A new generation makes its voices heard in a digital democracy

On a sunny Thursday morning at the Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles’ Universal City, bright blue, pink and yellow lights bounced on the walls and ceilings of grand ballroom. It looked more like a Hollywood nightclub. But here, a group of 20-something entrepreneurs was looking for the chance to network and share ideas for transforming the ever-evolving Web.

It’s a heady task, taking on the Internet at such a critical time of change when more and more are flocking there for information, for social interaction, for fun, for business, for all manner of pleasure and, ultimately, to make a buck. Or rather, a killing on what appears at the moment to be a boundless opportunity for rich ideas, true innovation and a wholesale shift in how we deal with each other at every level.

Attendees are greeted by lights, cameras, and a red carpet. (Kiran Sood/ Shift)

Each of them – about 300 in total – wore black tags attached to a silver chain with the name and date of the event etched on it – Twiistup VI: July 30 – 31, 2009. A smattering of women was present. But mostly this was a meet-up dominated by men dressed in casual but smart button-down shirts and dark blue jeans.

And smarts were aplenty, as these dreamers and doers explained the Internet can be viewed as a democracy where everyone gets a voice, a vote, to influence a nation and a world’s discourse and shape how we see each other and ourselves. The scale of influence ranges from a blogger who reaches 200 users a month, to a successful entrepreneur who hits 200,000. In between, the capacity to make a difference, influence opinions, and stir change is daunting. More than that. Exciting. But it’s also dangerous since citizens have a responsibility to add their unique voices to the fray.

Twiistup 6, a two-day technology, media and entertainment conference designed to showcase start-up innovation in technology and communication, was the venue for such an exchange. But it was event that signaled a much broader shift in the prevalence of young people online. The conference was abuzz with talk of social media and how to best shape the future of social networks. The Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 75 percent of online adults age 18 to 24 have a profile on a social network site such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn. Overall, personal use of social networks seems more prevalent than professional use of networks, the study found. Fully 89 percent use their online profiles to keep up with friends.

But that is not where the power of social networks and online communication ends; it’s only the beginning.

The attendees, mostly in their 20s and 30s, traveled from nearly every state to attend Twiistup 6. Among them was Edward Lu, 27, who was raised in the L.A. tech scene and is co-founder of GrubWithUs with Daishin Sugano. Eddy and Daishin, 28, hope their site, which creates a communal dining experience by allowing users to open their homes and kitchens to new friends, encourages people to connect with others through face-to-face connections and share experiences that can’t be limited to online. Users can prepare meals, invite people over and be a part of this social experiment.

Eddy Lu and Daishin Sugano, co-founders of GrubWith.us, at Twiistup 6 in Los Angeles, California. (Kiran Sood/ Shift)

Success in their venture will be determined by how willing users are to trust one another. There is a huge difference between people who are comfortable chatting with millions of others through the protection of their computer screen, and those willing to risk starting a personal, offline exchange. It is essential that online bonds are built on the common foundations of trust and credibility, just as in personal offline relationships.

“There is only so much you can do online,” Lu said. “At some point, you are going to want to hang out with them in real life, or go somewhere with them. We never felt totally connected in that realm. We really just wanted to actually meet people, and that is why we go to events like this, instead of an online conference.”

Daishin and Eddy both graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 2003. They recall growing up influenced by trends in social media, and deciding early to draw a thick line between their online and offline identities.

These people are attempting to define perhaps the most important way that we communicate today.

“There are your friends, and then there are your Friendster friends,” Sugano said.

Another pushing this change is Glenn Gutierrez, a young entrepreneur who believes social networking sites must emphasize human connections and shared emotions to be considered truly successful. He believes that social networks will remain prevalent as long as they bring together people of similar interests. Bonds are created and cemented by people with similar passions and goals. Imagine the Internet as a family gathered around an intimate kitchen table setting, instead of bumping and grinding in a dark club.

Glenn Gutierrez and Andrew Pham pose at Twiistup 6. The two young men are part of the team behind PopScreen.

