It’s shaping up to be a good, if expensive, week for survey researchers (and others) who are also Beatles fans. This Wednesday, Harmonix Music Systems will release the greatly anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band , a video game which will allow users to jam along with the Beatles interactively on the game’s electronic instruments. That same day, digitally remastered versions of all Beatles studio albums will be released . Serious aficionados will no doubt snap up the box set featuring 14 of these remastered CDs along with brief documentaries detailing the making of each CD.

In a nine page article in the New York Times describing the making of The Beatles: Rock Band, author Daniel Radosh describes the extensive involvement of surviving Beatles Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney as well as Yoko Ono and Olivia and Dhani Harrison in imagining, creating, refining, and publicizing the game. On the decision to place the Beatles in the center of the interactive video game cultural phenomenon, McCartney comments that “I think it reflects where the Beatles are at.. we are halfway between reality and mythology.” McCartney is also a fan of the game’s interactive nature, noting that “you want people to get engaged… [now people can feel as if] they possess or own the song, that they’ve been in it.”

Meanwhile, some pollsters are hard at work confirming hypotheses that will come as little surprise to Beatles fans: more than forty years after their last group recording, the Beatles are judged to be the most liked musical group in America, and their fans are found in every generation. Pew reports that 49% of those surveyed claimed they liked the Beatles “a lot”, and 81% like the Beatles overall. This is the highest favorability percentage for any of the 20 musical groups or artists included in Pew’s survey. The biggest fans are those between 50 and 64, with 65% of this age group liking the Beatles “a lot”, but fans are found in all age groups: 45% of those between 16 and 25 also like the Beatles “a lot”.

Are you a Beatles fan? Do you think any musical group will ever have a cultural or musical impact equal to the Beatles? Do you plan to purchase or play any of the Beatles-related music or games released this week?

Katy culture, lifestyles, media Beatles, best band ever, culture, entertainment, music, polls, video, work

For the generation born from 1945-1964, the Vietnam War was the tumultuous event which divided this group more than any other.  And while many were appalled before, and especially after the results of Woodstock, the three-day music festival was the one event during this era which best captured the zeitgeist of this time- rebellion- and whether boomers agreed with the war or not, many could relate to that on some level.  However, the aftermath of the festival still revealed a stark divide amongst this age cohort.

Naturally I ponder similar questions for my generation born from 1979-1990; what is our definitive era, what is the big day that had a profound impact, and did it divide us or unite us?
For First Globals™, our era is no doubt defined by the telecommunications revolution that started in the 1980s and advanced into the 1990s so that a near majority of homes had cell phones, internet, or both. 

But unlike the Vietnam War for our parents generation, the T.C. revolution brought us closer to each other both within our regions and to some degree around our country (think chat rooms for special interests, instant messaging- thus the greater possibility to network outside of our high schools and cities).  And it was this era of networking and keeping in touch which many of us spent much of our teenage years engaging in, that prepared us for the day that shook us just like our parents had been shaken by various shocking events of the 1960s and early 1970s- that day for us was 9/11.

In fact 9/11 was an existential moment for many of us.  Some of us started attending church services and looking inward, while many did the exact opposite and found meaning by looking outward- hence the explosion in college students majoring in International Studies, East Asian Studies, Middle Eastern studies, and traveling abroad.

In short, 9/11 was the event in our short-lived history that ultimately defined us as a Global Generation because it allowed us to apply our networking and ultra-inclusive communicative skills learned through texting, instant messaging, and chat rooms, and apply them on an internationally practical level.  This is why we see countless members of the First Global™ generation who have made friends abroad and maintained through various social networking sites. 

Furthermore, 9/11 was the event that ultimately put the final nail in our parochial coffin and helped usher many of us to be more active in something more powerful than we had previously ever known- the global exchange of ideas.

While many Baby Boomers get much slack for continuing their indulgent behavior into their mature adult years; what are the behavioral tendencies of the Global Generation and are they likely to tarnish their image down the line, or have they already?

