The Ease to Forget: 9-11 and a lost generation.

The new normal

Today is the 15th Anniversary of the September 11th attacks. We wanted to reprint our thoughts about the aftermath of the tragedy and what has happened to our country in the years since that terrible day. This article originally appeared on September 11th, 2015.

At the dawn of the 21st century I was a twenty five year old man who just started to get his life in order. Many of my peers had started their careers, a few had even started families. I was already attempting my second career and had finally moved out of my parents home. I had a college education and skills needed in a booming economy, but various personal missteps had slowed my entry into independent adulthood. In my circle of friends I was an anomaly, someone who just could not figure out how to grow up. Twenty five may have been a little late to grow up, yet I was comfortable that my life was back on a forward trajectory.

September 11th, 2001 was a very sunny and mild Tuesday in St. Louis Missouri. I was on my way to watch the best golfers in the world practice for an upcoming event in the area. I was to meet a fellow friend at a nearby hotel where we would get breakfast and carpool to the golf course. On my way the local radio broke the news that something seemed to hit one building of the World Trade Center. The initial reports said it was a small plane or a news helicopter. Less than an hour later I was standing in a packed lobby of a hotel watching the true horror unfold. This is going to sound like a cliche,  I did not know at the time how much the world was about to change.

Fourteen years later I start my day like any other. It is a bright mild Friday morning in Cincinnati Ohio. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. My life has continued a forward trajectory, everything seems the same as it ever was. I start every morning looking through the news and social media to see what trends SeedSing wants to tackle next week. On the morning of September 11th, 2015 my feed is filled with "Never Forget" memes from  the old and new media.  Like Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Never Forget has become this programmed response everyone feels they should give on this one day of the year. There is very little thought given to what this means. Why should we Never Forget? Who should we Never Forget? What will not forgetting give us?

We have forgotten and society has been radically altered because of our memories. The national reaction, fed by the politicians and media, was one of extreme vengeance. The grounds was still smoking when President Bush boasted of leveling other nations. The public applauded his strength, the press gave the administration a pass on any faulty intelligence, and the congress gleefully accepted war. All of the grand estates of the American society were controlled by greedy baby boomers who were already gearing up for a war in Iraq. The September 11th attacks caused the public to line up behind the warmongers. Instead of attacking Iraq, we were invested in going into another nation. There was no way to question our ill advised blood lust. To question was to not honor the dead. The baby boomers in charge consolidated their power, increased their wealth, and sacrificed the millennials.

The millennial generation were mostly in high school or college when the September 11th attacks took place. The baby boomers and generation xers were in the work force, shaping the future for the millennials. In the aftermath of the attacks, the millennials were called upon to defend their country. The millennials were recruited into a holy war that had not been won by over a hundred generations before them. The ones who belonged to the lower economic classes sacrificed their lives and sanity for our irrational wars.  All the millennials had their economic futures sacrificed by the greed of those in power. Concepts like freedom and patriotism were being co-opted by right wing corporate and religious institutions after September 11th. Our society started to deify rich white CEOs as some kind of economic savior, they were the job creators. We allowed the polluters to have more free reign, so we do not allow the terrorists to dictate our lives. The thieves on Wall Street were absolved because they were the champions of american capitalism. The boomers got rich, the gen xers tried to tread water, and the millennials were lost.

In 2000, at the age of twenty five, I was behind my peers. Searching for a career, living at home, and being generally without direction. This was not society, this was my own doing. Since September 11th, our society has fundamentally changed. What we forget is how the boomers changed this society. It has become the norm for a college educated twenty five year old to be living at home. In fourteen short years we have allowed the politicians, corporations, and media to create an economic wasteland for future generations. The boomers are still mostly in charge, and they have gotten wealthier. The gen xers are still mostly treading water, waiting for their opportunity. The millennials are learning how to survive a new social and economic reality, and they have no guidance. We have failed the millennials, and we need their help to fix our problems.

September 11th and the aftermath has seen way too much death and suffering. On that mild and sunny Tuesday morning all but twenty of the victims were living their lives and looking forward to their next happy moment. The many powerful people who exploited this event for their greed and racism should not be left off the hook. The architects of today's society, one that is leaving the majority behind, have allowed the fear of that day to flourish. They have lost a generation. Never Forget.   

