NEWSWIRE
- Colleges are moving mental health services closer to students—placing outposts in dorms and even in Starbucks. This unconventional strategy is a response to the new national focus on mental health, as well as growing expectations that academic institutions act “in loco parentis.” (The Wall Street Journal)
- NH: Grit your teeth, Gen Xers! When you were in college, your strategy was to stay off the radar screen of counselors. Either (a) you did not trust them; or (b) you figured, hey, what's the message here--that I'm not tough enough to take care of myself?! Now meet the Millennials. Yes, they do indeed trust the experts--just as they have trusted their own parents. And, yes, they do think that really smart people know how to turn up the happiness dial. (It works in The Sims, doesn't it?) On the bigger issue of collegians and mental health, yes, more Millennials are complaining of anxiety and depression, but fewer are actually getting hospitalized and committing suicide. (Sidenote: The decline is almost entirely due to less suicide among males, whose much higher rate mainly drives the average.)
- Las Vegas is feeling the pain as fewer Millennials say, “I do.” Facing a tame generation that doesn’t drink, gamble, or get hitched (impulsively or otherwise) as much as previous generations, Sin City will need to bet on something other than youthful recklessness in the years ahead. (Bloomberg Business)
- NH: There are so many ways to read this piece. First, it is one more argument why Las Vegas is losing its allure for Millennials: Sure, Sin City is a great way to indulge in every single mistake my Boomer or Xer parents made--from losing their nest egg to getting married in the first place. And that's a reason I should go there? We already know Millennials like to gamble less than older generations (See: "Winners and Losers in the Casino Industry.") Now we learn that they like to marry and remarry less. Surprise!
- A new pilot program aims to put 175 retired New Yorkers back to work in government jobs. The hiring agency doesn’t expect to have any trouble finding willing participants, given the continued aging of Boomers who have always displayed a high degree of workforce attachment. (New York Post)
- NH: Image going through your head: Robert de Niro starring (with Anne Hathaway) in The Intern. Aw, how cute! Image going through my head: Several million dollars more in taxpayers' money being spent on a generation already heavily favored by public policy, and therefore several million less on a generation on whose behalf nothing is being invested. Wondering what infrastructure we are leaving our youth? Travel recently into or out of New York City's Penn Station or La Guardia Airport? Case closed.
- More than half of Millennials and Xers say Gmail is their email platform of choice (61% and 54%, respectively). These tech-savvy younger generations are comfortable trusting Google with the task of keeping their inboxes safe and spam-free. (Morning Consult)
- To obscure poor ratings and generate higher ad rates, more and more networks are fooling Nielsen software by intentionally misspelling show programs (“NBC Nitely News” and “CBS Evening Nws” being two oft-used examples). It’s no wonder why many advertisers believe that the ad pricing model is broken. (The Wall Street Journal)
- NH: This is part of a broader problem with digital ads that the Silicon Valley titans don't like to talk about, though it poses a direct threat to their top line. (See: "The Stormy Waters of Audience Measurement.")
- The average Xer spends 46 minutes per day watching Web and app content on a tablet, the largest share of any generation. Though Millennials are often regarded as the heaviest consumers of mobile media, tech-savvy Xers actually spend more time with tablets in hand. (Nielsen)
- NH: But let's be clear: Boomers spend the most time of all in all forms of electronic media. They hugely exceed younger generations in TV/DVR and radio watching/listening, and aren't all that much behind them in mobile and over-the-top engagement. Overall zombie time: Boomers, 13.35 hours per week. Millennials: 10:10 hours per week.
- Columnist Jonathan Coppage argues that the rise of multigenerational living is not only a good thing, but is also normal. He’s right to point out that, prior to WWII, multigenerational households were the norm—and that the potential benefits of this living arrangement are more tangible than ever today. (The Washington Post)
- NH: What a relief to get some support! I've been arguing for years that the renaissance in extended family living is probably the least recognized social trend of our time--and, overall, a very positive one. We forget that our brief recent experiment with "nuclear family" suburban living reached its apogee in the late '60s and early '70s, an era that also brought us youth who villified their parents and parents who voted for huge expansions in senior entitlements (thanks, AARP!) because they were convinced that their own kids would never want to speak to them again, much less live with them. As we are just now finding out, no one ever really thought through whether that future was socially or fiscally sustainable. It's a good thing we are moving in a different direction.
- Georgia Bulldogs football coach Kirby Smart has unveiled “Millennial Oklahoma,” a modern twist on the classic drill. While Oklahoma traditionally takes place “in the trenches” and features heavy head-to-head contact, Millennial Oklahoma takes its name from a generation that has ushered in safer sports, occurring instead out of a spread formation. (SB Nation)
- U.K. e-commerce site ASOS is receiving positive feedback on its body-positive ad campaign for women’s swimwear that features models with unedited stretchmarks. Following in the footsteps of Target and Aerie, this brand is betting big and cashing in on Millennials’ penchant for inclusive brand messaging. (Quartz)
- Fully 28% of 18- to 26-year-olds say they have a way of making side income, the largest share of any age group. Though official data measuring the size of the gig economy are tough to come by, this new survey shows that Millennials—who early on in their careers are strapped for cash—may be its biggest participants. (Bankrate)
- NH: On a separate site, this Millennial author identifies five summer side hustles: (1) TaskRabbit; (2) Lyft driver; (3) surf the Web--and earn "Inbox Dollars," "Swag bucks," and the like; (4) rent your room (with Airbnb); (5) do something on social media and earn ad dollars. Oh yes, and don't quit your day job.
DID YOU KNOW?
Put It on My Tab. Who should pay on a first date? That’s the million-dollar question nowadays. While it was once customary for the man to foot the bill, The Wall Street Journal reports that more women are getting stuck with at least part of the tab at night’s end. Why? One explanation is that the economics of dating have changed. Thanks to the rise of dating apps like Tinder (see: “A Total E-Click of the Heart”), people are going on more first dates than ever—and paying for two each night can quickly add up. Additionally, some guys believe that a man who grabs the check without asking first risks coming off as demeaning. The first-date transaction is fraught with reputational risk for both parties. Many men admit that they are happy to pay—as long as their date at least “reaches” for the check. Otherwise, according to Chase Amante, their date’s motivation could be called into question: “There’s a certain subset of the population looking for free meals.”
