Gen Y's Influence On Art And Politics

People born between the 1980s-2000 are known as Gen Y. They are “known” to be people who have become so self-absorbed, developed an addiction to not be themselves on social media, and to not care for anything else that does not involve them. Majority, if not all, of Gen Y’s is on social media and have shown a bigger interest in “self-love”. However, as the years go by, more of them have started to “do politics” in a different way. Many have adopted it as a hobby or many now view it as their “part-time” job. Two areas majority of Millennials have turned their focus toward is feminism and police brutality-mainly those that are people of color. They have been able to incorporate their obsession with social media with their interest in politics

“He suggested that the problem was not mine alone, that it seemed to afflict a great many people, prominent among them writers, artists and thinkers…” (Birkerts 164). I find this statement to be somewhat false. Although many artist focus more on just creating art and nothing else, Gen Y has been to prove this wrong. More of them have molded their passion for art and politics into a way of "doing" politics. They have discovered that with the rise of appreciation and attention art has received is a great platform for making a statement. Some post the art on social media, others showcase it to their school, or they might go out to the city for all to see. San Francisco is full of professionals who have turned their art hobby into politics. A young man who during the day is a personal trainer, has devoted his time to political art. He is known for making murals/street art dedicated to the struggles of people of color. At the moment he is working on a mural in honor of all the Latino/Hispanic and Black lives who have tragically ended due to police brutality. While the sun is still out he, along with other local artist, work on the mural and hope to finish it as soon as possible. Just like this young man, many millennials are using art to get heard. I think they find it as a perfect way to get heard but not seen as a joke. They have been able to find an interest that many older generations enjoy (art) to get heard. They have grown tired of being given the shoulder when they are speaking out and art is something that