The+Revolution+of+Generation+Y's+Evolution

Student Name: Stewart Whitehead Student Number: 7561555 Tutor: Judith Meiklejohn


 * Please note - my artefact is merely an image to begin my discussion***

Topic For Discussion: How Healthy is Gen Y? What are the key public health issues facing this generation, and what are the driving social and cultural forces behind these issues?

=**Artefact**=



The substantial advancement in technology, especially in the last ten to twenty years has had direct impacts on the progress of human development and interaction between each other. The artefact above is a comedic image containing the aspects of Darwin’s Theory of evolution depicting the differences between the different generations of humankind. The final image contains a person sitting hunched over a computer which is considered the //preferred// lifestyle of many Generation Y people. The phrase underneath the image states “Something somewhere went terribly wrong” which draws attention to the health risks that could potentially manifest due to these behaviours and lifestyles.

=Health Issue For Analysis=

The different behaviours of all the generations are regularly compared to each other, as well as the different health aspects and issues. So what are the behaviours of Generation Y which are considered major health concerns? To put it plain and simple, without their cell phones, computers, laptops, Tablets, GPS etc the majority of Generation Y would be lost however according to studies, they would be in a much better state physically and mentally. Studies have shown that while Generation Y are becoming more and more technology dependent, they may also be becoming more susceptible to the deterioration of mental and physical health. “Generation Y is a stressed out generation … Many college campuses have seen increases in the numbers diagnosed with depression and other mental health disorders.” (Jayson, 2007)

=Literature Review=

“Generation Y has, like every generation before it, been influenced by the cultural, political and business environment in which it grew up. For Generation Y this means being born into an era that is more technologically advanced and more ethnically diverse than any that has preceded it.” (Roythorne, 2011). With technology bursting out the seams of this generation, researchers say that they are more dependent on technology than any generation that preceded it. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), In 1998 an estimated 44 percent of Australian households had access to a computer while only 16 percent of Australian households had access to the internet. Households with access to a computer have increased up to 78 percent in 2008/09 and internet access in Australian households has since quadrupled up to 72 percent. With Generation Z proceeding Generation Y, we are as some say ‘setting the role-model’ and we aren’t being reflected well as more figures from the ABS shows that approximately 31 percent (841,000) of Australian children aged between 5 and 14 had access to their own mobile phone in 2009 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010).

Generation Y, or as some call the ‘digital generation’, are usually considered as IT savvy //children// who have never known life without a computer or the internet (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011) which is somewhat true. Children from Generation Y have grown up learning to incorporate technology into their everyday lives whether that is communication, entertainment or even a source of information and news – a lot of which can be found just through a social networking site. With so many social networking sites available now such as Tumblr, Twitter and the renowned Facebook, internet addiction is a reality. “Internet addiction is when a person has a compulsive need to spend a great deal of time on the Internet, to the point where other areas of life (such as relationships, work or health) are allowed to suffer” (Better Health Channel, 2010).



Facebook is the largest social networking site available on the internet currently with over 800 million active users in which over 50 percent log on **daily** (Facebook, 2011). According to Online Schools, 48 percent of 18 – 34 year olds check their Facebook page as soon as they get up but even worse – 28 percent check their Facebook on their smart phones **before they even get out of bed**. (Online Schools, 2011)

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Researchers and theorists believe that over-exposure, obsessive behaviour and an addiction to the internet can have detrimental effects on both mental and physical health. Dr Lam states in Walters’ article “people who played online role-playing games such as World of Warcraft, were especially prone to the condition, which is described as an uncontrollable and damaging use of the internet” (Walters, 2009). He also states that males are 50 percent more likely to get an addiction to these games than women. On the other hand, females are more likely to be actively involved in different social networking sites.

Don’t believe internet and game addiction is real? Watch this video of a kid who had his World of Warcraft account cancelled.

These are not the only problems. With technology expanding and more and more children are accessing the internet – this gives a greater risk for those children to be bullied online called ‘cyber-bullying’. There is a much higher chance for adolescence to meet people over the internet who do not have the best interests at heart (Axiak, 2011). This is a major concern as there have been many reports on teenagers committing suicide because they were bullied over the internet by someone they did not know.



Physical activity is the other major health concern that technology is having an impact upon. It is recommended that 30 minutes per day is the **minimum** amount of physical activity that people should be involved in (Queensland Government, 2011). According to research, a survey was conducted giving results that 8.5 percent of students did **no physical activity** in the seven days prior to taking the survey (Candace, 2010). This is very bad for both their physical and mental health as a number of studies have also found that achieving the recommended 30 minutes can provide a healthier state of mind by decreasing depression (Better Health Channel, 2010). The World Health Organisation (2006) also says that committing 30 minutes per day to physical activity will help people have a better quality life, have reduced risks in a variety of diseases as well as many psychological and emotional benefits.

