Tina Turner had a big hit in 1984 with the song, “What’s love got to do with it?”. As I considered what I wrote on Monday, I could hear the echoes of people saying, “what’s hope got to do with the Gen Y project?”

Well, I say ALOT!

We’re in a time of great change culturally, socially, technologically, economically, politically, and personally. When all of these situations converge, it can be rather scary and uncomfortable. In times like these, hope becomes an anchor.

Let’s take this example in Fast Company. Richard Watson, in his editorial, “The Future of Newspapers” argues that newspaper subscriptions worldwide are falling. Some as much as 30% since 1960. New sources of information online are better equipped to respond to the personalized attention that we want in today’s world. In fact, some newspapers are created completely by user-driven content (OhMyNews in South Korea is an example), while others ask readers to vote on the top story of the next day.

We’re also getting our news from many different sources than just newspapers. Blogs, e-zines, targeted hobby or special interest magazines, and web sites are wisely offering more and more information specific to their users interests. They are also asking their users what they want to know more often. When was the last time that your newspaper editor asked what you wanted to see in your morning paper?

Savvy media marketers and brand loyalists understand that providing us with the information that is most relevant to us in the moment and in a way that is visually attractive, innovative, or fun can be a great way to change our behaviors. We’re social creatures. Create a community through technology, design, uncovered secrets, or unique local perspectives and a national brand or information source can become our friend. And, we stay loyal to friends who stay loyal to us.

Newspapers haven’t made this shift - yet! But, they can. And, to stay in business many will have to. Does that mean that we’ll be sipping coffee at the kitchen table with a three foot wide piece of paper in front of us everyday? No, it might be the blue-green glow of the screen, or the 2 x 3 screen of a handheld phone instead. Winners in the market of information delivery will make this shift in conjunction to their customers.
Community building through technology. Innovations through personal loyalty to customers. Shifting habits between one generation and another. These are the symptoms of a sea change in just one industry. Now imagine it happening in every industry, every day faster than the day before. This is the world that Generation Y is entering and influencing.

They hope that people will hear and understand their call for personalized information in a multitude of formats that suit their own personal style. Not because they are selfish, but because they have better things to do - like saving the world, hanging out with friends, or learning a new skill. They have hope. Shouldn’t we?