Jeremy first globals communication, evolution, first globals, history, international, internet, middle east, music, travel, war, work

Thanks again to all those who continue to vote on our Top Question Tuesday poll. Last week’s winning question asked about whether a state has the right to secede. We’ll ask that question on an upcoming interactive survey and blog about the results soon.

This week’s user-submitted survey questions are below. The questions are shortened to save space on our blog post, but these are the basic ideas. Take a look though and then vote for which question you’d most like to see on the next Zogby Interactive survey. As a reminder, if you’d like to submit a question to be considered for a  Zogby survey, use the “contact us” box on the right of the page. And if you’d like to join Zogby’s interactive panel to answer questions similar to these, click here.

1. Do you believe the United States needs more than two major political parties?

2. In the past year, has the economic downturn lead you to cut back on health care expenses by postponing or eliminating routine procedures for yourself or family members?

3. How serious a problem do you believe the illegal internet downloading of music, movies, and tv shows is  – a very serious problem, a somewhat serious problem, or not a serious problem at all?

 Loading ...

Katy methodology economy, health, internet, music, Top Question Tuesday, zogby

While it is possible some young people in countries like China and Russia may revert back to some protectionist policies and many could latch on to ultra-nationalist attitudes — especially in the face of recent U.S. policies — it doesn’t seem likely in the case of America’s First Global Citizens (i.e. those born in the U.S. between 1979 and 1990) will be bitten by that bug. Despite the culture wars over evolution and creation, a “my country, right or wrong” tradition of American Exceptionalism, and a dismal short-term financial future,  more and more of them are becoming estranged from these traditional mindsets.

But what makes Zogby International so sure that this age group in America won’t experience a backlash of nationalist attitudes, as seen among youth in burgeoning super-powers like China and Russia, anxious to flex their own education and consumer power?  It is clear from our data that First Globals are more exposed to a range of ideas, cultures, and enabling technologies pushing them to a more planetary worldview and a greater appreciation of diversity.

This phenomenon of Global Citizenship is not only being experienced in the U.S. Tomas Etzler, a Czech journalist reporting in China, states that the youth in China have an interest in material goods from the West, a factor that can indeed create a counterforce against their desire to see China as the dominant world power. And in various capitals throughout Europe, you can meet Russian students who strive to speak with an English accent.

Read more…

Jeremy Uncategorized culture, education, evolution, first globals, future, Generations, international, marriage, music, Obama, sports, war, work, zogby

My family and I have been very fortunate when it comes to health insurance. A job with a labor union provided a “Cadillac plan” with family coverage and no payroll deduction for premiums. Now, my pension plan provides family coverage at a reasonable monthly cost.

However, for my eldest, the gig is up come May, when he graduates from college and will no longer be eligible under my plan.  Since he will be self-employed (he is a musician), he can’t count on benefits through an employer. That fact is among his chief concerns.

If there is any comfort, he is not alone. According to a June 2008 Kaiser Family Foundation Report: “Young adults have the highest uninsured rate of any age group in the country. Almost one-third (31%) of young adults are uninsured, compared to 18% of the entire nonelderly population. The uninsured rate for young adults is almost twice as high as the uninsured rate for adults age 30-64.”

Some states have laws that would extend the age where coverage for dependents would be allowed. However, an article in the New York Times says their impact has been limited. Referring to a proposal by New York Gov. David Paterson, the paper wrote: The plan was praised by some health care experts as a major step forward, but early evidence from the roughly two dozen other states that have adopted similar programs suggests that their effectiveness in shrinking the ranks of the uninsured has been modest at best. “We’ve reviewed the laws and regulations from all 25 states,” said Joel C. Cantor, the director of the Center for State Healthy Policy at Rutgers University, who is studying the national impact of the state laws on insuring young adults. “This is about as incremental as incremental gets.”

First Globals without employer-based insurance can go on the open market for a private policy, but the cost for some may be prohibitive. What is the solution? Should any health care reform include low-cost coverage for this group? Most important, will it come quickly enough to help my son? – Paul Lomeo

Paul economics first globals, health, music, war