Are you a part of ‘Generation Meh?’
by Kiran Sood
You might expect a 28-year-old blogger who writes about issues of relationships, career, finance, happiness and misfortune for the younger crowd in today’s wired society to be pretty plugged in. True, Maureen Henderson is well read, articulate on issues of politics and policy, and well traveled. But completely wired? Nope.
When we chatted, we had a voice conversation on Skype. The Canadian-born blogger owns no cell phone, no television. She simply refuses to be inescapably connected and accessible to others at all times even as she hits the Internet to keep up-to-date on the news, refresh her site, or stay in touch with friends. She calls herself a late adopter to the idea of social media, and confesses to reluctantly joining Facebook after she discovered it was a good way to keep in touch with her siblings. Still feeling her way around Twitter, she maintains an account primarily for use through her Web site, Generation Meh, which is a take on the expression of ambivalence used by young adults.
“While we’ve raised our awareness of each other, that isn’t a proxy for true connectedness,” she says.
Her blog contains satirical counsel ranging from dating advice to “shy/nerdy/ awkward” dudes, (women, for example, are attracted to confidence) to telling members of this generation that we should not be afraid to take risks (not as much to lose these days).
Maureen believes that as we become more “closely” linked in a digital world, our personal relationships are suffering greatly.
“Knowing isn’t a substitute for interacting,” she says, “and a steady stream of information about someone isn’t a stand-in for a dynamic, reciprocal relationship with that person.”
Whether or not you agree with Maureen, her ability to limit access almost creates a sense of impenetrability that could prove valuable in today’s society. Some things are better left to mystery, to be discovered in a chance meeting, perhaps.
Photo credit: (http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/meh)
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Tags: communication, Generation Meh, Internet, Maureen Henderson, social networking, technology, thirtysomething, twentysomething
August 29th, 2009 at 1:16 am
Excellent feature, Kiran. As a longtime fan of Ms. Henderson and her work, I may be over the age limit of GenMeh, but I also have benefitted from many of its self-help advice, as well as the founder’s personal friendship. I’m older, yet I feel as if I’d gained an older, wiser, smarter, and savvier sister to lean on during some of my harder times. Most of all, she serves as a role model to many of us privileged enough to have known her.
August 29th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Thank you, Carol. As a member of Generation Y, I knew upon seeing her blog that I wanted to learn even more. It was a great conversation.
January 14th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
[...] Check out this look at a new generation here. [...]