CREDITS

Curated by
Samyak Chakrabarty
Chief Youth Marketer
DDB Mudra Group
Editorial Team
Harsha Malaney
Vaspaan Dastoor
Aakansha Kedia
Priyanka Krishnan
Aniket Sharma
Sneha Pawar
Divya Unnikrishnan
Devanshi Shah
Anish Gupta
Saurabh Kambil
Rahul Maniar
Inshia Slatewala
Tanzila Merchant
Neeharika Jaiswal
Simran Hemrajani
Trishla Kothari
Maitri Shah
Karishma Dedhia
Samiha Umbralkar
Suraj Namboodiri
Gargi Gupta
Youth Advisory Board
Pratik Gandhi
Roshni Mogal
Sushant Kamble
Nildeep Mondal
Andrew Jacquet
Rohan Cooper
Nihar Palwe
blank
Design Team
Unaiza Merchant
Ankush Kale
Pratap B ose
Chief Operating Officer, DDB Mudra Group
Dear Industry Colleagues,
As India is set to become the youngest
country by 2020, it becomes inevitable
for brands, right from beers to banks, to
neglect this vital and powerful segment
of our nation - the Youth.
The biggest challenge faced by brands
today lies in the sheer diversity and fast
paced transformation that takes place
within this age group. Data that is
important, or in todays term trending,
one day, becomes stale and outdated
the very next day, even before it is
compiled. This makes it complex to
pinpoint what would be the best way to
engage with the youth.
At DDB Mudra Group therefore, 'Youth'
is a mindset and not necessarily only
dened by age, geography, economic
and social class. This inaugural Youth
Report will give you an insight into the
key thought processes and
conversations that lead to form brand
preferences. It focuses on some of
those bevioural aspects of the youth
that remain constant.
A unique aspect of this report is that
while it is about the youth, it is also
by the youth. The content has been
collated, structured and designed by a
panel of forty urban 17-25 year olds
from across Indian metros. This was a
conscious decision made by us, so as
to ensure the information is raw and
relevant, and not ltered in any way.
DDB Mudra Groups role has been
primarily to curate the data collected
and make this project come alive.
Hope you enjoy reading this, as much
as we've enjoyed putting it together
for you!
Samyak Chakrabarty
Chief Youth Marketer, DDB Mudra Group
It all began 6 months ago when I lost a
major business pitch. The client ex-
pected us to suggest strategies which
would make their brand cool and help
them amplify their presence on social.
My argument was that neither a million
likes on Facebook nor sexy creatives
can translate into sustainable talk
value. Marketers wrongly assume that
quick fixes like celebrity endorsements,
popular lingo, bright colors, fancy de-
sign and bombarding social media will
do the trick.
After reading most other reports on
youth behavior, we realized that every-
one is just scratching the surface. As
Pratap rightly said, data expires before
even it reaches print. Hence we de-
cided to take a more academic ap-
proach which looks at youth beyond
adjectives such as screenagers, digi-
natives and Gen Y. We wanted to
present an understanding which is
more permanent and can aid in build-
ing long term brand strategy. The first
and most valuable learning was that
Youth cannot be defined or boxed into
traditional SECs. I was surprised to see
a 21 year old in Dharavi with the latest
iPhone he bought after moonlighting at
a call centre and another of the same
age living in a Bandra highrise using
Nokia Asha. This set the context for a
break-through in how brands can look
at youth, we arrived at 5 fluid mindset
archetypes,an understanding of how a
18-25 year old shapes his/her brand
preferences irrespective of where
he/she lives and earns.
Using this approach our next discovery
was how trend setters become who
they are and how an otherwise un-
structured medium Word of Mouth
can be artificially regulated to ensure
the message effectively trickles down.
The power of Offline social networks
is immense and untapped.
Section 1
The
Big
5
One of the greatest challenges to ac-
cess the minds of Indias urban young is
to be able to cut through the social, eco-
nomic and cultural diversities as they
often end up creating confusion. We
were amazed to find students who did
not appear to be able to afford it using
an Apple iPhone VS an obvious SEC A
using the cheapest available handset.
While perhaps it would conventionally
be prudent to assume that (for a 30+
year old) a luxury purchase with a price
tag of INR 30,000 to INR 50,000 would
be a product meant for only the higher
income brackets but such an under-
standing often fails when it comes to
the Under 25 year olds.
After an exhaustive analysis of complex
spending patterns and brand preference
matrixes, we conclude that it is in fact
impossible to give an exact definition to
urban youth other than the age. While
adjectives such as Gen Y, Diginatives
and Screenagers sound exciting, they
are nothing but modern age jargons
used to disguise a lack of a definitive
understanding. Given the increase in
number of influencing factors and
choices preferences / buying behavior
will always be variable and inconsistent.
One thing which can be said though is
that those born post 1988 are extremely
moody people. At one level they are very
sure of what they want to do in the long
run, but on another there is immense
amount of confusion and parallel
thought flow.
Again it is the number of options avail-
able and continuous bombardment of
information through new media to
blame. 9 out 10 decisions are made
based on the prevailing environment
and frame of mind.
Therefore, the route we took is to under-
stand these different and frequent mood
swings to be able to get a better insight
into what factors actually play a pivotal
role in shaping preferences and actual
buying decisions.
Such an approach takes us back to the
basic fundamentals into the workings of
a human mind because it is only that
which remains constant. Tools like
Facebook behavior or current buying
trends will only give a superficial under-
standing and such information will ex-
pire before you even begin to implement
any strategies based on those!
What is about to follow in this section
are 5 mindsets (read: mood) which exist
in every Young Indian born post 1988
living in metro cities. Each gets triggered
based on the type of decision and plays
a critical role in influencing choice. What
is most interesting though is that while
these five exist in all, their intensity
varies in different people according to
the product category. This causes peo-
ple to develop a certain kind of attitude
towards different product categories
which remains constant. So therefore
while A could have a Passionista mind-
set towards Food & Beverages but can
look at gadgets from a Kite mindset.
This would then also make it easy to
identify influencers amongst peer
groups for brands. For example, some-
one who is known to have a dominant
Label mindset would be an influencer
for fashion and lifestyle related pur-
chases. To understand this model bet-
ter, try a simple exercise after the end of
this part - pick any one brand/product
of your choice (preferably a gadget or an
automobile) and look at it from the per-
spective of each of these five you will
notice how youngsters perceive the
same product so differently.
1
The key words here are instinct and
emotion. Someone who transforms
into a Passionista while making deci-
sions would base judgment purely on
feelings often also defying strong logic.
Perhaps this would explain why a guy
who cant afford something still man-
ages to work hard and gathers re-
sources enough to acquire it. The
driving factor here is essentially the love
or even sometimes obsession for some-
thing. Utility takes a back seat. Such a
mindset can be related to products like
mobile phones, automobiles, food and
entertainment. For example we found a
large number of college students who
saved up on about a months pocket al-
lowance to be able to buy a 3 day Sun-
burn Goa ticket in 2012. The strong
craze for Electronic Dance Music fueled
this austerity by which even their middle
class parents were appalled. It has been
found that people who frequently think
from their heart are most loyal to spe-
cific brands and will continue their en-
gagement with it despite newer
attractive (and maybe more affordable)
propositions.
This would explain why most young-
sters stuck to their good old mobile
service providers despite MNP (Mobile
number portability) becoming a reality,
the churn was way lower than expected
from this age group. Infact this is also
the reason why we think the Apple
iPhone will continue to remain the most
aspirational mobile handset for a very
long time. Its cousins in this space
would have to something very ground
breaking at a product as well as a brand
level to try and dilute the love young-
sters have for it.
The Passionista
2
Its always about being the first in every-
thing he/she does. Such as state of
mind is active in people who are gener-
ally very motivated, aggressive and
competitive in nature. They would buy
the latest pair of shades only with the
intent of being the first one in their
group to posses it or study exceptionally
hard with the sole intent of achieving the
highest rank. Brands / products that
transport them into the top rung are a
huge favorite. Words like exclusivity,
winning and limited edition are arous-
ing. This also means that many a times
ones own true desire / choice is sup-
pressed for something that would en-
able them to cross the finish line first!
Categories like Education, Mobile Hand-
sets, Nightclubs, and Computers etc
must thank this aspect of the buying be-
havior of certain individuals for creating
initial traction. A racehorse mindset
proves to be the fiercest and demanding
of all consumers as he/she is continu-
ously looking for something new. They
are also extremely powerful influencers
for they are recognized in their peer
groups for being an early adopter across
most product categories. For example,
one would notice that SUVs are ex-
tremely popular amongst youngsters in
comparison to luxury sedans of the
same price band. This is because the
overall aura of this automobile type is
fast, strong and dynamic which are also
qualities of a racehorse mindset.
This effect then trickles down the pyra-
mid and other youngsters also start
choosing options like Mahindra XUV,
Renault Duster and Honda CRV over a
Volkswagen Vento, Chevrolet Cruz and
Honda City.
The Racehorse
3 2
This is perhaps the most superficial side
of a youngster. All decisions are com-
pletely based on the badge value of a
product. Unlike someone who thinks
likes a racehorse, here its not about
being the first but rather being the
coolest. Making a statement is essen-
tial and therefore only those
brands/products will be chosen who en-
able them to be noticed and be talked
about.
Surprisingly while one would assume
that this would be relevant to largely
women and fashion products we no-
ticed that even men think like labels
when it comes to computer games, per-
fumes, cars, alcoholic beverages etc.
Interestingly, a lot of students prefer ac-
cepting placement offers from compa-
nies that have a big brand name even at
the cost of compromising on salary.
And this is not in consideration of future
prospects, but primarily because its a
good logo on the business card which
will be shared amongst friends at the
graduation party.
Another finding indicates that 6 out of
10 purchases in such cases are fake.
