future

Yesterday on Mashable there was an article titled "Why Social Media Means Big Opportunities for Women". The article brings up some very compelling points as to why social media is opening more doors for women in many ways.

Women have firmly established their presence on the social web, and account for the majority of users on many popular social media sites. But what does this mean for the future of women in social media?

One word: Opportunity.

Companies looking to reach women — whether as consumers, entrepreneurs, employees, or advocates — have an unprecedented opportunity through social media to engage them. For women, social media presents abundant opportunities to lead, effect change, innovate, and build relationships across sectors, locally, nationally, and globally.

Not to take away from the point being made but I believe the arguments provided can apply to youth in general. The article argues that companies, through the usage of social media, are gathering real time feedback from female consumers about products, ideas, marketing, etc. Companies are starting to use social media to do their product testing and aiming directly at women (and youth).

Conversations between companies and female consumers are moving beyond “what do you want?” types of questions. Companies are starting to use social media to secure real-time feedback from women on products, services, and marketing campaigns—sometimes before they go to market.

Unilever used social media to launch their new Pond’s Age Miracle moisturizer in China, recruiting bloggers to try the product and share their findings. The strategy was risky because of the heavy usage of social media there, but it came with a huge upside: If the bloggers liked the product, word of mouth could lead to major success. If not, the poor publicity from blogs would make the launch difficult to salvage. The risk paid off and the moisturizer was a hit, leading to the adoption of social media strategies by other Unilever offices in Asia.

If companies use targeting like Unilever did they can be just as successful, regardless if they are targeting and gathering feedback from women or youth. However women are dominating the usage of social media sites, and they are gaining the lead in mobile web usage too.

A significant opportunity exists for companies to connect with women using mobile technologies. Women comprise 47% of current mobile web users, and between 2008 and 2009, the number of women using the mobile web increased by 43%, compared with a 26% increase in the number of men.

While women's influence is growing in the world of social networking and technology the article does provide some insight to where it isn't exactly the most inclusive.

not all conferences are women-friendly. At some, sexualized images of women are still included in presentations. Others feature scantily clad women as props or for entertainment. Stone, Page, and Jardins observed that “the organizers of many conferences, especially tech conferences, don’t seem to appreciate that women don’t want to sit through presentations — PowerPoint, video and otherwise — that depict women as porn stars and/or sex objects.”

However there is optimism that it will change, as women continue to become even more influential in the world of social media we will hopefully see a move that way.

The number of women programmers, entrepreneurs, bloggers, consultants, community managers, and social media users continues to grow. It’s only a matter of time before these numbers translate into greater visibility and influence in the social space.

Trapani, too, is optimistic: “Ladies, now is not the time to be timid. Step up, take chances, push yourself beyond your comfort zone, use your powers and influence for good, and let your expertise shine.”

After looking at the built-in demographic advantages the Democrats enjoy, Michael Hais ties his post back to today's Democratic strategy.

The United States is a changed and continually changing nation. Taken together, these changes have made America a more diverse and more open nation. To a large extent these changes occurred because of Democratic efforts over Republican opposition. This should let the Democratic Party face the future with confidence and courage rather than the fear and paralysis that seems to be gripping it a year after the election of Barack Obama and a large congressional majority. But, the Democratic Party's opportunities cannot be taken for granted. The first step in taking advantage of those opportunities should be looking toward the America that is and will be and not looking back to the country that was.

Emphasis is mine. I suppose this is an echo of Colin's post below. There's a popular saying in hockey -- skate to the puck. Meaning, anticipate where the puck is going to be, not where it is. The decision-makers, particularly those within the Democratic Party, would be well-served to find their inner hockey player and follow that advice.

It's hard to believe that a third of a year has passed between Election Day and now. But in that time, we've seen lots of analysis of Obama's sizable margin of victory among youth voters. We know technology and President Obama's familiarity with pop culture gave him an advantage, but we've also determined that Obama's platform had quite a bit to do with his youth appeal as well. One thing I'd like to look at today is the "green" movement and what kind of an effect Obama's leadership on this topic might have for Millennials in the future.

In a post on the New York Times blog "Green Inc." this week, Kate Galbraith discussed the boom in students taking environmental studies classes at college. Galbraith collected information from professors of environmental science/studies programs at various institutions across the country.

At colleges around the country, students seem to be flocking to environmental studies.

At Boston College, 17 students minored in environmental studies in 2003; this year 44 students will do so (assuming everyone graduates).

Iowa State University has seen the number of students enrolled in environmental studies and environmental science programs soar from 99 students in fall 2003 to more than 150 last fall.

[...]

At the University of Virginia, “We have definitely seen an increase in majors over the past two-three years, but where we have really increased are the environmental science courses we teach to non-majors,” said Jay Zieman, the chair of the University of Virginia’s environmental sciences department in an e-mail message. “That number has increased 45 percent over the past five years.”

