Why Value Youth Culture?

Our generation, are HUGE consumers... either via our own money or our parents and people who sell shit know that so they want us to like their stuff. Simple.

Bfin said it. And if it weren't for consumption, the majority of the population wouldn't give a shit about youth culture.

Because as filthy and rotten as it is, it is infinitely better than hippy culture.

Youth culture is a subculture that makes a lot of noise. There are definitely advantages but your late teens to early 20's is by no means the only part of life that matters. It's a formative period for many, but plenty of people change directions later in life.

Youth culture is easy to capitalize on because most just don't know any better: this is a double edged sword. Really easy example: our military is a [mostly] good youth culture, but it's run by the old politicians and warlords just like the enemy: if not for those people cynically manipulating things, there wouldn't be a war in the first place. See it for what it is. It's the same with business, entertainment, and culture. The majority of people running "youth culture" are cynical old tyrants operating behind the scenes.

The bright side is that in a bunch of cases, young people have asserted themselves and overridden the pre-existing culture. Demographics are destiny, and we live in a period of history where young people are in a position of enormous power. If you're less than 40, you were born into the right place at the right time.

Don't screw it up.

Good question, bro. I've been pondering the same thing for awhile...

You buy shit with your parent's money, and you buy a lot of it; that's college. First year analyst blow all their salary on going out - club owners love them; that's your start in life. That's why you matter.

Later in life you'll be more reasonable, and spend on your kids and on a mortgage, you'll have a lot less disposable income. You don't realise it, but you are actually rich at the moment - that mountain of debt you are accumulating, you don't even realise it as they are deferred until the end of uni...

All good points above, and I would like to add that the industry has really played up youth itself significantly. Obviously time is a valuable commodity, but the media always makes it seem like being in your 20's is the greatest thing in the world and the rest of your life is a pale piece of shit during which you always reminisce about the crazy nights you had in your poor days as a yuppie. Completely ignores the benefits of the older years.

Sure, carpe diem and all of that. But by taking it to such an extent, the industry has created an intense cycle, whereby the largest consumers consume EVEN MORE in order to crystallize every moment they can in their precious youth. It's the fear of missing out and the desire to do everything you can to make it matter which causes the youth generation to spend so much...and then the notion gets reinforced again so that the next generation spends even more extravagantly.

tl;dr: Youth culture started out for being intense consumers, then itself was twisted to justify its own insane consumption.

The main problem with youth culture is the FB and texting fetish. The kids who go far in life will be the ones who can make and keep friends in real life.

Here's a great article/podcast detailing the answer to your question. Apologies for the Canadian-ness.

http://www.cbc.ca/ageofpersuasion/episode/season-5/2011/05/28/season-fi…

Why are advertisers targeting youth when older demographics have more money?

"If the age-old axiom is to "follow the money," why isn't advertising's famous ability to do that kicking in?

There are three possible reasons:

One: The average age of ad agency people is around 30. So if the people advising advertisers where to spend their money are young, it's not surprising that companies are being convinced they should be targeting the young. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy.

Two: Marketing's lack of attention to 55+ is cultural. Ignoring older people is tolerated. If society feels that way at large, and if advertising follows the parade, why should marketers feel any different?

Third, the advertising industry has institutionalized the youth strategy. While it has recently shifted that demographic slightly to reflect ages 25 to 54, a lot of media thinking believes the 55+ consumers will be reached with the "spill" of their 25 to 54 media buys. But even the word "spill" suggests a lack of focus and respect. So advertisers continue shutting the door at age 49, or even 54, despite the fact that the 55+ market would probably grow revenues dramatically.

Maybe New Yorker magazine said it best. In an article on ageism in advertising by James Surowiecki, he surrenders to the point that there is a demographic of genuine stick-in-the-mud types, who have decided what they're after and are resistant to all arguments to the contrary.

They're the ones who work in advertising."