One of our respondents stated during a
discussion, Both the real and fake jeans
are made in China, then why unneces-
sarily pay a premium as long as the logo
is there! This also gives an insight that
in general young people are extremely
functional and practical.
The Label
If someone thinks like a Shiny Disco
Ball, He / She is an optimist and will be
open to try different things just for the
experience. Being highly exploratory in
nature, they will not critically analyze a
product / brand and will buy it if the de-
cision makes them happy. While one
could draw similarities to being a Pas-
sionista, however choices are not based
on love or an emotional connect with the
brand here feelings are more internal.
Communication that is cheerful and
lively will attract those who generally
wear this frame of mind.
We find that in general, most youngsters
prefer to remain in this state of mind
when it comes to day to day decisions
like recreation and entertainment. In fact
it is also often used as tool to escape
stressful matters. The popular phrase
YOLO You live only once has be-
come a way of living for most college
goers at least for the first two years.
However, this way of thinking is more
applicable to decisions pertaining to liv-
ing life rather than brands / products at
large.
The Shiny Disco Ball
4
When someone does not think like a
Passionista, Label, Racehorse or a Shiny
Disco Ball he thinks like a Kite. Those
in this state of mind prefer to follow oth-
ers when it comes to buying decisions.
Each peer group has a trend setter for
different products and the rest become
kites hence would form a majority in
number for any product.
This is either because of their lack of
knowledge about a certain brand/prod-
uct category or they prefer to be plain
lazy. Kites play an important role in
making something into a mass public
phenomena. However since they do not
display qualities of loyalty or consis-
tency, they can also be the reason for a
brand to completely lose its youth con-
nect. One of the primary reasons why
Blackberry which at one point was the
most popular handset in campuses is
not as much in conversation these days
is because the influencers for it started
reducing and kites therefore started
moving to the new thing that was being
talked about.
You would find that majority of young-
sters think in this manner when it comes
to choices like Mobile Handsets, Books,
Restaurants, Travel etc where it is es-
sential to make an informed decision (in
this case, information which an opinion
leader has gathered!).
The Kite
5 4
Section 2
Beauty
Money
LOVE
Faith
Sex
Substance
As already discussed in the previ-
ous section, urban young Indians
do not have a singular decision
making formulae. In order to better
understand their different perspec-
tives to varied situations, we have
filtered the insights into six main
frames which are -Beauty-Money-
Sexuality-Love- Faith- Substance.
This section is an exploration of
the 6 entities that most acutely in-
fluence the actions, choices and
aspirations of urban young India. If
looked collectively, it will reveal
how interrelated they are and the
lives of those born post 1988 are
completely controlled by them.
7
BEAUTY
It is amazing how complete is the
delusion that beauty is goodness.
- Leo Tolstoy
The India of small, bustling market-
places is being slowly, but surely phased
out in an attempt to accommodate the
concept of a Global India. With the ge-
niuses behind branding cracking the
code to increasing desirability of prod-
ucts with small yet significant symbols
of affiliation, brand consciousness has
taken the front stage. It also makes for
interesting conversations where the
youth love to discuss and flaunt every-
thing they own including sneakers, to in-
creased storage capacities on their MP3
players.
Havent you seen an LV bag? The
whole point of it is to show off the LV
logo. Thats why Id pay twenty thou-
sand rupees for it. Bags in that size and
colour are all over the place, but what
Im not going to get off the road is the
logo. said 23 year old Sonali Patnaik, a
fashion student from New Delhi.
This need to sport brands gets mani-
fested into conversations within young
social circles significantly. Indulging in
a purchase that is outside of that which
has gained social acceptance disquali-
fies you from the in group right away.
One may go to a government run insti-
tution to study but if he/she is carrying
a high end phone from a desirable
brand, he becomes a part of a social cir-
cle he would never have otherwise been
a part of. This choice that is out of the
ordinary elevates ones social status,
and modifies the portrayal of ones
being.
The wide spectrum of brands plays a
large role in this behavioral pattern of
the youth. For instance, in the sporting
sphere, there exists separate brands
that provide trekking gear, fitness gear
and theres also one dedicated strictly to
passionate athletes. About ten years
ago, one would have bought a pair of
shoes that served all three purposes.
Similarly, there are brands that provide
casual Indian clothes and brands that
provide formal Indian clothes. Individ-
uals have invariably identified the hier-
archy of brands in the market and have
attributed the best qualities to the most
popular and invariably, the most expen-
sive ones. Importance placed on prod-
uct quality has been slashed, with the
tag becoming a more central aspect.
The localization of the world market in
urban spaces has reduced the proximity
between the consumer and the brand. If
ones cousin flies down from London
wearing a jacket of a certain brand, it is
no longer aspirational for him/her. Since
theyre now readily available and within
reach of the youth, these goods dont
have to be specially flown in from
abroad, piggybacking on yet another rel-
ative who may be visiting. This extends
to online shopping just as well with e-
commerce websites retailing brands
that arent yet within our immediate
reach.
Lastly, the soaring sales of certain
brands can be attributed to the kind of
image they are selling. If a brand is
selling the image of rock-star through
its clothes, their primary market would
be people involved in music and bands.
In essence, brands have started narrow-
ing down their target audiences to make
room for niche product offerings that
this audience is prone to purchasing.
Wearing a certain brand speaks oodles
about ones personality, so the youth
find expressing themselves through this
variety of brands they sport, a conven-
ient and appealing means of expression.
The Branded and The Beautiful
11
A continual exposure to the west has
made the Indian youth identify with, and
relate to western ideas of beauty. An
emerging social hierarchy has been
based entirely on looks, with the most
good looking lot at the top. Having said
that, the expectations from those at the
top of the pyramid are extremely high
too. As one traverses down the pyramid,
sadly, there are higher chances of
him/her getting written off as being av-
erage in terms of performance.
Adding to this list of unfortunate find-
ings is the fact that even failure is per-
ceived on the basis of a persons looks.
Ordinary individuals are excused from
erring, while someone who otherwise
sports an outstanding personality and
coupled with good looks has to bear the
brunt of an exaggerated failure.
Good looks work as both a boon and a
bane for the urban Indian youth. Individ-
uals are socially conditioned into believ-
ing this to be true and thus, instilling
such a sense of judgement amongst the
youth. While the ordinary are not ostra-
cized per se, for either an excess of a
few pounds here and there, or for show-
ing up with ugly shoes, this works very
contrastingly for a person blessed with
good looks. He/she is constantly
placed under the scanner to a greater
extent if he/she deviates from a socially
constructed idea of perfection.
The very last repercussion of judgment
based on a social appearance is the
stereotypes that emerge as a result of
this mindset, that tend to get passed on
from generation to generation, thus em-
bedding these thoughts into our very
fabric.
Judge A Book By Its Cover
13
The last decade has been witness to a
steep rise in number of enrollments at
fitness centres, and these mostly con-
stitute youngsters aged between 16 and
28 years. These youngsters are quite
health conscious with steadfast dedica-
tion towards working out. Less stressful
jobs and encouraging home environ-
ments allow the youth to allot a few
hours every week towards maintaining
their bodies.
A certain personality and image has de-
veloped around said fitness centres,
pushing more and more youngsters to
procure a membership so that they can
be in on whats cool too. A rapid in-
crease in the involvement of the youth in
health clubs illustrates that the youth
are becoming more conscious of their
physical appearance. To reinforce this,
gyms also advertise themselves by dis-
tributing pamphlets replete with images
of able bodied men and women flashing
broad smiles.
While it may be healthier for an over-
weight person to lose weight, the motive
behind this person joining the gym
would be to fit into clothes from her
favourite brands. Gyms are growing in
popularity because being fit implies
being more desirable. I need to put on
some weight. Thats why I use the gym.
I think I look too lanky. I dont like look-
ing younger than I am. It means no girl
my age will be interested in me. says
Adriel George of Bandra, Mumbai.
Id love to carry off a bikini. boasts 25
year old Yashada, who is a lawyer and a
regular at her local gym.
I alter all my tuition timings so that I get
the instructor I want, but I never miss
gym, not a single day a week. said H.
Choksey, a twelfth grade student from
Mumbai.
This rapidly expanding movement of
early interest in health has had other
repercussions as well. Different kinds of
recreational activities have begun to
surface to cater to the youth segment.
On an average, there exists a yoga or
kickboxing instructor within a 2km ra-
dius of any locality. The option of a jog
in one's neighborhood park is grossly
simple as compared to a professional
coming home to train you.
The popularity of gyms has also ex-
tended to new real estate plans which
are now forced to allocate space for
health centers within societies. The in-
volvement in a health club of some sort
now renders anyone and everyone a fit-
ness expert. This topic now is a com-
mon feature in most conversations and
quick tips about staying fit are com-
monplace in social gatherings.
The most recent development in this as-
pect is that about 12% of the youth are
now seriously considering becoming
health instructors. Chartered account-
ants, assistant directors and even peo-
ple from hospitality have now grasped
the potential of the health industry and
see a prospective career in it. It is no
longer uncommon to spot a college-
mate who studied in your class and has
now settled into a convenient routine of
freelancing as a yoga/meditation
teacher/ 'consultant' in the evenings, or
an economics major teaching salsa at a
studio.
The interest in health has birthed a
whole new segment in the food sector
as well. The steady advancement of the
organic foods industry goes hand in
hand with the boom in the health indus-
try. From nutritional supplements to
natural tonics, herbal oils to green tea,
everything finds a niche in the young-
sters kitchen. The reach of an organic
diet has now spread to cafes and
restaurants that have a whole section
dedicated to healthy food.
Gym = Style > Health
15
Social networking was conceived as a
means to enhance already existing so-
cial relationships, to help connect with
people one already knew and to find as-
sociations that were lost in the age of
landline-phones and postal services.