Not only is Generation Y not committing themselves to physical activity because of the amount of time they spend on the new technologies but they are making it worse by eating and drinking unhealthily too. As read in Scully (2007), recent studies have shown that adolescence who watch several hours of television on school days are eating and drinking concerning amounts of food and high-energy drinks. A survey found in the //Health Promotion International// discovered that 55 percent and 61 percent of teenagers aged between 12 and 17 who watched more than three hours of television every day were consuming high-energy drinks and eating snack-foods more than four times per week respectively.

=Social and Cultural Analysis=

Are the younger generation evolving into inactive, mentally ill and technology dependent people? Are they replacing human interaction with a more ‘techno-social’ attitude towards life? For many of Generation Y, the most physical activity they get is having to go to the shops to buy groceries for the day/week. This physical inactivity is a world-wide health epidemic and should be dealt with accordingly as soon as possible.

One-in-ten adolescence spends approximately seven hours per day in front of a TV or computer screen. Health officials say that children over the age of two should watch no more than two hours of TV per day. Teens between the age of 11 and 14 watch an average 2.8 hours of TV per day and 31 hours on the internet per week yet only spend forty-five minutes per day socializing in person.

With today’s society growing more and more reliant on new and improved technology, companies such as Apple and Microsoft (the two leading companies in technology) are provoked to create new devices which are appealing to the public and more particularly, the younger generations. Usage of these new devices are easily and usually unknowingly abused resulting in detrimental effects however they also offer clear benefits such as improved ways of storing and transferring information and also allowing for improved communication between people (Jolin, 2011). Game consoles and new gaming technology such as Nintendo Wii and Microsoft’s ‘Kinect’ are doing its best to get people up off the couch and start participating in physical activity in various ways as to keep not only Generation Y, but also both the older and younger generations interested as well.





Technology has advanced so much so that actual human interaction could almost become obsolete. In the workplace, most forms of communication is done over Email. It is even possible to have ‘social robots’ which you can IM (instant message) over socializing programs such as MSN messenger and Yahoo Messenger. “Chat Bots are robots that you can chat to over msn messenger and talk to like a real person. They are intelligent and remember what you say so you can have interesting and funny conversations with them” (Messenger Freak, 2010). Technology makes it very easy to become isolated from other human beings which may affect our mental health. Human interaction is needed! (Candace, 2010).

There has been evidence to support that with new technology being readily made available to younger children, bullying has also been taken to a complete new level. Not only are children able to be bullied in the schoolyard, but now harassment is being taken home with them in their pockets as 31 percent of school-aged children now own mobile phones (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011). There are many anti-bullying initiatives and organisations which help those who have been bullied such as Youth Beyond Blue.

As Generation Y are beginning to move into the workforce, these ‘techno-savvy’ people are reshaping and reconstructing the organisation and companies in which they work for directly impacting the generations preceding them who they both work for and with. Hundreds of articles are appearing all over the internet and newspapers giving tips on how bosses and managers can integrate the different generations so that they can all work well together without affecting the company.



=Personal Reflection and Analysis of Artefact=

The artefact I chose is a comedic image representing the way that humankind has changed throughout the generations and more particularly Generation Y. Each independent image within the entire image displays a general idea of those generations era’s which brings great concern regarding the final sections. The final section of the image is particularly clear on how Generation Y is being perceived by many people as well as brings concern for the generations proceeding Generation Y if nothing is to be changed and new technology continues to appear. In case the image itself isn’t enough, it is also accompanied by the phrase ‘//something somewhere went terribly wrong//’. This phrase alone gives a very clear indication that Generation Y is in trouble and that something **must** be done so that further damage is prevented.

Throughout researching for this article and writing it, I have realized that I myself have actually fallen prey to technology and social networking sites - checking my cellphone every ten minutes, logging onto facebook every eight hours or so and spending excessive and unnecessary time online.. As a member of Generation Y, I really don’t want to be part of the 57 percent of people who socialise more online than in person, I don’t want to be the one in tenth person who watches over seven hours of television per day and most definitely don’t want to be part of the 8.5 percent who don’t participate in any physical activity whatsoever.

As a health professional, I am going to continue investigating the issues at hand and find better, alternative methods and strategies which will end this problem before it becomes a world-wide epidemic.

