The Kids Aren't Happy:How Unemployed Youthand Social Media AreRemaking The WorldADigital Report fromtheRobarts Counterpublics Working GroupRobartsCentreforCanadianStudiesDaniel DracheRobarts Centre for CanadianStudiesDanielJosephResearchAssociateApril2011ROBARTSCENTREFORCANADIANSTUDIES
The Kids Aren’t Happy: How Unemployed Youth and Social Media Are Remaking The World A Digital Report from the Robarts Counterpublics Working Group Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies Daniel Drache Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies Daniel Joseph Research Associate April 2011
We start with the singlequestion:Are social media and the growthin the under 30 demographicglobally the driving forces in thestruggle against authoritarianelites?COBYNCSA
We start with the single question: Are social media and the growth in the under 30 demographic, globally the driving forces in the struggle against authoritarian elites?
2010 and2011haveseenanexplosion of popularsecular uprisings,on parwiththe fall of EastGermanyin1989.Throughout the Arabworld,‘days of ragearedirectedagainstauthoritarianregimesin Tunisia.LibyaandEgypt
2010 and 2011 have seen an explosion of popular secular uprisings, on par with the fall of East Germany in 1989. Throughout the Arab world, ‘days of rage’ are directed against authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Libya and Egypt
These states haddestroyed almost allindependent civilsocietyorganizations.Theycreated a monsterpolice-stateapparatus thatimprisoned tens ofthousands,torturingcountless others
These states had destroyed almost all independent civil society organizations. They created a monster police-state apparatus that imprisoned tens of thousands, torturing countless others
BloombergAt the core of thisBusinessweekturbulenceisadefiantgeneration that seesno future in astatusTHEKIDSquo world. They areuniversity graduateswith nothing to loseand a future to gainNOTAREThey are smart. Theyareunder 30.Theyarejobless.They are techsavvy.They representa worldwide youthALRIGHTdemographicrevolution.YOUTHUNEMPLOYMENTISTHEGLOBALECONOMYSTICKINGTIMEBOMBHOWTODEEUSEITPLUS:THEFALLACYOFFACEBOOKDEMOCRACYDS
At the core of this turbulence is a defiant generation that sees no future in a status quo world. They are university graduates with nothing to lose and a future to gain. They are smart. They are under 30. They are jobless. They are techsavvy. They represent a worldwide youth demographic revolution