Urban society approached this new
platform of connectivity with a lot of en-
thusiasm, which was most notable
amongst the youth. However, this may
have resulted in a nation full of young-
sters who exhibit immense confidence
via their virtual personalities, but not in
reality. The youth has also understood
the magnitude of the effect of a 'social'
profile on the general perception of
him/her, therefore, he/she chooses what
he/she would like to perceived about
him/her. The array of options to cus-
tomize have rendered the youth free to
upload selective information, conceal
and exaggerate, manipulate and mag-
nify.
I do commercial work for Bollywood
films all the time. Your run-of-the-mill
item numbers are not uncommon to me.
But there's no way in hell I would upload
that as my own work because I would
really like to showcase my independent
work online, I dont want anyone to cat-
egorize me as a 'Bollywood' producer',
says Jason D'Souza of Bangalore, a
successful 28 year old music producer.
Virtual access to information has
merged it with all other kinds of infor-
mation deduced from real life. Social
networks are the new guide-book for the
youth segment - they have begun to
stand for the truth. One doesnt need to
explicitly mention their relationship sta-
tus when a mere profile image can re-
veal much more than needed.
Sadly, their identities are very closely
associated to their virtual portrayals of
themselves, and these could be drasti-
cally different from their real selves,
which again leads to constant misrep-
resentations of individuals where a per-
son could be perceived to be very
popular based on the likes their profile
picture gets, while in real life, they may
be extremely introverted and friendless
for all practical purposes.
Similarly, if one observes that another
has several friends, they are automati-
cally considered to be social butterfly.
Goes without saying that this friend list
could constitute family, coworkers and
other people one may not have inter-
acted with, but the credibility lent by a
single number is enormous.
An online profile also gauges one's in-
tellect. If a person shares interesting,
knowledgeable information, they are
viewed as the intelligentsia, and people
even go on to assume their educational
backgrounds based on such analyses.
Additionally, redundant information re-
garding whereabouts of an individual
who one may not be in touch with are
also at display, unlike in the past when
one is only in touch with ones closest
friends.
Facebook Kya Kahega?
17
MONEY
Anyone who lives
within their means
suffers from a lack
of imagination.
- Oscar Wilde
Todays college graduates and working
professionals in India possess a very
unique, motley set of needs and wants.
Three square meals, eight to ten pairs of
clothes and a comfortable home are es-
sentials that are taken for granted by
this young population, while their list of
needs really begin at a much higher
level. For instance, internet enabled
smart phones are now a bare necessity,
a vital, basic need. The very definition of
bare essentials has now expanded to
accommodate several other objects of
desire that have been promoted from
being wants to being just needs.
Much credit goes to the media for hav-
ing generated and portrayed these ob-
jects, thus elevating their significance in
our lives. The very fundamentals have
been altered because of this change in
perspective.
Therefore, in place of a regular degree
from a government college, one needs
an education abroad to widen his
prospects. In place of a regular pair of
jeans, one needs a fashionable, well-tai-
lored pair from an expensive store to
look good enough.
The needs of an individual stem from
what helps him survive and what makes
him secure. Since a social image is a di-
rect reflection of this individual, he/she
moulds himself/herself in a manner that
aligns his/her true self to their social
self. The hierarchy of needs has now
widened to make room for wants just
as well, granting both needs and wants
equal priority.
The paradox here comes into being
when one notices that this inclination to
indulge renders the young individual un-
able to save and barely able to survive
towards the end of the month, when his
salary is virtually negative. I can't eat
out for the rest of the month because I
bought a brand new video game and flat
screen television for my room. It's al-
right, I can eat at home too. Sacrificing
a few hamburgers here and there is not
a big deal., said Rahil Kakar, 25 year old
PR Executive from Calcutta, when he
was asked about how many times a
week he likes to eat out in spite of hav-
ing a hired cook at home.
Having said that, the fact of the matter
remains that youngsters today spend
their money more liberally, contrasting
very starkly with the way their parents
handle the same. The soaring independ-
ence in young people today can be ex-
plained by the security that they enjoy
from their careers. The obligation to
save and provide for a future family isnt
felt. Even young married couples
splurge money thats earned jointly on
these newly defined needs, with an ad-
ditional privilege of spending more than
they could have by themselves. It is es-
timated that 100% of married women
will enroll themselves in the workforce
within the next 20 years, while the figure
stands at 35% at present.
With soaring buying power, and the free-
dom to spend and consume, the youth
has oversimplified their basic needs,
rendering them commonplace so much
so that simply Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan'
are just not enough.
Roti, Kapda Aur Macbook
21
In a country which has enjoyed a repu-
tation world over for having survived the
recession because of its meticulous
saving habits, the youth are truly trying
to defy this very image. The fundamen-
tals of saving have drastically changed
across generations. The ratio of expen-
diture to savings is drastically different
from before; a generous amount having
been apportioned towards expenditure.
The desire for the final benefit from the
end product is far stronger than it used
to be. For instance, one may pick a
cheaper bar to visit, but the desire for a
beer is the driving force behind this, not
the need to call on the services of a bar.
Evidently, expenditures and todays
needs have a direct correlation. The
youth adopt short-term saving plans to
maneuvers around their escalated
needs.
Basically, the motive behind saving
money has changed because young-
sters dont mind putting in eighty-hour
weeks to earn bucketfuls of money just
so they can blow it up on grooming
themselves or indulging on expensive
meals. The security and stability the
youth receives from their family is be-
lieved to have spurred this change in
spending habits. Working parents and
increased desirability of products in the
market have been largely responsible in
shaping the youth's spending patterns.
A fluctuation has been noticed in the
graph of the youth's willingness to
spend over the last decade. The value of
money is perfectly understood and the
value of its various barters is under-
stood just as well. What makes this
transaction smooth is that the youth
take immense pride in their ability to
plan and execute. The youth tries to bal-
ance their desires by pruning and prior-
itizing, with their expenses that are
accordingly rationed.
Cutting down a little is not a problem.
says Shaili Mehta, a young graduate
from an East Coast University who loves
to dress well and own the best shoes.
Compromise has become a way of life
for the young urban spender: he/she
aims at living life king size, until the very
last penny is spent. The last ten days of
the month maybe spent in utter poverty,
but the first twenty will be spent really
living it up.
In conclusion, the youth of today share
a very objective relationship with money
while possessing a lot of it will ensure
a smooth, good life, not having enough
is not a situation that they cant cope
with.
The Substitute Life
23
With countless educational institutions
churning out a sea of professionals
every year, the job scene in India has
taken a massive beating. It is not un-
common for a banker to run out of
banks to apply to, to no avail, and for a
science graduate to not find a reputable
teaching or research profession. As a
result, the youth has begun exploring
career options within what we previ-
ously perceived to be hobbies. For ex-
ample, professions like hair styling,
tattooing, performing live (as musicians
or stand-up comedians) have gained
considerable momentum in the last
decade, more so amongst the urban
youth.
Even the parents of this generation of
the young are very supportive and view
such options fairly objectively. This may
have risen from the simplification in
family structures. Nuclear families are
more independent, and open to uncon-
ventionality, thus accommodating and
supportive of their child's interest in un-
usual career choices. Even though they
belong to a generation which placed a
lot of importance on lucrative profes-
sions such as engineering or medicine,
they seem to easily grasp the need for
deviant professions too. It can be safely
estimated that the number of people
choosing unconventional professions
will rise from a fourth to more than half
of the urban youth.
While deviant professions were awarded
a cult status previously, today its quite
run of the mill, and even sensible to
branch out into niche options. Cult pro-
fessions are halfway through to assum-
ing the title of 'mainstream'. Initially,
even the society disregarded these pro-
fessions. However, the truth of the mat-
ter remains that several full-fledged
professions have emerged from these
very hobbies.
Not only is it more practical to opt for an
alternative (albeit unusual) money-
making option, such talent is actually
celebrated and sought after. From good
haircuts to immaculate artwork on ones
skin, cult professions are both encour-
aged and considered plausible career
options now. Apart from being lucrative
options, these also allow one to live a
life outside of their work since theyre
not restricted by 9-5 corporate jobs. Cult
professions fit perfectly into the slowly
emerging desire for freelance work. Ten
years from now, the corporate structure
indicates that at least 60% per cent of all
work will be outsourced to freelancers.
I hope to open up my own hair institute
in a few years, said 25 year old Pratik-
sha Jain of Juhu, Mumbai who after
working for small hair studios around
the city, has invested in a small set up in
her own home. Similarly, Ruchika Vyas
of Mumbai, who studied fashion jour-
nalism in a leading institute in London
and came back to successfully style in-
dependent feature films, is now simul-
taneously running a cookie-business. It
gets difficult but Im passionate about
both, my choice of major (fashion jour-
nalism) and my hobby- why not invest
my time and potential in both?
Deviant professions have become an
expression of individuality. Many a suc-
cessful hair-stylist and baker have
proved that they do not need to fall into
conventional career brackets to taste
success.
The Rise of The Cult
25
Saving and cautious spending have
been an integral part of the Indian way
of life. Unlike a few decades ago, there
is always a beeline of wealth manage-
ment companies offering a plethora of
propositions to multiply ones earnings.
Each one trying to outshine the other,
just like cola companies! One would
then assume that if born in such a time,
the young too would be an important
target market for financial service
providers as they are for mobile hand-
sets, beers, fashion and gizmos.
However in reality, words like Mutual
Funds, Equities and Financial man-
agement are in the same category as
attendance and exams - scary! This is
not to say in the least that they do not
understand the value of money; on the
contrary, they understand it best. This is
because they are completely aware
about their needs and wants and under-
stand the magnitude of work that would
be required to fulfill the same.