RD Kulik

RD is the creator and Head editor of SeedSing. Have another opinion? Let us know.

Have Some Courage and Stop Complaining about the iPhone 7 EarPod Evolution

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye.

Being an Apple user, I have an iPhone, so does my wife, and I have an iPod, I was not surprised that they were putting out a newer version of their phone, the iPhone 7. They do this all the time. It will be bigger, yet sleeker, new and improved, and it will be the best phone that they will have ever assembled, until the next one comes out. Look, I like Apple products. I think that they work really well and are very useful. But, I do not like the fact that they are putting out something new seemingly every 6 to 8 months. I just got an iPhone 6, which is a great phone, but I am three phones behind their newest model now.

That is not the reason for the blog today. My biggest problem from the new release of the iPhone 7 is the complaints coming from people that the earbuds are now wireless. Talk about your first world problems. Yeesh, for people to get mad about something as trivial as that, we clearly have a problem as a country. Anyone anywhere will find something to complain about, even when the product is the most advanced thing that has ever been created in its field. I mean, had you told me 15 years ago, when I was listening to CD's in my Walkman, that I would be able to buy headphones that have no wires, my head would have exploded. We live in a very cool time, as far as advances in technology go.

But, like I said, people will find even the smallest thing to complain about. I hear people complaining, saying things like, why is there no jack for head phones, or what if I lose my earbuds, or how will I listen to music in my car, what am I going to do now when I exercise. Think about what you are complaining about. I don't want to get all preachy and sound stuck up or anything, but do you think people living in huts in underdeveloped parts of the globe, or living in igloos near the northern most part of the world, or people living in houses with dirt floors in third world countries really want to hear us lazy Americans complain about some damn headphones? No way.

That is the problem with the US. We are lazy and complain about everything. Now, I'm not saying I don't do that. Hell, I complain about a lot of stuff on this website and on our podcast , but I know it is all in good fun, and when I get it off my chest, I let it go. Just like I will do today after I write this. But, I ask again, why is this such a big deal? Why is it front page news on websites? Why are so many people, mainly entitled millennials, moaning and groaning about this new era of earbuds? I don't know the answer, and that kind if bugs me.

I mean, first of all, who really cares. We will adapt to this, just like we did when VHS went to DVD and DVD went to Blu Ray. Or, just like when 8 tracks went to cassette and cassette went to CD and now, CD's have been replaced by MP3's or iTunes. Things change and we find ways to change with them. Sure, it will be weird at first, trying to listen to something in my car, I have not set up my bluetooth, but I will figure it out, and I am near being a technology illiterate. And yeah, it may be a bit different when I go for a run and put in wireless earbuds, but, what if I love it? What if it makes running so much easier? I tend to knock the earbuds out of my ears if I am running hard because I hit the cord that attaches them. Maybe this new invention will stop me from doing that. I don't know, but I know that I will adapt. As will all the people complaining about it right now. It is really such a minuscule thing that really has no effect or impact on our lives. We will get through these "trying" times. I just wish we weren't so entitled and lazy as a country.

I have dedicated an entire blog to those that are complaining about some headphones for gods sake. It's sad if you think about it, and it mainly comes from my generation. We think that everything should be easy, because if it's not, we will not do it, and let thousands of people know about our dislike. We need to get over it, and I'm talking mainly to all millennials. We live in a great time, but all we do, for the most part, is bitch and moan when something isn't the way we think it should be. I hope when my kids get older they don't have to deal with nonsense like this. Hopefully they will be more grateful for all the cool shit that they are going to have when they are my age. But, one can only hope.

Anyway, seriously millennials, it's some damn headphones. Get over it and just enjoy your new iPhone because there will be a new one before we know it, and the iPhone 7, with its wireless headphones and all, will soon be an afterthought.

ed note: The original title incorrectly called the headphones earbuds. They are called earpods. The internet is filled with helpful people.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Hear Ty talk about how he listens to music has changed in the last 30 years on a classic edition of the X Millennial Man Podcast. Ty is also on twitter, go follow him @tykulik. 

How the Internet has Changed Pop Culture

Popular culture is a complicated beast. Like the Hydra, it has many heads, and when you think you've figured it out, two more heads pop out of the last. I'd like to thank SeedSing.com for helping expand the conversation on so many topics, including this one. If you have time, check out their article about why the book is always better than the movie—argued from the perspective of someone who doesn't actually agree!