=References= Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2010). //Household Use of Information Technology, Australia, 2008-09 //. Retrieved from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8146.0

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). //Australian Social Trends, Australia, 2011 //. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features60Jun+2011

Axiak, A. (2011). //Increasing rates of suicide in Generation Y.// Available: http://utopia.edu.au/2011/02/increasing-rates-of-suicide-in-generation-y/. Last accessed 3rd November 2011.

Better Health Channel. (2010). //Internet Addiction.// Retrieved from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Internet_addiction?open. Last accessed 2nd November 2011.

Better Health Channel. (2010). //Physical Activity – It’s Important//. Retrieved 4th October 2011 from: http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Physical_activity_its_important?open

Candace. (2010). //Teens Technology Obsession May Cause Mental Health Problems.// Retrieved from: http://www.doctorsolve.com/blog/2010/07/teens-technology-obsession-may-cause-mental-health-problems.html. Last accessed 31st October 2011.

Facebook. (2011). //Statistics.// Available: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics. Last accessed 2nd November 2011.

Jayson, S. Peunte, M. (2007). //Gen Y shaped, not stopped, by tragedy.// Retrieved from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-04-17-millenials_N.htm. Last accessed 29th October 2011.

Jolin, E., Weller, R. (2011). Television Viewing and Its Impact on Childhood Behaviors. //Current Psychiatry Reports//. 13 (2), p122-128.

Messenger Freak. (2010). //Chat Bots.// Available: http://www.messengerfreak.com/chat_bots.php. Retrieved: 3rd November 2011

Online Schools. (2011). //Obsessed With Facebook.// Available: http://www.onlineschools.org/blog/facebook-obsession/. Last accessed 2nd November 2011

Queensland Government. (2011). //Find Your 30.// Available: http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/sportrec/get-active/find-your-30. Last accessed 3rd November 2011.

Roythorne, P. (2011). //IT'S GOOD TO TALK : Why Generation Y is leading the way we communicate at events.// Retrieved from: http://meetingsreview.com/news/view/66638. Last accessed 1st November 2011

Scully, M., Dixon, H., White, V., Beckmann, K. (2007). Dietary, physical activity and sedentary behaviour among Australian secondary students in 2005. //Health Promotion International//. 22 (3), 236-245.

Walters, C. (2009). //Teen net addicts at risk of mental health problems// Available: http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/teen-net-addicts-at-risk-of-mental-health-problems-20091017-h275.html. Last accessed 3rd November

World Health Organisation (WHO). 2006. //Girl’s Participation in Physical Activities and Sports: Benefits,// //Patterns, Influences and Ways Forward //. Retrieved from http://www.icsspe.org/documente/Girls.pdf

=Discussion =

Comment 1:
Adolescent Girls too Afraid to Play Sport due to Body Image Issues

I really enjoyed reading this as I have previously written articles regarding how the media influences changes in uniform that womens' touch rugby player have undergone purely to promote body image.

I didn't realise that even preteen females were being affected by embarrassment and choosing not to engage themselves in sport and physical activity because of this. After reading your article I believe that if this problem is not attended to soon then we may see an epidemic of more and more females becoming overweight sooner.

If I had the resources, I would like to find if there are any differences between girls participating in sport who attend all-girl schools and co-education schools.

Comment 2:
Generation Y - Are we clicking our lives away? I really enjoyed the way that the two videos highlight how just one social networking website can reduce the amount of actual human interaction people are involved with. I completely agree with your section on body image and how it is a major concern especially considering most of the models being shown in magazines and on billboards do not actually exist because of airbrushing and photoshop - this video shows exactly what you were speaking about.

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Regarding the relation between physical inactivity and media consumption, I found an article (link below) contradicting what you have said about no link being existent however I do realise my source is written in 2010 and your source in 2004 - a lot can change in six years.

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Do you think that we as Generation Y's are setting a role-model for Generation Z and how do you think things are going to change for them - are they going to be better or worse off? The artefact above is a comedic image containing the aspects of Darwin’s Theory of evolution depicting the differences between the different generations of humankind. The final image contains a person sitting hunched over a computer which is considered the lifestyle of many Generation Y people. The phrase underneath the image states “Something somewhere went terribly wrong” which draws attention to the health risks and other problems that could potentially manifest due to these behaviours and lifestyles. The different behaviours of all the generations are regularly compared to each other, as well as the different health aspects and issues. So what are the behaviours of Generation Y which are considered major health concerns that are different to Generation X? To put it plain and simple, without their cell phones, computers, laptops, Tablets, GPS etc the majority of Generation Y would be lost. While they are becoming more and more technology dependent, this also causes the deterioration of mental and physical health. “Generation Y is a stressed out generation … Many college campuses have seen increases in the numbers diagnosed with depression and other mental health disorders.” (Jayson, 2007)