Nevertheless, their cynicism towards
conventional saving has much to do
with their short term goals and their
urge to constantly stay in motion and
not stagnate. The youth of today are
hampered by a kind of short-sighted-
ness- an investment which requires
them to commit themselves for three or
more years seems bizarre to them. I
dont even know if Ill be here and what
Ill be doing in one year year from now.
said Hridaye Nagpal, a young filmmaker
from Delhi, when asked about his views
on long-term fixed deposit schemes.
When a group of fresh MBA graduates in
Mumbai were asked if they do any kind
of research before they make their in-
vestments, they responded with an array
of answers:
I think theyre all the same. All these
private sector banks are out to steal
from you.
I only trust government schemes; at
least they wont suddenly close shop
and run off with my money.
I do some research about who gives the
best interest rate. But the paper work to
shift from my current bank is too cum-
bersome.
Youngsters are in fact up for saving and
doubling their money; but they could not
be bothered to do it themselves. Just as
one gave their Diwali money to their
parents to put away safely, young pro-
fessionals and college students are
more enthusiastic about trusting a fam-
ily member or a known broker to handle
their money than dabble in it them-
selves. All I had to do was give my bro-
ker about five documents; now he calls
me every month and tells me how much
of a percentage Ive earned on my initial
capital said Tanay Pais, a graphic de-
signer from Bangalore.
The re-articulation of the word saving
has much to do with the perspective the
youth adopts to banking schemes. Their
saving has to do with short term goals
like purchasing a car or taking a long
bachelors trip. They are not concerned
with a pension or a retirement plan; the
carpe diem principle governs the minds
of the youth today so twenty years
from now is the least of their concerns.
Therefore, what they are looking for re-
ally are two key things (a) A product
which reduces the load of their burden
at the same time uses technology to
keep them updated about their money
and (b) information which is provided in
a very relatable and simple style.
Grow Me The Money - Now!
27
SEX
Sex without love is
a meaningless ex-
perience, but as far
as meaningless
experiences go its
pretty damn good.
- Woody Allen
Sex has always been misconstrued to
be the most unclean, unholy act by
every rule defining body to date. The
only knowledge that one could gather
would be through hearsay, sex aware-
ness drives in educational institutions
that for all practical purposes com-
mands people to abstain from it, and if
all else fails, parents.
The youth today have the powerful re-
sources at their very fingertips, assimi-
lating information from the internet,
movies, TV shows and even ad films.
Sex has been overtly glamourized re-
sulting with the youth believing only
what they see. Deodorant commercials
exemplify this thought by overplaying
the sex quotient that one gains by sim-
ply spraying the deo, a fact that has sci-
entific backing, but whos asking. Even
condom commercials make the act of
sex seem extremely mysterious and en-
ticing, while the truth of the matter is
that the feeling is all but a natural
human instinct.
The portrayal of sexual relationships
and the politics of intimacy in reel life
have trickled into social interactions as
well. As a result, these ad films inadver-
tently end up justifying several kinds of
behavior and choices, such as woman-
izing and redefining beauty to mean size
zero. Our opinions of sex are undergoing
a radical change, with conflict of ideas
presented to us by our religion on one
hand, and advertising on the other. With
video content consumption on the rise,
youngsters are increasingly aping and
reenacting that which they see on
screen.
The positive influence, however, has
come in from the same medium. With
films and other manifestations and ex-
pressions dealing with sex in artistic,
graceful ways, the inquisitive youth has
been exposed and enlightened. The act
is not thought of as a wrongdoing or
anti-religion in any way, anymore,
amongst the youth. On the flip side, sex
is also constantly overplayed and is
thought of as a near inimitable act that
requires perfection of both the mind and
the body.
In conclusion, the youth seeks the story
that media has created around sex. Sex
is glamourized to such a level that the
real act may never live up to the fantasy
in their mind.
Lets Do It This Way
31
For a country only recently released
from the burden of the criminal treat-
ment of homosexuality, the youth is sur-
prisingly influenced by this
socio-political move. The perception of
the LGBT community has transformed
completely over the last five years. Be-
cause it was regarded a criminal of-
fence, any indication on the part of an
individual which suggested an alternate
sexuality was countered with severe
stigmatization. At times, the extreme at-
titudes would result in physical abuse of
the individual. Religious beliefs and
norms of conformity dictated therein
further fuelled this attitude and they
used it as the basis for justifying their
behavior.
When the Decriminalization of Homo-
sexuality Act was passed, it ushered a
new era of awareness and feminist
thought in the country. The youth began
to understand and accept alternate sex-
uality and opposed homophobia, a char-
acteristic feature subscribed to by the
previous generation. Their common be-
lief lay in respecting personal prefer-
ences and not using them as a factor
indicating an individuals self worth. The
youths distaste for communal conflicts
equaled their distaste for homophobia
and regarded it to be vicious and point-
less.With an increasing number of youth
involved in political and social activism,
the rights of the LGBT community
gained prominence. Many chose to cru-
sade for the cause and started identify-
ing and subsequently opposing the line
that separates normal and abnormal.
Samira Major (27 years), an Editor from
Kolkata, says, Just because it is un-
usual, does not mean it is abnormal.
The supporters of LGBT rights choose to
express their support by participating in
the parades to a tune of about 40% of
the total participation. They are actively
involved in spreading awareness for the
cause and make time for events fighting
for the cause over weekends. From
making posters and public graffiti to
participating in online forums, the youth
is supporting rights for the LGBT com-
munity. There are stores stocking up on
merchandise such as the symbolic rain-
bow as a mark of support for the LGBT
community rights.
The youth encourage their apprehensive
gay or bisexual friends to shut out their
fears and come out with their parents
and social circles. The youth do not dis-
criminate between a straight and an
alternate when they choose their social
circles. Sexual orientation of a person is
not a factor that influences the youth to
befriend or shun an individual. An ac-
ceptance of alternate sexualities has
broadened the scope for the definition
of what was traditionally considered
normal.
The attitude of the west towards homo-
sexuality and the recent development
with regard to gay marriages have
proved to be a trigger point for the youth
to reflect on the irrational inequality that
the country maintained five years ago.
Homosexuals find representation in
popular TV which find an enormous au-
dience base in our country. Their open-
ness about their sexuality has also
furthered the youths mindset to accept
and respect personal preferences.
From the generation of the past con-
demning homosexuality, a few celebri-
ties have come forward and accepted
their alternate sexualities publicly. Find-
ing solace in the progress being made,
traditional norms are being challenged
vehemently, shackles are being broken
and a path is being paved to lead the
world into a more tolerant, more re-
spectful and a more dignified society.
SpreadThe Love
33
The S Word
Not very long ago, the s word was ut-
tered only in private conversations and
away from the prying eyes of that pesky
neighbor aunty out of fear of social os-
tracization. An intimate scene on a the-
atre screen or lewd imagery on posters
was prone to garner a giggle, a hushed
whisper, or even the occasional tele-
pathic eye contact. For all practical pur-
poses, sex didnt exist.
Today the tables have turned with the
youth being bolder and upfront than
ever. Irrespective of having indulged in
the act or not, youngsters have seam-
lessly included sex into their everyday
conversations. Further, the inclination
towards a sexual relationship is now far
more than was noticed among the In-
dian youth even ten years ago.
The Indian societys unwritten rules of
courtship required a person to first court
a new person, then marry them and fi-
nally, have sex. Youngsters today com-
pletely disregard this process, and for
good reason. Theyre not religious and
think with a scientific bent of mind.
One of the primary factors for the con-
servative treatment of sex ten years ago
was the big V word - Virginity. Virgin-
ity is not celebrated anymore like most
religious communities of yesteryear did;
the more experience one gathers, the
more satisfied they are. The idea of pu-
rity does not figure in this equation at
all.
Having sex before marriage is certainly
not a sin! Thats just ridiculous!, said
Shivangi Gupta, a 24 year old copywriter
from Mumbai. I understand that theres
right and wrong. Where does sinning
come into the picture?. The gradual
distancing away from religion and the
viewing of such concepts in a com-
pletely objective manner is also re-
flected in conversations that the youth
dabble in.
It was a rather embarrassing deal for
someone in his/her early twenties to be
seen purchasing a pack of condoms or
a contraceptive pill ten years ago. The
packaging was always opaque, and in-
stantly tucked far from sight. Thats
barely the case today where condoms
are freely available even in modern for-
mat outlets at billing counters for easy
access. Even the English language was
equipped with euphemisms replacing
the word itself such as the big nasty or
the deed.
The young urban mind perceives sex to
be independent of any political or social
implication. It is looked upon as a per-
sonal choice that one has the right to
make and is almost wrong to be judged
for. Morality doesnt feature in this ab-
solutely simple equation. Sex is now al-
most as spontaneous a decision as is
deciding to go out for a drink. In fact, sex
is a stepping stone towards commit-
ment. Once compatibility at all levels is
checked, commitment is given a
thought. Hence, sex is one of the few ini-
tial moves and commitment becomes
the last act.
A rising number of youngsters have now
admitted that they first gauge sexual
compatibility with their partners and
then take the plunge.
Of course sex is important. Why would
I want to be with someone who doesnt
make me happy in bed as well? If our
chemistry in the bedroom does not ex-
cite us, theres no point of progressing it
into an emotional relationship. says
Andrew Fernandes, a young independ-
35
37
The S Word
ent film maker from Kolkata. From divid-
ing their considerations into the first,
second and final sexual acts, the youth
has split their attention to two cate-
gories the casual relationships and
the serious relationships.
While the latter can have both emotions
and sex, the former only involves sex.
The very phrase no strings attached
definitely finds relevance amongst the
youth of India today. It is commendable
that the youth of today is able to make
friendships work sans having to deal
with any awkwardness created by an act
of sex. Being sexually active with some-
one in no way connotes that one is emo-
tionally bound to them.
