Our Obsession with Opinion

by J. Brown

We're obsessed with ourselves.

That's what previous generations thinks of us, and for the most part, they're probably right. My generation (Generation Y/ the Millenials/ whatever CNN uses to refer to us) is pretty vain. We created the selfie, the status update, and the Foursquare check-in. We've not only mastered the overshare, we've made it popular.

Most would look at this as simply a sign of the times, but I know better. I get that the generations before us might not have had Internet, but they weren't taking pictures of themselves with their Polaroids, either. They might not have had cell phones, but they didn't feel the need to outline their weekend and bore you with tedious details the following Monday. People have always had opinions, but they didn't always feel the need to share them. But those were simpler times. As technology became more complex, so too did our vanity. 

My generation's self-centeredness is perhaps best characterized by our infatuation with opinions. Over the past few years, it seems like the line between fact and opinion has become blurrier than it's ever been. You can't just be against gay marriage; it should be outlawed. You can't simply disagree with conservatives; they're bigots and should all be banned from Congress. You can't just be upset that Kendrick Lamar lost a Grammy to Macklemore; the entire Grammy academy must be racist. We as a generation have become quite fond of not only portraying our opinions as the right way of thinking, but actually getting upset with people for disagreeing with us.

Thumbs Up

by Lee Deltoro

Which is more important: The earthquake that recently devastated Nepal, leaving thousands dead and countless more traumatized, or the trailer for San Andreas, the new earthquake thriller starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Any decent-hearted adult knows it's Nepal. But which has come up in conversation with my college-educated friends over the past week? Yes, San Andreas. So for someone who is looking to engage with us, The Rock is a better bet. And I am positive that for a large number of us, there are apt comparisons. Does this mean we are all soulless sociopaths? No, we have just adjusted our value system to the world around us. 

With each new cultural phenomenon comes a change in value systems. We are in the midst of such a change today. Tidal waves of ideas and images are constantly reshaping the keystones of culture. With these quickly eroding, where do we find guidance? Previously, each of us had a relatively consistent set of examples by which we judged ourselves and others within our immediate circle. Today, our cultural ecosystem has transformed from a savannah to a rainforest. There are more expressions of individual life experiences entering your space than ever before. Through online interaction, we bear witness to a kaleidoscope of characters, imperceptible to generations before us.