Customer Reviews

Millennials and the Pop Culture

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is another work by Strauss and Howe, similar in theme to their first book, Generations. The main thesis is that culture undergoes cycles of change composed of four generations each, alternating between inward-directed and outward-directed emphasis.

The book comes several years after Millennials Rising, and as such contains more detailed predictions about the Millennial generation, with specific application to popular culture and media.

The main idea is that within several years we will see a major cultural shift, as the Millennial generation becomes a dominant influence on the culture as a whole. This is a civic-minded generation like the G.I.s that won World War II; it will have a major impact on rebuilding public institutions.

Several concerns might be posed concerning the Strauss/Howe thesis. The claims regarding generational cycles are difficult to support quantitatively and rigorously--i.e., the theory may be unfalsifiable, thus not scientific. The theory minimizes other important trends, e.g. technological or civilizational. Much data provided in defense of the theory seem force-fitted and actually don't support the case: for example, it is said that Millennials love epic hero movies, such as Troy, Alexander and King Arthur--though none of these did outstandingly at the box office. Furthermore, many characteristics of youth culture are described here, but it is not clear that these facts actually support their theory or are incidental truisms about current youth culture.

This being said, this book as well as its predecessors make substantial claims about culture and explain much of cultural history difficult to explain otherwise. Anyone concerned about cultural trends cannot afford to neglect these works.

Co-authored by William Strauss and Neil Howe, and with the additional assistance of Pete Markiewicz, Millenials And The Pop Culture: Strategies For A New Generation Of Consumers is an informed study focusing upon a decreasing in entertainment consumption by the "Millenial generation". Providing readers documentation of this cultural phenomena through a series of polls, interviews, surveys, and ratings, Millenials And The Pop Culture delves deeply into the seeming demise of music concerts, big-screen movie viewing, and traditional music distribution sales, while informing readers of the increasing popularity and social change in computer games and game systems as key providers of significantly less limited formatting of entertainment delivery systems. Millenials And The Pop Culture is very strongly recommended as an invaluable and in-depth study of the Millenial generation that will be of particular interest to students of the generation-based social and cultural shifts, as well as those professionally involved with economics, marketing, and the entertainment business.