Even the idea of gender has been re-ar-
ticulated in contemporary Indian soci-
ety, and is viewed of as a social
construct. More aware, literate youths
now see a blurring of lines between
what is regarded feminine and mascu-
line. Multiple sexual partners are not
dismissed as being reserved to the
promiscuity of men women are only a
marginal number away from the number
of sexually active men. Co-educational
schools and colleges have encouraged
a platonic relationship between men
and women, making that social space
comfortable and the people, accessible.
LOVE
Where there is
love there is life.
- Mahatma Gandhi
The twentieth century definition of a
family constituted the inclusion of ones
extended family to create one, large joint
family. Urbanization orchestrated the
disintegration of that unit into nuclear
families. With the times, the fundamen-
tal fabric of family changed too. Indian
parents no longer engaged in straight-
ening out their children the old fash-
ioned way, with a beating or two. A
different kind of relationship is now en-
couraged between parent and child
which is that of friendship.
The options to go abroad for further
studies and the ease of applying for ed-
ucational loans has lifted the pressure
on the academic expectations of the
parents of this generation. The cut-off
for admission into an Indian college ex-
ceeds that of a mediocre college abroad
by miles. Parents who have encountered
the functioning of our government run
educational system give serious
thought to sending their children away
for further education. This means they
dont necessarily need to be top of their
class, or stressed out thanks to the ex-
cessive competitiveness, to ensure a
graduate or postgraduate degree. This
allows for the child to be comfortable
about talking to his/her parents about
school, and therefore he/she is naturally
more transparent with their folks, and
doesnt hesitate to speak the truth.
There exists a unique, trusted trans-
parency between the youth and their
parents, who can now consult their par-
ents with matters concerning even love,
sex, and other general frustrations that
come may come along the way. The
possibilities are enormous with ranging
from discussions based on stock mar-
kets to decriminalized homosexuality.
The mindset of the youth has now
evolved to comfortably drinking with
ones dad and sharing a priced Cuban
cigar together. There are no places that
one can visit with ones friends but not
with parents. The home environment is
no longer burdened with fear.
My parents disapprove of me drinking
every weekend; they hate it that I smoke.
But they would never think of throwing
me out of the house for it! I mean we
have arguments and all, but these are
very small things in light of our relation-
ship. I can tell my dad when Im feeling
an urge. said Kunal Saha, a young en-
trepreneur from New Delhi. A commit-
ment to ones parents for a lunch date is
as important for a child as meeting
his/her partner for lunch. Parents are no
longer the old hags one needs to en-
dure at home, they too qualify as vital
friends who are completely in sync with
their childrens lives.
Family Back At Numero Uno
41
Urban spaces have nourished strong,
opinionated and most importantly, inde-
pendent young minds. The youth has
made its peace with the fact that there
every relationship could come with an
expiry date, and one may not end up
with their happily-ever-after. The op-
tions are limitless and prospective dates
are distributed in a youngsters social
circles. This could be regarded one of
the factors that played a role in the
youth finding it rather easy to move on.
One no longer plans his future with the
vision of finding a partner at the crux of
it. I know my girlfriends will come and
go. But I know very clearly where I want
to be five years from now. That plan is
not going to change because of a girl.
She can be a part of it, of course, but the
plan will remain the same.' remarked
Vikram Singh of Bangalore, a working
professional looking at pursuing an
MBA next year.
The security offered by the home envi-
ronment and from the prospects of a
flourishing career makes the youth ac-
cept the heart-ache with a pinch of salt.
Break-ups are not as melodramatic as
they used to be and are rather dignified,
clean, and sans drama. Almost 80% per-
cent of the youth believe that leaving a
relationship with a clean snip of the
strings attached is far more respectable
than a half baked decision of parting
ways that inevitably leaves both parties
resentful. I'll just be more at peace
knowing I did the right thing by not mak-
ing it ugly. said Prerna Malaney, a re-
cently graduated pharmacist from
Mumbai. The distinction between fair
and unfair has been made very clear.
Nowadays, it is not uncommon to find
two previously involved individuals
maintaining a respectable friendship.
The 'friend zone' is an amicable space
where platonic relationships thrive, irre-
spective of a romantic history.
I can't just not be friends with my ex. He
was my best friend, so I might as well
hold on to that. We both decided to
move on and that already happened, so
why ruin the friendship? asks Kajol Gi-
anani, a final year C.A. Student from
Delhi.
Further, social group structures remain
sacrosanct even if one or more of its
members have dated within the group
itself. It's never been easier to move on
than it is now for the Indian urban youth.
Love and relationships dont count for
the core of a youngsters life anymore.
Happily Ever After Or Not
43
The average Indian primarily under-
stands and constructs the meaning of
love from the interpersonal equations
within the family. Traditionally, the fam-
ily unit in India is built upon a conserva-
tive concept of an arranged marriage.
Falling in love with your partner has
conventionally occurred after marriage.
Alternately, when people fell in love, the
motive was to get married. Therefore,
the concept of love and marriage went
hand-in-hand and were not perceived
independently of the other.
The India of the twenty-first century,
however, represents a different mindset.
For todays youth, a romantic involve-
ment need not result in a happily ever
after. A relationship does not necessar-
ily imply intent to marry. Todays youth
are accepting of relationships ending
and new ones beginning. Almost 60% of
the youth of both sexes expressed that
the idea of a Life Partner is not the op-
erational notion driving relationships.
The idea of relationships has evolved
tremendously. While love and marriage
were synonymous concepts, the notion
of love resulting in security lasting a life-
time was automatically expected. How-
ever, keeping pace with development
and a faster pace of life have resulted in
an increasing number of individuals who
are not willing to compromise, and
therefore, wont marry someone merely
because of a romantic relationship. The
attitude towards a romantic relationship
is that if it hasnt met the ideals set in
the individuals mind, it is alright to end
it.
In a way, the youth is equipped to deal
with disappointments and does not
need a relationship to validate their ex-
istence in a conformist society. Their
priorities in life involve their careers and
they set their ambitions and goals which
do not depend on their romantic al-
liances. They derive their sense of sta-
bility from their families and the need for
security from a romantic partner is di-
minished in the process.
Of course, they still brood over ques-
tions pertaining to the nature of love,
but questions such as, What can I do to
change the world, What is the purpose
of my existence, How much money will
I have when Im thirty and What share
is rising on the stock market preoccupy
their minds much more.
When asked how many of them would
like to get married before thirty, a group
of young Mumbai University post grad-
uate students laughed. The elaborate,
exaggerated Indian weddings tend to
place a lot of pressure on the minds of
the young today, owing to the many rites
and rituals involved, the socializing in-
volved with people attending the wed-
ding and the stressful encounters with
all ceremonies alien to the young. The
idea of being under the scanner and
watching ones behavior on their wed-
ding day acts as a deterrent for mar-
riage.
Besides, weddings are an expensive af-
fair, with a reasonable wedding cere-
mony costing between two to five years
of ones earnings. Its becoming in-
creasingly common for the youth to
consider alternative ways to make use
of the money. Taking a vacation per-
haps, saving for a rainy day or merely
living an indulgent life seems more at-
tractive than splurging on a wedding
day.
This does not imply that marriages are
pass. Marriages still do form the core
of our social fabric. However, the youth
Life With The Live In
45
is no longer in a hurry to get married and
start a family. Unlike the previous gen-
eration who married fairly early and
went on to have a stable job and chil-
dren by the time they hit thirty, todays
youth dedicates the first thirty years to
themselves.
Conventionally, one would expect
women to show more inclination to-
wards securing her happily ever after.
However, when we see the progress that
women have been making, we see
where their need for security gets ful-
filled. They are well educated, at par with
men, securing professional degrees and
move on to their careers with gusto and
confidence. Their perceptions about
marriage are the same as men. They do
not entertain notions of a glorious, time-
less love story that dictates plot of Bol-
lywood cinema. Instead, they engage in
finding a more practical, convenient and
sustainable kind of love.
Traditional acts of romance including
candle lit dinners, flowers and heart
shaped balloons do not particularly thrill
the young women today. The exagger-
ated gestures of swooning and idolizing
ones partner are no longer the flavor.
Keeping in line with reality, Bollywood
has toned down its sensationalized
concept of love to reduce the melo-
drama, add more reason and liberty. Ac-
cording to a study, live-in relationships,
punctuate the lives of almost 65% per-
cent of the working youth at some point
or another, but the skepticism towards
marriage hounds almost 78%. Happy
endings are out of the scheme of ra-
tionality of the Indian youth.
Between being friends and being in a re-
lationship, an additional stage has been
introduced to our relationship vocabu-
lary called, its complicated. This phase
characterizes ambiguity regarding the
nature of the relationship. The twenty
first century has seen this phase grad-
ually morph into a fad. This limbo phase
celebrates and prioritizes the lack of a
definition of a relationship and cele-
brates uncertainty which gives one the
liberty to experiment and assess, effec-
tively ushering the youth into a new era
of enlightenment where they learn to
take responsibility for their decisions
and make informed choices.
Life With The Live In
cont.
47
FAITH
I believe in God, but not as
one thing, not as an old man
in the sky. I believe that what
people call God is something
in all of us.
- John Lennon
The Indian urban youth would smirk at
the idea of a single source of knowledge
or information. The practice of cross-
checking information is a frequent one
amongst the youth. While such wasnt
the case a few decades ago when our
parents would blindly listen to what their
parents had to say, the youth of today
arent so trusting. Parents are listened
to, but not completely obeyed.
The internet and friends are the other
primary sources of information for
todays youth. In fact, the youngsters
prefer to go out alone in the battlefield
and explore, unearth and discover infor-
mation for themselves, on their own.
Apart from minor lifestyle tweaks as a
result of this constant information hog-
ging, the need to explore spreads even
to the work sphere. Young people are no
longer hesitant to take up a temporary
job just to see what its like. Given that
they dont rely on second hand informa-
tion, they would rather take the plunge
than learn from experience.
