obama campaign was very good at mobilizing the younger generations and inspiring them to action. Our local Obama Campaign Office was staffed mostly by young people; the head of the office had to have been in his mid-20’s at best.

David told us how young people are innovators, they want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, they want authentic communication, and they have enormous influence on their elders.

George Drage exemplifies to me what David Plouffe was talking about. Here’s a guy in high school who knows what he wants, has accepted responsibility for getting it, and is actively pursuing avenues to make it happen. I see him at community tech and social media events talking with people, learning more, and looking for opportunities. He’s motivated.

Another example is Daniel Brusilovsky. He’s a 16-year-old who started Teens in Tech, a “community for teenagers interested in producing and sharing new media content in a safe environment” (TechCrunch). He founded Teen in Tech when he was 15-years-old. That’s awesome!

Personally I hope to see and meet more people like George and Daniel, and I hope that more of the Millennial generation take after these guys. Otherwise, I think we might be in a spot of trouble.

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