For its relatively short lifespan, pop culture has undergone many changes. Within the past century, it has developed alongside different forms of media, including radio, movies, television, and finally the internet. Of these forms of media, none has been more transformational than the internet.

While radio might at first seem like the first big mover of pop culture, the vast majority of pop culture has been a one-way street for nearly a century. Entertainers delivered material, and consumers absorbed it, transmitting it to other consumers in the process and growing the market. The internet has massively altered the way information is transmitted and, as a result, turned the entire pop culture scene on its side.

The Two-Way Street

In some ways, there's always been some level of interaction between fans of pop culture and perpetrators of pop culture. Music concerts, fashion shows, and other spectacles allow fans and enthusiasts to attend and see the latest—that much hasn't changed. But with the internet, people can also provide meaningful feedback instantly.

It has replaced the thousands of fan letters that are never read and go unanswered. Services such as Twitter and Facebook allow everyday people to interface with real celebrities, artists, and content creators on a very personal level. Rather than wait days or weeks for a response to hear from these famous figures, the public may see a response in mere minutes.

The leaders of pop culture haven’t let this change go unnoticed either. More than ever, social media pages are advertised on television, over the radio, and even within products. “Visit our website to learn more,” they say. “Text (something) to 321” will get you added to a list for any number of different things.

Even a person like Dr. Phil has gotten in on the act, with his show sometimes weighing the opinions of the public by broadcasting their responses to his questions live. As this trend continues, entertainment shifts more and more away from being a mostly passive to sincerely welcoming interaction.

The Death of Cable

Another amazing phenomenon we’ve begun to experience is the slow demise of cable. While there is still a hefty subscriber base to standard television, the numbers are beginning to dip. Consumers are seeking their entertainment elsewhere, mostly through streaming services over the internet.

As a result, the movers and shakers of pop culture are no longer just the late-night TV hosts or the faces of prime-time television. A new demand for quality entertainment that directly answers the wants and needs of the consumer has created an incredible lineup of original shows that can be seen any time so long as you have a subscription to the right service (typically Netflix).

That brings us to the heart of our next point: The change in audience has created a new type of consumer.

On Demand

The instant nature of the internet has, in many ways, altered the patience of consumers. As progressively more content becomes available on demand, it changes audience expectations. Pop culture becomes something the audience doesn’t want to wait to read about in the tabloids tomorrow—why bother when they can visit TMZ’s website right now?

In some ways, this has also created a conflict between the previous generation and the new. The older generation is used to waiting; what choice did they have? "Snail mail" got its name precisely because it was so slow. But the new generation wasn't raised on that.

The new generation has been exposed to an entirely different upbringing that is reshaping everything we know about pop culture. Deemed “millennials,” these new consumers are used to things being available instantly. They grew up with cell phones, email, and instant streaming movies.

Naturally, pop culture has developed to answer these needs. Vendors of popular items sell their goods online with fast-paced shipping. Virtually every major bill can be paid online with a few taps. And since the newer generation spends so much time online (typically on a phone or laptop), much of advertising has moved there as well.

Copy That

In many ways, the internet is solely responsible for the most freely produced content since the dawn of history. Because all online entertainment is stored as data, it can be (largely) freely copied. Unlike physical media, there are no limits to how many times data can be reproduced.

Internet users first figured it out on a large scale when Napster became big over a decade ago. A single user could post a song they had on CD, and thousands of other users could download it and share it themselves. Because there was no physical limitation on the number of copies, it meant millions of people could get music for free.

With time (and faster internet), file sharing expanded to videos and larger programs. So too did the record companies’ fight against what they deemed internet piracy. Today it still continues unabated, but new efforts have been made to fight against file sharing.

The Fight Against Piracy

This brings us right back to today’s on-demand culture. Piracy has been combated in two different ways. The first is through censorship and monitoring. The FBI has taken down several pirating websites, and Hollywood has sued the owners of select IP addresses that pirated movies. Well, except the people using VPNs, since they’ve been able to hide their IP addresses.

The second way has been just to make content more accessible. Instead of having to visit the video store, you can load a show up without leaving home. Music can be purchased one song at a time instead of having to buy an entire album. Little tweaks to the market have dissuaded quite a few pirates by making the legal way just as easy.