The skepticism to trust trickles down to
their degree of being influenced just as
well. Peer pressure is the last determi-
nant of the youths opinions, the first
one being their own instincts. Contrast-
ing the previous generation, youngsters
today wholly depend on their individual-
ities and dont succumb to following the
herd mentality. Pressure from any side
is met with dignity, be it the pressure
from ones peers to smoke a cigarette or
the pressure from ones parents to get
married.
The necessity to verify information and
to have a world of data at ones finger-
tips has rendered the youth sharper and
more difficult to trick. Stories of being
conned dont make the rounds too
often anymore.
This easy access to information has
made it possible for a young student
traveling to college on a train to read
Buddhas eight fold path before he
reaches college.It is not necessary to
take leave from work/college, pre-book
tickets, take a long painstaking journey
to the middle of nowhere to find enlight-
enment at the worlds oldest monastery.
From the Vedas to Roman History, from
the Mayan philosophy to Scientology,
everything is just a click of a button
away.
Nothing is inaccessible to the urban
youth of the 21st century; ones smart
phone and ridiculously fast internet plan
enable ones to scramble through his-
tory like a flip book.
Google Search : Enlightenment
51
Politics has always been reserved as a
territory the youth trusted the elders
with. The post-independence hangover
saw the political scenario bursting with
nationalistic slogans, slogans that get
borderline jingoistic after a certain point.
Todays youth though, are very aware of
the disintegration of our political struc-
tures and are very conscious of the fact
that they qualify as voters, and not doing
this duty doesnt go down too well with
this generation at all. This has given
birth to a new definition of nationalism
which factors in an element of reality,
unlike the illusion that the nation had
succumbed to post independence.
Nationalism characterized by jingoism
is in the process of being phased out.
Factors including rising unemployment
have aided in this altered behavior.
Highly qualified youngsters are still, un-
fortunately, unsure about a job; this has
allowed them plenty of time to intro-
spect not just their condition, which is
an amalgamation of corruption and bad
governance, among other things, but the
general condition of the country as well.
This could be thought of as the driving
force behind the youth wanting to take
matters in their hands to bring about
tangible changes. Their enthusiasm to
vote is one such method by which they
believe they can contribute.
Optimistic as this may sound, it is in no
way a qualitative improvement in the
political system. The lack of awareness
- for example towards the status of the
no vote invalidates the whole idea of
voting. Quantitatively, the youth are
more and more inclined towards voting
and being active citizens so it can be
safely said that 2014 will yield the high-
est amount of young voters.
I cant wait to vote, claims recently
turned 18 year old Aadamn Mamaji of
Mumbai. I was just waiting to be eight-
een so I was taken seriously. Now my
presence will be felt in society, I will con-
tribute with my vote.
The sudden sensationalizing of the role
of the youth by certain political parties
alongside the actual reality of it all have
merged together to make the young
urban individual genuinely believe that
he/she is the inherent custodian of so-
ciety; and that the authorities are not to
be easily trusted and that he/she can
make a difference as a representative of
the youth.
The skepticism that the youth holds
against political organizations has
much to do with the fact that the urban
youth of the twenty first century does
not grace some-one with trust easily.
Nobodys word is accepted at face
value. Further, the Right to Information
act is known to be widely used by the
youth who are not afraid to create rip-
ples in a seemingly calm political envi-
ronment.
While most of the youth is still a little bit
apprehensive about starting a revolu-
tion, incidents like the recent Lokpal Bill
illustrate that the coming decade will
see more involvement of the young in
social and political activism.
They Need Us
53
The youth of today is constantly condi-
tioned by their parents into believing in
a God, and practice the ideals of these
religions by incorporating them into
their daily affairs. They adhere to them,
obediently, for they do not wish to dis-
gruntle their parents in the least. They
partake in ritualistic 'poojas' and attend
mass on Sunday in their best clothes.
They fast in the month of Ramadan and
they visit the Fire temple regularly. The
whole nine yards are traversed in an at-
tempt to seem true to their parents.
Their social lives outside their homes
are characterized by something else
completely. The youth do not allow the
supposed 'principles' of a mythological
text to dictate whether they will be or-
dering beef or pork for dinner. They do
not allow the twenty days of a religious
month to get in the way of their birth-
days or their friends' birthdays which
are rather drunk affairs.
The youth only follow in what their par-
ents believe in, but dont genuinely be-
lieve in it themselves. No passionate
belief in gods has been observed
amongst the urban youth. Alternately,
spirituality has gained gravity in the
identities of the urban youth and the last
thing that they associate with spiritual-
ity is conventional religion.
Another repercussion of the lack of faith
the youth exhibits towards religion is
atheism. It is perceived as an unbiased
and ethical way of life. With the coming
to light of several injustices orches-
trated through religious practices, like
the exploitation of women and the ills of
the caste system, atheism is synony-
mous with being well-informed and just.
The shift in the perspective of the youth
towards religion has much to do with a
western influence and their ease with al-
ternative faiths and spirituality.
The Success of Spirituality
55
SUBSTANCE
"When I was a kid I
inhaled frequently.
That was the point."
- Barack Obama
Todays youth are popularly known to
invest most of their time making and
maintaining friends, and a day in the life
of this segment is glaringly incomplete
without the mention of intoxicants aid-
ing in keeping cliques together.
The ease of adoption of these intoxi-
cants that range from alcohol to ciga-
rettes and even marijuana can be
viewed under the lens of a strong social
conditioning that the youth has been ex-
posed to. This could arise from the fact
that youngsters these days have a very
evident cultural influence from the West,
fuelled by easy access to English TV
shows, and other resources on the inter-
net.
Until recent times, consumption by
youngsters and more particularly
women was perceived very negatively
and rejected by society at large. This
scenario has drastically changed, and
chilling with friends at popular hang-
outs has almost become a standard. Of
the many factors that encourage con-
sumption of alcohol, easy access to
substances, increasing average income
of the youth segment, and independ-
ence earned at a very young age are
most relevant to the youth. Intoxicants
have, therefore, become very readily
available. Adding to this is also the fact
that of late, there has been a decline in
the significance attached to conven-
tional Indian norms, which has allowed
for validation of consumption of these
substances.
As a result, the entertainment industry
has greatly flourished owing to the stag-
gering demand for places such as bars,
clubs and microbreweries with an added
element of hosting shows including
stand-up comedies, short plays and
gigs. Simple birthday celebrations in-
volving taking friends out for dinners or
movies have become extremely pass
with such establishments appearing in
every nook and cranny of the city.
Surprisingly, todays parents have also
become very tolerant of the youth and
allow them to dabble in such activities.
Natasha Rathod, a 22 year old travel
photographer from Mumbai said that,
My parents know I smoke, I mean they
dont LIKE it, but they know. I can smoke
at home and as long as I dont influence
my little brother, they dont really give
me much flak for it. Of course there is a
general remark or two about being
healthy, but apart from that, nothing re-
ally.
In conclusion, although intoxicants have
been around since the beginning of time,
they have gained prominence in the In-
dian social sphere only recently, and are
definitely here to stay.
Got A Light?
59
Time immemorially, drugs have estab-
lished themselves as the badasses
among intoxicants, akin to the image of
a Harley Davidson in a sea of motor-
bikes. Historically, drugs have been
thought to alter personalities, and thus
been viewed very distastefully. Drug
abusers have been constantly accused
of committing crime and being unpro-
ductive, and have been labeled as out-
casts as well on several occasions. The
urban Indian youth however, have a dif-
ferent story to tell.
To begin with, the youth draws a firm
boundary between marijuana and other
narcotic substances. Weed has been re-
deemed of its past perceptions and now
is thought of to be fairly harmless. The
internet has been a facilitator in this
process by giving the youth easy access
to information about marijuana on fo-
rums that sometimes could include
doctors.
Several conversations across the inter-
net and otherwise talk of the good ef-
fects of marijuana and have helped by
lending to it, a less negative image. As a
result, 30% of marijuana users across
the country are slowly turning away
from cigarettes, fighting the urge by
simply lighting up a spliff. The ill ef-
fects of cigarette smoking are inces-
santly spoken about via myriad
platforms in an attempt to dissuade
smokers. Their easiest escape lies in the
reassurance that they get when they
light a joint, popularly known to be me-
dicinal, therefore serving a smokers
larger purpose. Furthermore, the cele-
bration of marijuana as a recreational
drug by Western societies and its legal-
ization in some countries has egged the
youth on to first try and then indulge in
marijuana consumption.
I email my mum articles about the ben-
efits of marijuana all the time. I wish she
would smoke a joint sometime. Itll do
her stress good., said a 25 year old reg-
ular marijuana smoker from Bangalore,
who has been sustaining a well paying
job for three years.
As an activity, smoking pot has been on
the rise in the recent past amongst a
wide variety of people, given that the
entry barriers have been severely low-
ered. From youngsters to independent
entrepreneurs to corporate executives,
almost 60 percent have tried it and al-
most 20 percent relish it as a regular
habit. There is no longer a taboo at-
tached to smoking weed, and being a
junkie was never considered cooler.
Marijuana almost never lets one go out
of hand and behave abnormally, as op-
posed to alcohol.
How is alcohol even legal? asks Avan-
tika Bahl from Delhi, a final year psy-
chology student who claims that
alcohol has more ill effects in the long
term on an individuals personality than
marijuana.
Further, the ill effects of alcohol are con-
sidered far more harmful than those of
marijuana. Lack of control and fluctuat-
ing temperament are often associated
with alcohol, while stability and calm-
ness, with marijuana. The youth are very
aware of these specific and different be-
havioural changes, having tried both
themselves. This drastic change in per-
spective will set the ball rolling towards
legalization of marijuana in India.
Its Natural!
61
The previous decade saw a steady rise
in tobacco consumption by women.