The one slight outlier of my four-college survey was the University of Pennsylvania. The number of undergraduates majoring in environmental studies peaked at 44 in 2002, but now is down to 32 (still higher than the 20 in 1999). However, the number of master’s degrees in environmental policy hit a 10-year high last year, and the university has seen a spurt of master’s enrollment in related areas like hydrology.

Many of these increases certainly were already occurring prior to President Obama's candidacy and election. However, that doesn't mean there's not a relationship between the two worth examining.

Energy issues were a large part of President Obama's campaign in 2008. Obama announced in his energy plan that he planned to create five million new jobs by expanding the green sector of the economy, and broaden the number of economic opportunities for underrepresented Americans, such as veterans and youth.

Invest in Our Secure Energy Future and Create 5 Million New Jobs

Barack Obama and Joe Biden will use a portion of the revenue generated from the cap‐and‐trade permit auction to make investments that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and accelerate deployment of low‐carbon technologies. The investments will focus on three critical areas: 1) Basic Research; 2) Technology Demonstration and 3) Aggressive Commercial Deployment and Clean Market Creation.

• Invest In A Clean Energy Economy and Help Create 5 Million New Green Jobs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will strategically invest $150 billion over 10 years to accelerate the commercialization of plug‐in hybrids, promote development of commercial scale renewable energy, encourage energy efficiency, invest in low emissions coal plants, advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, and begin transition to a new digital electricity grid. The plan will also invest in America's highly‐skilled manufacturing workforce and manufacturing centers to ensure that American workers have the skills and tools they need to pioneer the green technologies that will be in high demand throughout the world. All together these investments will help the private sector create 5 million new green jobs, good jobs that cannot be outsourced.

• Create a “Green Vet Initiative”. The renewable energy economy is exploding in the United States. In terms of venture capital alone, private investment in the sector topped $2.6 billion dollars in 2007. At the same time, more than 837,000 troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan are now veterans. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will ensure that more of our veterans can enter the new energy economy. They will create a new “Green Vet Initiative” that will have two missions: first it will offer counseling and job placement to help veterans gain the skills to enter this rapidly growing field; second, it will work with industry partners to create career pathways and educational programs.

[...]

• Create New Job Training Programs for Clean Technologies. The Obama‐Biden plan will increase funding for federal workforce training programs and direct these programs to incorporate green technologies training, such as advanced manufacturing and weatherization training, into their efforts to help Americans find and retain stable, high‐paying jobs. Barack Obama and Joe Biden will also create an energy‐focused youth jobs program to invest in disconnected and disadvantaged youth. This program will provide youth participants with energy efficiency and environmental service opportunities to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in their communities, while also providing them with practical skills and experience in important career fields of expected high‐growth employment. Participants will not only be able to use their training to find new jobs, but also build skills that will help them move up the career ladder over time.

Millennials loved what Obama was selling. As we know from Eric Greenberg's Generation We, in which he cites Greenberg Millennial Survey data,

...not only does Generation We embrace the cause of environmental protection and a new energy paradigm, they have a real sense of urgency about it. For example, in the GMS, 74 percent say, “We must make major investments now to innovate the next generation of nonfossil fuel based energy solutions,” compared to just 26 percent who say, “We should continue on our current path, gradually shifting the mix of sources used to meet our energy needs.” In addition, 94 percent agreed that “our country must take extreme measures now, before it is too late, to protect the environment and begin to reverse the damage we have done.” Seventy-four percent say this situation is either a “crisis that our country must address immediately” or a major problem.

Even though President Obama's candidacy came after the Millennials' progressive, green-minded views came to fruition, there's still a chicken and egg thing going on here.

It's no secret that Obama's language over the course of the campaign targeted Millennials. They reappear above: Urgency. New paradigms. Investment. Here at FM, we've frequently discussed the importance of such a substantive campaign targeting youth so heavily.

But what is that importance? Put differently, now that 1.) we have many more students majoring in environmental studies today than we did five years ago, and 2.) President Obama is attempting to change the paradigm in the energy discussion, what does that portend for Millennials?

One possibility is that Millennials -- known for being collaborative, institution-dwellers, and earth-minded -- use these skills and traits to rise within corporations and institutions by developing "green" expertise. I see this quite a bit in my higher ed circle. Many colleges and universities, concerned with their bottom lines, are now looking for advice on how to become more sustainable (and more economical). A simple Google search for "sustainability coordinator" reveals a host of different schools who have the positions on their payrolls, like Duke, University of Idaho, and the University of Dayton. Many of these coordinators are young professionals (Millennials) who are using their technological expertise and more green-focused college educations to get a foot in the door, while creating positive change. So, while Boomers may still be in the captain's seat at most organizations, Millennials are proving their worth, stamping their values on these institutions.

