Lifestyle

How Generation-Y Has Shaped The New Landscape Of Media

by Danielle Adone

As a kid, I was always interested in journalism — I loved nothing more than watching FOX 5 news while getting ready for school, while others were watching “Saved by the Bell” (as much as I can never get enough of Zack Morris).

When I look back on the news as a kid, most of the time, I was scared. Most of the time, my mom said to turn it off.

Between bombings, terrorist attacks, shootings and more, it truly became more of like watching a horror movie than a news segment.

In reality, it was just life and I was only a young girl who did not know much more about the world than how to sell boxes of Girl Scout cookies.

I always grew up with a newspaper on my steps every morning and the headlines were no different than the top of the news on FOX5. Countless car accidents, fires and police incidents — I couldn’t help but wonder: “What about the good stories?”

What about the girl in school who saved her brother from drowning at the age of six? Or the guy who bought sneakers for a group of homeless men so they could start to run? Or the woman with six kids who just crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon.

These were stories that should have been in the headlines, but somehow, they seemed to slip through the cracks.

At that time, no one really believed that a positive story could sell newspapers or draw viewers to television. As a 23-year-old-woman, I am proud to say that Generation-Y has changed the media game forever.

I may have watched FOX 5 news as often as I laced up my sneakers to go off to elementary school, but just like all of you, I scroll through my social media feeds every morning on my commute to the office.

I wish I could tell you that the negative headlines I saw as a child no longer are told, but the reality is that they still exist and they probably always will. However, today you find the positive stories just as often as the negative ones.

The world is filled with inspiring and life changing stories and the media has never been so excited to share them, through video clips, interviews, Twitter chats and more.

Whether it is an engagement flash mob in Grand Central that had the women at your office swooning over or the military dad who surprised his son in the middle of his high school football game or something else, these are the stories that now hold conversations at family dinner.

Just recently, Kid President pretty much summed up the way many men have felt about life, but just never knew how to put it into words.

Stories are now not only told through verified news outlets, but also by blogs. Whether it is a weight loss journey, a mommy blog or a music blog, these talented writers have hundreds, thousands and sometimes, even millions of followers tracking their journeys and more importantly, inspiring others.

Tomorrow when you wake up to your daily dose of Twitter, take note of the life-changing stories that fill your news feed.

Unfortunately, we still live in a world filled with scary headlines and we can only hope that those headlines someday disappear.

For now, allow yourself to feel touched by the love stories, the fitness transformations, the blogs and more.

Most of all, be proud of the voices — that our generation found the courage to share their stories and the power to change the way we see the media forever.

Top Photo Courtesy: We Heart It