Cigarettes have been thought to be dan-
gerous from a pregnancy and fertility
point of view, but for todays career-ori-
ented woman who doesnt aspire to
have children immediately, this threat is
barely considered. Even todays youth
that lives for the present without giving
much thought to their future in many
aspects of their lives are hard to fluster.
They cant be veered away from this
habit given its biggest off-take easing
awkwardness in social situations, and
enabling social inclusion. The ongoing
third wave of feminism has only aided in
bringing equality to the table, and allow-
ing women to make an unbiased choice,
without having to respond to being con-
stantly judged. Its not unusual to see
women engaging in sports that were
previously male dominated such as
football or cricket, or for that matter
lighting up a cigarette.
I picked up this habit from my
boyfriend. Now, he doesnt smoke any-
more, but he never says anything to me
if I do. Why would he? said Dia Mot-
wani, a 25 year old client servicing ex-
ecutive from Bangalore.
The previous generation, now at ease
with young boys smoking and making
peace with marijuana, is yet to accept
their daughters picking up similar
vices. This daughter is, however, res-
cued by the dynamically changing envi-
ronment at urban homes where both the
male and female children are given the
same privileges and deadlines, without
imposing stricter rules for the girls. The
likelihood of a fourteen year old girl
picking up a cigarette out of curiosity is
similar to that of a fourteen year old boy,
and neither of them bothers with con-
cealing their ashtrays or cigarette
packs.
Establishments that serve alcohol such
as bars and clubs, that have traditionally
subjected women to the male gaze and
being predominantly masculine
spaces, have also altered their ambi-
ence and feel to be as welcoming and
intriguing to women. The woman is no
longer subjected to unwarranted, in-
comprehensible glances if seen buying
and smoking a cigarette in public. The
tobacco industry has also started cater-
ing to its female audience by introducing
flavoured variants to make smoking a
fun act.
Smoking Slims
63
Section 3
Guest Articles
The digital medium offers tools to im-
prove the quality of stories and story-
telling.
There are many theories attempting to
explain why Bill OReilly continues to be
the King of Cable news in America. I be-
lieve it has to do with the format of his
show.
The idea is that, like most successful
products out of Newscorps skunk
works, the show should appeal to the
lowest categories in the Maslows hier-
archy of needs pyramid as possible. So
at 9 pm every night, Fox News anchor is
a welcomed friend in American right-
wing homes. A television persona who
doesnt just read the news, but dis-
cusses with his viewers by sharing their
insecurities and strengthening their
worldview. Sure, people want dispas-
sionate brave journalism. Nonetheless,
theyd prefer a conversation with a com-
panion, and digital interaction allows
that conversation to grow.
Traditionally, reading a newspaper was
like hearing an experienced grandparent
speak at, or even towards, you. The
modern-platform agnostic newspaper,
is one that converses, and not by cheap-
thrill augmented reality toys, but by sus-
tained interaction with readers.
At the Express, if a reader reacts
strongly to an article by way of a com-
ment, suggests a follow up, or even just
says good work to the author, it means
that theres someone listening. Really
embracing digital media, however, is
more than reacting to reader feedback;
its about involving one's audience in
shaping the content one creates and
building their appreciation and trust
with transparency; and India has a long
way to go to that point.
An enviable case study:
Aside from the constant attempt to tell
stories with embedded maps, graphics
and charts, The Register Citizen, a local
community newspaper in Connecticut,
runs an open newsroom. Citizens are
invited to sit-in the 4pm story planning
editorial meetings (which is broad-
casted live on their website anyway),
and a caf, attached to the newsroom,
has free wifi to encourage local bloggers
(otherwise perceived as threats) and
other active members of the community
to use the Registers facilities, access
134 years of the papers archives, con-
tribute story ideas and interact with the
newspapers team of experienced jour-
nalists.
As the news and advertising community,
one area that we are missing is the
power of high-quality vernacular lan-
guage news on the internet. Loksatta
one of Mumbais largest dailies, was the
first in Marathi news to launch a native
android application. The app was down-
loaded 10,000 times in the first week it-
self. Comments on their editorials
frequently run into hundreds and the
base of the users is a fraction of most
other English news sites.
We cant even begin to estimate the
power of crowd sourcing until we start
experimenting with the concept in our
vernacular languages. Really empower-
ing India in the digital world would be to
have dynamic, local-ad supported ver-
nacular news websites with newsrooms
located at popular bus stops or train
stations that welcome interaction with
the community. Granted that we are at a
far more nascent stage in the digital
process in India, but crowd sourced
Digital: The Future of News Dissemination and Crowd-Sourcing Content
Anant Goenka - Head, New Media Group, Indian Express Limited
65
news doesnt have to be the shoddy
journalism done by untrained journalists
empowered with a camera on their
phones that it is now. It can be a power-
ful tool to build a connect with one's au-
dience, involving them in the process,
getting story ideas, and measuring how
far or close one is to telling stories that
matter. And theres no short cut. CNN
took six years to get iReport right.
History shows us that after all the inno-
vation, open newsroom projects and
transparency tricks, the most powerful
way of breaking through the clutter of
the internet is being consistently accu-
rate. No matter what the genre, quality
content will find its reader. Pratap Bhanu
Mehtas summary of the UPAs failures
in The Indian Express earlier this week
(While We Were Silent, 11thJuly 2013)
was our most viral column this year. By
noon of the day it was posted online, it
had already earned 100,000 views, 7,700
shares on Facebook and 1200 tweets.
If we have a chance of increasing rev-
enues on digital platforms, it is by cre-
ating and growing loyal unduplicated
audiences with quality content. At Ex-
press, were already seeing this - The In-
dian Express New Media divisions silent
success over the years comes from the
profile of our readers. Further, the true
test of our audience is on digital plat-
forms. When a realty company last
month received 15 filled-out forms and
four confirmed meetings within 16
hours in response to a banner ad for
flats above 4crores in the NCR region on
our site, we are pleased to put our
money where our mouth is; And be re-
assured that a content-first strategy is
really the only formula that stands the
test of time anywhere in the world.
cont.
66
We are living in exciting times. During
the last 10 years, we have witnessed
how the first generation of humans
raised in a networked society are
changing the rules of everything, from
commerce to communication.
Some like to call us millenials, others
Generation Y. Our birth-ranges vary ac-
cording to each category or region, but
beyond the labels or birth years, what
matters is the fact that most of us are
experiencing the same global events, al-
most in real-time, enhancing the diver-
sity of local cultures and reframing the
meaning of the youth.
The simplicity of traditional market seg-
mentations is not enough to decode the
complexity of our current society. Now
that we are truly living in the "global vil-
lage" predicted by Marshall McLuhan,
the assumptions of demographic or
economic segmentation are outdated.
We need to reframe questions, develop
dynamic pattern recognition systems to
replace static classifications and most
importantly, we need to change our
mindset in order to evolve and adapt
properly. In other words, we demand an
Operating System (OS) switch, powered
by three key elements: the speed of
change, the hacker attitude and the
remix culture.
Speed: switching from demographics to
technographics. The speed of change is
going up and will go up faster in the fu-
ture. Ray Kurzweil, the inventor, futurist,
(and now Director of Engineering at
Google) described the Law of Accelerat-
ing Returns in his book The Age of Spir-
itual Machines (1999) , as "the rate of
change in a wide variety of evolutionary
systems (including but not limited to the
growth of technologies) tends to in-
crease exponentially", turning the basic
assumptions tied to demographics as
obsolete as the DVD drive in your Mac-
book. Access to technology is the key
driver behind this paradigm shift, as it
becomes more powerful, cheap and
portable.
Today, tools such as technographics
become more relevant to identify pat-
terns in usage and ownership of devices
or web services rather than assuming
that a group of persons will think and
act in a similar way because they were
born in the same year or place.
Hack: switching from interruptions for
the masses to meaningful networks for
niches.If there is one influential niche in
this story it is the hacker community, the
people who built the Internet (not the
evil crackers portrayed by Hollywood).
Their mindset, well-described by Eric
Steven Raymond in the hypertext "How
To Become A Hacker", is the soul behind
the revolution of different industries and
systems. Their attitude is focused on
hard work, problem-solving and sharing
ideas through networks, leading to a di-
verse collective intelligence. Youth
brands now need to design relevant
content and experiences for people con-
nected by a wide variety of shared inter-
ests, instead of creating interruptions
for large audiences. Attention now flows
in streams (Twitter) rather than linear
blocks (TV), but both still coexist, de-
manding a deep understanding of val-
ues and behaviors using tools like
network dynamics, social graphs or in-
terest-maps to build valuable relation-
ships with smaller groups.
Remix: switch from a profit-driven mar-
ket of consumers to a purpose-driven
ecosystem of people. The relationship
between the producer and consumer
How young are you?
A new mindset to connect with the next generation of rewired brains.
Andrs Colmenares - Founder, Wabi Sabi Labs, Spain
67 66
has radically changed. We are moving
"from a Read-Only to a Read/Write cul-
ture" as Lawrence Lessig, founder of
Creative Commons, would say. A grow-
ing percentage of young people are
building their own audiences, creating
their own products and connecting to a
purpose-driven economy. In this or-
ganic ecosystem, brands become inter-
faces opening the door to combine
design thinking tools like User Journey
Maps or Personas, taking a human ap-
proach to marketing.
The "installation" of the Speed-Hack-
Remix OS might be complex and will
provoke some chaos, but we need to
trust the process. A simple way to start
is to practice three vocabulary experi-
ments:
1. Change the task name from "How to
classify the youth" to "How to connect
with the youth.
2. Unlearn the term "consumers" and re-
place it with "people".
3. Reframe the traditional question
"How old are you?" and ask more fre-
quently "How young are you?".
As Pearl Jam said: "It's Evolution Baby!".
cont.