This is just one more example of the importance of a president who invests in the future. More opportunities for young people. More opportunities for the country. And, in this case, more time for the earth.

In his weekly address released Saturday, President-elect Obama spoke about the need to not only solve the problems in the here and now, but also proactively and simultaneously confront the problems of the future.

Economists from across the political spectrum agree that if we don't act swiftly and boldly, we could see a much deeper economic downturn that could lead to double digit unemployment and the American Dream slipping further and further out of reach.

That's why we need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that not only creates jobs in the short-term but spurs economic growth and competitiveness in the long-term. And this plan must be designed in a new way – we can't just fall into the old Washington habit of throwing money at the problem. We must make strategic investments that will serve as a down payment on our long-term economic future. We must demand vigorous oversight and strict accountability for achieving results. And we must restore fiscal responsibility and make the tough choices so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down.

After Obama expounds on the necessity of thinking long-term, he explains how his administration will be doing this.

To put people back to work today and reduce our dependence on foreign oil tomorrow, we will double renewable energy production and renovate public buildings to make them more energy efficient. To build a 21st century economy, we must engage contractors across the nation to create jobs rebuilding our crumbling roads, bridges, and schools. To save not only jobs, but money and lives, we will update and computerize our health care system to cut red tape, prevent medical mistakes, and help reduce health care costs by billions of dollars each year. To make America, and our children, a success in this new global economy, we will build 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries. And to put more money into the pockets of hardworking families, we will provide direct tax relief to 95 percent of American workers.

One thing I took away from this week's address is the number of times Obama points out the prudence of thinking long-term on a plethora of issues.

In the middle of our $4.00/gallon summer, Sen. Obama took flak from many brainless conservatives for suggesting that we all take a look at our own lifestyles in order to make a difference in the level of energy consumption, such as making sure one's tires are filled with air to save gas. Instead of simply embracing the "Drill here, drill now" short-term gimmick, Obama showed the kind of leadership we haven't seen in at least eight years and re-framed the conversation to focus on long-term solutions.

In the middle of our economic recovery, instead of staying with what's come to be the politically safe choice of strictly worrying about the present, the Obama administration will focus on the future, re-building important infrastructure and changing spending habits.

Obama's focus on the future is refreshing, and it could be one more reason why Millennials -- who stand to inherit this mess -- voted for him by a two-thirds majority.

Hi, my name is Donald Betts, Jr. and I am running for U.S. Congress in the 4th Congressional District against 7-term incumbent Todd Tiahrt. I grew up in Wichita and as a child my mother, brother and myself were homeless numerous times.

We lived from motel to motel, from shelter to shelter growing up until we went to live with my grandfather, a minister, in Las Vegas. I didn’t come from a privileged background but I worked hard to overcome adversity and even though we lived in poverty stricken neighborhoods, full of gang violence, and drugs, I worked through school and got a scholarship to Friends University in Wichita where I graduated.

I started my legislative career at age 24 by running for Kansas State House of Representatives. I not only won the seat but continued to serve in the House until a special election in 2004 when I was appointed to the KS Senate. I was reelected at age 25 to the Kansas Senate. I am the youngest state senator in the history of Kansas. I am young but I have lived a very full life. Our future generations will continue to shape our country. I never looked at my age as an obstacle but an opportunity to speak out for everyone, young and old.

Some of the policies I have supported include funding for special education. One special program that started in Kansas (and is now nation-wide), “Circle of Friends” is an opportunity for special education students to team up with regular students one-on-one and it fostures understanding and acceptance. I love seeing the happiness in a child’s face with celebral palsy to be able to do “regular” activities such as horseback riding or just hanging out with their new team friend.

The feeling I get when I support policies that offer a positive outcome for the masses, gives me joy. What I’ve gone through in my life has made me a man of the people, and I’ve chosen to be a public servant, because it is what I’m supposed to do. It is my goal to make sure that no child is “left behind”.

I wake up every morning with the mission to retire Tiahrt. Why? Must you ask? When it comes to our youth, it should be a “no brainer” to support initiatives like “SCHIP” (State Children’s Health insurance program). My opponent voted to sustain the president’s veto against this measure three times. This congressman has supported President Bush over 90% of the time, and while you are paying more at the pump, his contribution coffers are being filled to the rim in oil money? My voting record has, and will continue to reflect healthy choices for our environment, while my opponent has a consistent 0% voting record for the environment.

There are stark differences between me and my opposition. I am on a mission to provide true leadership by example. There should be no question, that my loyalty rest with making the future brighter, safer, and stronger for America’s youth.

For more details, about my position on issues, and for more about me, please visit my website, www.betts4congress.com.