INSTIGATING LOGIC
The MTV generation
By JARED PUTNAM

The MTV generation. It's what I am, what we are. It is those of us who were born between the late 1970s and early 1980s. We are the cuspers, the ones who came into the world on the cusp of the switch from Generation X to Generation Y.

So what does all that really mean? Well, when it comes to names, I think we drew the short straw. After rolling out names like the Greatest Generation, the Baby Boomers, and Generation X, we get...the MTV Generation? Come on, named after a network that I barely even watched as a kid?

But name gripes aside, these generation classes have always interested me. They are dictated by world events and give people yet another means of feeling part of something bigger.

The Greatest Generation fought in World War II. Some people even say that they saved the world. The Baby Boomers stemmed from the prosperity that followed WWII. They challenged the world, redefining culture in the 60s and 70s.

So what will the XY Cuspers do? For starters, I think this generation is blurring the line between youth and adult. Blame Nintendo for that. Our generation grew up on videogames. By the time I was 8 years old that old Nintendo controller might as well have been my third arm.

Things haven't changed a lot since then, we have just gotten older and the fun we enjoyed as kids has stuck with us, growing into accepted, even preferred hobbies by people of all ages.

Beyond that, we are also the first generation to have essentially grown up on computers. That has gradually grown into the popularization of cell phones, PDAs, GPS devices, and much more. But no matter what electronic toy you pick out, chances are, someone in my generation is going to be more versed in how to use it than say...our parents. The fact of the matter is, we have just become so trained to manipulate an "operating system" that it has practically become second nature.

But while these are all interesting tidbits that makes the MTV Generation unique, I have no desire to trade our label as conoisseurs of Music Television just for similar label linked video games or computers. No, hopefully the XY Cuspers will be known for something more meaningful.

We were in college when 911 occurred. Along with the threat of global terrorism, we are the generation entering the workforce as issues such as immigration and rising gas prices dominate the media.

Who knows, maybe our generation will make terrorism a thing of the past or find a cure for cancer. Only one thing is for certain, the world is going to change more than ever during our lifetimes. Whether it is for better or for worse will largely depend on the choices we make.