68
Co-creation used to be the realm of
software developers, or actually just
(mostly) boys, glued to their computers,
programming mods and additions to
open-source software like Linux and
FreeBSD. Those boys constantly in
contact with each other on the young
(and for most of us unreachable) Inter-
net contributed, added and refined.
The real, actual nerds; the prototypes.
The same type of people who build ap-
plications for smartphones at home, on
their own. Talent combined with vision.
If you had the vision, but not the talent
in programming, nothing happened and
vice versa.
You needed to be great to be noticed,
and that holds even more true nowa-
days. In the daily bulk of new applica-
tions, your app needs to be extremely
good, addictive, innovative or useful to
be seen and therefore used.
Increation works in the same manner,
but we stopped using the word co-cre-
ation to distinguish it from the we-have-
an-idea-you-can-advance kind of
creative process. Increation merges tal-
ent and love. Love for what you do and
want to create, along with the talent to
pull it off. You can do this, everyone can
do this, not just the fans. Every startup
company has a true fan and visionary at
its core, plus the right can-do attitude.
The real fans are in every company,
they're the ones who chose specifically
to work for this or that company out of
the love of their ideas or products. If
your company is sadly without anyone
that meets the criteria of an integrated
fan/talent, look outside and get your
outside fans to be your creative con-
science. Pity though, not having any
fans within...
A real fan is more than somebody who
just likes your product or service. How-
ever easy it is to like something on
Facebook, it gets irritating when they
start spamming you. Being fun goes
only so far, being loved goes a lot fur-
ther. We people are able to feel real love
for products or services, with every con-
sequent emotion attached. Love can
move mountains, make blind, do good or
evil, is active, wants and has needs.
In the name of love, wars were started
and ended, and if Paris and Menelaus
The *bliep case study and what Indian telecom providers should learn from it.
Jeroen Bochma - Founding Partner, Young Creators Agency, Netherlands
69 68
70
had thought Helen of Troy just a nice
girl, Homer would have found a different
subject to write about. Love makes deep
connections, sometimes eternal, while
liking is temporary: something you like
now can easily be replaced by some-
thing new you like later.
Products made from love are fantastic,
product managers who love their own
products and brands sell more. Being
liked on Facebook is not enough; you
have to create something people can
love for real.
The question How can I make some-
body love me? is as old as time. Its the
driving force of stories and mythology,
of fairy tales and love potions, of love
songs and heartache... And easier said
than done. Think back on those times
when you did your stinking best to get
someone to fall in love with you, how
witty you were, how fashionable you
dressed, how you were the best you
could be (or acted as a completely dif-
ferent person). It didnt work. You cant
force somebody to love you, you have to
find the person who fits you and loves
you just for yourself.
However, you can help the process a bit.
Try the opposite: start loving first. Love
young people. Dont ask them to love
you, love them instead. Be a real friend.
This is how the dutch startup of the year
started, *bliep started with young tal-
ented people before we had a brand or a
product. From day one, these young tal-
ents between 13 and 18 years old were
the heart and soul of this company.
They are the management team, the
creative team and the reason why it is
such an incredible success.
cont.
India has undoubtedly come exception-
ally far in the world of fashion and play-
ing dress-up. The enormous infusion of
western influence and social media, es-
pecially targeting the younger genera-
tion, influences Indian trends, the way
we dress and what we feel is fashion-
able. However, there remains an ele-
ment of stagnation, due to the cultural
aspect and its norms. As a nation, we
are drawn toward a more traditional
school of thought, often accompanied
by rigid stereotypes and narrow-mind-
edness.
The regression, in terms of the way
women are viewed today , has come to
light in recent events. Consequently, this
has resulted in women holding back on
developing and expressing their per-
sonal style and sporting the latest
trends, seen in international magazines,
on the runway and in popular television
shows and cinema. Mimicking trends
like crop tops and cut out dresses for
example, become difficult for most, as
there is the question of "indecent expo-
sure" or revealing ones midriff. When in
the west, subcultures like goths, punks,
and hipsters prevail, having the freedom
to express themselves through their
style and wardrobe, why is this some-
thing that we frown upon? The reason
for holding back on experimenting with
ones style fundamentally stems from
not wanting to hurt cultural sensibilities,
to appear modest in a society that is not
accepting of people dressing-up outside
boundaries of what is deemed normal
and acceptable; but above all in the
case of women, to stay clear of un-
wanted glances and attention that ones
outfits might receive. This prevents a
number of western fashion trends from
prevailing in our nation.
The weather, of course plays a signifi-
cant role in this as well. given the ex-
treme heat and often humid climate,
styling your outfits becomes very limit-
ing. Fancy leather jackets, well tailored
suits and faux fur fashion accessories
that are very popular in the west be-
come very difficult for us to accommo-
date in our daily wardrobes and limits us
to pulling them out only when one is on
vacation or if one is in a colder climate.
Progress- market growth, awareness of
global fashion trends, demand and easy
accessibility are invariably making
themselves felt, nonetheless. The intro-
duction of high street international
brands like Zara, Forever 21, Mango and
Marks & Spencers, whose availability
was once limited by an international
flight, are now available at virtually every
mall and shopping center in commercial
Indian cities. International luxury
brands like Hermes, Burberry,Tom Ford,
Louis Vuitton, Fendi and Todds have
their flagship stores set up in major
metro cities. If that isnt enough, con-
sumers find themselves just a click
away from retail heaven by ordering
from popular online shopping facilities
like Net-a-porter, Asos and several oth-
ers which now boast of worldwide deliv-
ery.
With the rise of social media fashion
bloggers and trends like street style are
now influential factors, and play a key
role in addressing worldwide trends and
decoding the seasons must have
pieces. The increasing numbers of e-
commerce websites have a brand iden-
tity which not only targets the young
population but men and women of all
ages, resulting in easier access to the
latest brands, styles, trends and collec-
tions. Premium Indian designers use
western influences in their contempo-
The Future of Fashion in India
Maia Sethna - Fashion Blogger
71 70
rary designs, they often merge current
global trends with their own collections.
Men's and womens Indian fashion de-
signs are given equal importance, and
receive global recognition, while fash-
ionistas world wide sport Indian outfits
and accessories like the saree, Jodhpuri
trousers and kolhapuri's. Ethnic clothes
are a huge section of the fashion indus-
try in the market especially for bridal
couture and the demand for real jewelry
is massive.
The demand for Indian designer couture
and authentic jewelry is steadily in-
creasing with the emergence of several
young, fresh designers each season,
with a host of existing designers, prov-
ing the field to be highly competitive . An
analysis of the average Indians fashion
choices demonstrate that they are
highly Bollywood-centric, as actors and
models are primarily fashion and style
icons that influence the masses.
Whether we progress with western influ-
ences or stagnate due to cultural con-
finements isnt entirely certain, but what
remains assured is that Indian women
and men love dressing up. Even the lady
that sells magazines at the corner of the
street dresses in vibrant hues with a
delicate flower tucked behind her hair
and has taken pride in picking out her
outfit, which leads us to believe that the
future is hopeful.
The juxtaposition of both sides of the
story allows us to observe and question;
are we, women in particular, being muf-
fled? Is our integrity and individuality
being limited due to restrictions on what
we can wear? Do men have it easier?
The inability to express oneself through
fashion is often hampering. Will we con-
tinue to grow and evolve in a global
sense or stagnate and remain within our
own comfort zones, or break out and
have the courage to express ourselves
freely? Evidently, this paradox needs to
be addressed as it threatens the very
essence of the right to expression, a
virtue that remains priceless. The ability
to enjoy an identity with various mani-
festations like clothes and make up is
certainly not a label!
cont.
72
Sometimes people say that the young
generation is the same everywhere. The
internet changed everything and now
you can see whats happening on the
other side of the world within minutes of
the birth of a new phenomenon. Yes, in
some aspects, the youth seem to be the
same everywhere. Many movies or
games can be globally appealing and it
is not uncommon to hear the same
songs in clubs and bars where ever you
travel. However, there are a lot of differ-
ences as well.
Here are some of my observations.
1.The Finnish youth are starting to move
to a post materialistic view of the world.
In many cases, money or displaying ma-
terial wealth is not the best way to build
one's status. For example, a high salary
is quite low in the many criteria of how
graduates choose their new jobs. Also,
showing your money and wealth are
usually frowned upon as modesty is one
of the celebrated virtues in Finland.
2.Yet, the brands you buy and display
say a lot of the young person you repre-
sent. People buying iPhones are usually
trendier and more open to new things
than the people buying Nokia (Nokia is
a Finnish brand). Now, the trend seems
to be favoring Samsung.
However, the interesting thing about
youth and brands in Finland, is that what
you dont buy, says quite a bit about you
too. In many cases, the youth have very
loud opinions on which brands
shouldnt be bought for ethical reasons
or sometimes for just being very boring.
3.One thing that struck my eyes when
traveling in India and talking with my
colleagues over there, was the hunger
and passion for building a better future.
Finland and many other western coun-
tries have been wealthy for a bit longer
than one generation, so abundance has
become the norm. Working harder will
buy you a 60 TV instead of a 42 or
maybe a nicer car. In any case, you will
be able to buy a TV, car, smart phone
and a flat even with a relatively less ef-
fort.
This combined with the news about
poor economy and even crisis has re-
sulted in a generation which is not very
excited about working hard in order to
succeed and build a better tomorrow. In
India, I think the future seems very dif-
ferent, very promising.
In the 80s and 90s, the US seemed to
be the place where young people fol-
lowed the trends and picked up new, in-
teresting things. Between 2 000 - 2010,
Berlin and Scandinavia seemed to be
the place all the cultural change was
happening. After 2015, I think India,
China and Brazil will show us the way.
Today, theres even a Hindi themed bar
in Helsinki.
The world is small - or is it?
Mikko Ampuja - Business Development Director, 15/30 Research, Finland
73 72