Glenn Gutierrez and Andrew Pham pose at Twiistup. The two young men are part of the team behind PopScreen. (Kiran Sood/ Shift)

Glenn said he has experienced the complete range of emotions – joy, sadness, inclusion and loneliness – when it comes to social networks and online communities since the revolution of communications technology with the launch of Friendster in 2002 and the creation of MySpace in summer of 2003. These were Glenn’s high school years, and at the time and recalls spending a good chunk of time on MySpace. He admitted to losing countless hours of his life to the site. But today, the 25-year-old Houstonian and full-time law student only uses the site to allow others to find him online. No more seeking out connections; no more hiding behind the safety of a computer screen.

“The difference between which social network to stay with comes down to utility,” he said. “Which ones am I going to get the most interaction from, from the people that I can interact with, now, or at least in a business capacity, or some other capacity of interest? A social network needs to grab my interest in some way, shape or form, and give me some feedback.”

Twiistup did not always include two days of panels and discussions. It was originally a one-night mixer – the most popular part of the gathering – with music, drinks, giveaways, and even a little dancing. It is the perfect opportunity for Glenn to promote his site PopScreen, a social bookmarking application that caters to the video audience by helping people better manage, share, and discuss videos they find worth watching with their favorite people.

The online video market is booming, and Glenn hopes to add PopScreen to the fray. Since 2006, the percentage of online adults who watch videos on video-sharing sites has nearly doubled. For members of Generation Y, between the ages of 18 to 29, nearly nine out of 10 users say they watch content on video-sharing sites. With this many viewers spending time online, the idea to present a new way to organize and share video only seems logical.

He is joined by PopScreen co-founder Andrew Pham, a 21-year-old senior at the University of Houston.

For Andrew, social networking sites must prove useful for his mobile lifestyle. Staying in touch on the go, he said, is important given today’s quick pace. He is not alone, as the Pew Internet and American Life Project notes that teens and Generation Y Internet users are the most likely groups to use the web for entertainment and for communicating with friends and family. Andrew came to the event to tap into the pool of resources that would be available at his fingertips.

“I’m a firm believer in destiny,” Andrew said. “If you take a step back life will push you to the right people. I didn’t know what I really wanted to do at first, [but] helping with PopScreen has allowed me to find my niche and purpose here.”

Twiistup was also a chance for young innovators who have already achieved success to meet with venture capitalists in hopes of securing funding. Take Jared Kim.

Jared Kim's adolescent years spent playing video games helped give him the foundation and inspiration to create WeGame.com. (Kiran Sood/ Shift)

Jared is the son of what he calls non-traditional immigrant parents born in Korea who encouraged him at a young age to pursue his passions with determination. He says he inherited his parents’ diligence and his success was built on learning these lessons at a young age.

Two years ago, while a freshman at the University of California at Berkeley, Jared dropped out of school in pursuit of combining his love of video games with the mobility, speed and connectivity the Internet offers; he has not looked back since. Jared created and launched WeGame.com, an online community for video gamers to interact and play together. At 21, he has already raised more than $3 million for the site.

“Traditionally, the Asian stereotype is go to college, become a lawyer, become a doctor, become something stable,” Jared said. “My father has always said, ‘Start your own company, that is the only way you will ever truly be free.’ From a young age, I have never seen myself doing anything else but starting my own company.”

Whether their goals were formulated at a young age, or adopted as young adults, the innovators who gathered in LA on this fruitful weekend all shared a similar passion, excitement and anticipation toward the ideas and technology that will change the way that people communicate and get their information.

To win success in the online world – one marked by rapid innovation – there are a few tricks of the trade. Glenn Gutierrez, a 25-year-old entrepreneur from PopScreen, shared some of his secrets through this confessional.

“You need to be able to grab the bull by the horns,” Glenn says. To hear and see more on Gutierrez’ advice to the web’s up-and-comers, watch the following video.