Other entertainers have embraced the idea of free content by literally making their stuff free but stuffing it with ads or add-ons that can be purchased for cold, hard cash. Video games have changed quite a bit as well. Many games can be bought before they’re even finished, allowing users early access to the still developing product.

Where most games usually shipped finished, now we see games sell with only a limited amount of content and the rest purchasable at a later date. This is made possible only by a fully connected population that can go online at any time to buy the new content.

What Tomorrow Holds

If present trends continue, we’ll only see more digital media come to replace physical media. The internet can’t quite replace live conventions or concerts, but it has afforded many more access to these events than ever before.

While print struggles to stay alive, online versions of popular magazines and TV shows flourish. Independent content also continues to grow in popularity, with YouTube and Twitch providing platforms for individuals to create content for other users.

We won’t know what tomorrow holds until it happens; my bets are in for something fast, convenient, and accessible anytime, anywhere.

If you have thoughts to share about pop culture and the internet, post a comment below.

Isa

About the Author: Isa is an internet security specialist and entertainment blogger. If you enjoyed her work, check out some more of her writing on Culture Coverage. Follow Isa on twitter @ Go like Culture Coverage on Facebook. 

The Day After: South Carolina Edition Part 2

The cold of February gives way to slightly less cold of Super Tuesday

Can we finally close the door on feeling the Bern?

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton predictable crushed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders in the South Carolina primary on Saturday. Clinton won almost every demographic by an extremely large margin. There was one demographic it looks like Sanders did best Clinton in,  white voters under 30. Unfortunately for the Green Mountain State Senator, that demographic accounted for less than 15% of the Democrats that voted in the primary. With wins in three out of four February primary states, and the large amount of committed delegates, Hillary Clinton is well on her way to securing the Democratic Party nomination for President of the United States.

Should Clinton be worried about Sanders once again winning the white millennial vote? According to Pew Research, the youngest millennial is now 18, and the group makes up the largest voting block in America. They have surpassed the number of baby boomers, and have their first real chance to wield political power. They unfortunately do not vote in high numbers, like the baby boomers. Most of the boomers tend to favor the older, more conservative candidates. Hillary Clinton is that candidate for the Democratic party. Bernie Sanders has excited the white millennials by talking to them directly, and they have responded by being the vocal backbone of his longshot White House candidacy. When it comes time to actually vote the millennial turnout falls below 50%, while the gen xers and baby boomers turnout well over 50%. As long as the millennials stay home, Hillary Clinton has nothing to worry about as she confidently marches toward the nomination.

President Barack Obama was the last Democrat to really ignite the passion of millennial voters, but he also had the support of nearly all of the generation x democrats. Hillary Clinton's baby boomer support kept her in the primary into the summer of 2008, but Obama's broader message carried him to victory. That message of hope has become a reality of bowing to the established political and financial institutions who are desperate to stay in power. Eight years later the gen xers have joined the boomers in near universal support for Clinton. The former first lady is also winning every minority group in the Democratic party. Bernie Sanders appeal has been limited to mainly young white liberals. That is an incredibly small group under the large diverse umbrella of the Democratic Party. This group seems fanatically drawn to Senator Sander's message of money and political corruption. This exact same idea seems to be working more for Donald Trump and the Republican primary voters. Most in the Democratic Party have accepted that Hillary Clinton is another, in a long line of, of candidates who are beholden to Wall Street and big banks. Bill Clinton was one, John Kerry another, Chris Dodd helped protect the housing industry,  and Barack Obama has gone out of his way to keep Wall Street in power. Sanders message is an important one, but it is one that the overall democratic party is not ready to face. Not yet.

Super Tuesday is fast approaching and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has a commanding lead in most of the states who will be voting. Senator Sanders is feverishly working to shore up support and eek out a few wins on March 1st, but it will not be enough. Unless over 90% of all the registered young white liberals get out and vote for Sanders, his campaign will be over by the morning of march 2nd. History says that the millennial vote will be much lower than the gen x and boomer vote. It was a fun ride, and Bernie Sanders has brought up extremely important issues, but it is over. Hillary Clinton will be the Democratic nominee for President of the United States. The Bern is starting to cool down.

RD Kulik

RD is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the host of the X Millennial Man podcast. He wishes for two things - at least one President who is not a stooge for Wall Street and for you to like SeedSing on Facebook.