Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Yawns: Not so Lazy After All

Although my blog usually consists of technology, I thought I should inform my readers of "a new breed" of Gen Y and Gen X. They are called Yawns. An article from the San Francisco Chronicle claims that they live humbly, trying to lessen their carbon footprint in the world.

I decided to read the article since I had never heard of Yawns. After reading it, I think we all have a little Yawn in us. Yawn stands for Young and Wealthy but Normal.
They drive hybrid cars, if they drive at all, shop at local stores, if they shop at all, and pay off their credit cards every month, if they use them at all.
This is all good, I mean, at least they are environmentally-conscious. The Yawns are in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. I wanted to blog about this because I know many Gen Y's that didn't even know they were Yawns! The Green movement has been huge, and many people from our generation are happy to take part in it. Unfortunately, some people are "green" because it is trendy, but many are actually making an effort.

A consumer trends expert, Pan Danziger, believes that the green aspect of this has little to do with it.
"The green thing is just a small part of it," said Danziger, whose firm, Unity Marketing, has new research showing luxury spending is way down. "Americans have been on a buying binge for the last 10 years," she said. "Our closets are full. Our attics are full. Our garages are full. Enough already!
I have found this to be completely true in my parents house! My mom tends to overbuy and has an attic and two closets to prove it. I currently try to recycle or repurpose items so that I can cut down on my expenses. I donate many of my clothes and other items and try to limit my spending on things I don't really need.

Another point the article brings up are thrift stores. I absolutely love them. The amazing and unique clothing items you can find in a thrift can provide a day's worth of fun. When you buy things from these thrift stores, you are not only saving money, but also reusing items.

Secondhand stores are to Yawns what the Gap was to Yuppies.
Our Generation is emerging at a time of environmental awareness. I know many Gen Y's that try to live green and I think that we can have an impact. I hope everyone will realize that with small changes in lifestyle, we all can lessen our carbon footprint.