60 acast.com In the Demo https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/in-the-demo en Adam Pierno and Farrah Bostic research,millennials,narrative,media,demographics,analysis,story Adam Pierno and Farrah Bostic A show about why stories about groups matter.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> false Adam Pierno and Farrah Bostic info+633aff45aaa118001221dcc6@mg-eu.acast.com 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 in-the-demo episodic https://assets.pippa.io/shows/633aff45aaa118001221dcc6/1712178678757-67c40e77833d7260461472f711971e83.jpeg https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/in-the-demo In the Demo BEST OF: Why We Do This BEST OF: Why We Do This Thu, 26 Sep 2024 10:58:19 GMT 1:03:14 66c7b48261e041a75cab760d false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c7b48261e041a75cab760d 66c7b48261e041a75cab760d 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 20 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired June 13, 2024.


We've been having a great time for 30+ episodes complaining about bad research, reporting, and punditry (and book-writing) about generational narratives. Who doesn't love-to-hate a good "Millennials killed some industry" story? But there are real stakes here, for how companies hire employees, invest resources, and plan marketing campaigns; for politicians and policy makers about who they want to serve or punish, and how they want to build their coalitions; and for journalists and commentators who can popularize and spread these narratives in ways that permeate the public consciousness. These things matter - they affect how we see ourselves in the world, and that affects how we behave... and that affects everything else.


In this episode we get back to basics -- why we make this show, what we think the stakes are, and who we think should care.


Mentioned Resources

The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi: 

"The 67-Hour Rule" by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic

Generations by Jean Twenge


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired June 13, 2024.


We've been having a great time for 30+ episodes complaining about bad research, reporting, and punditry (and book-writing) about generational narratives. Who doesn't love-to-hate a good "Millennials killed some industry" story? But there are real stakes here, for how companies hire employees, invest resources, and plan marketing campaigns; for politicians and policy makers about who they want to serve or punish, and how they want to build their coalitions; and for journalists and commentators who can popularize and spread these narratives in ways that permeate the public consciousness. These things matter - they affect how we see ourselves in the world, and that affects how we behave... and that affects everything else.


In this episode we get back to basics -- why we make this show, what we think the stakes are, and who we think should care.


Mentioned Resources

The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi: 

"The 67-Hour Rule" by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic

Generations by Jean Twenge


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BEST OF: Mediated Sex with Katy Coduto, PhD BEST OF: Mediated Sex with Katy Coduto, PhD Thu, 19 Sep 2024 11:15:15 GMT 1:07:34 66c7aa6c0f3233b2d3a46d01 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c7aa6c0f3233b2d3a46d01 66c7aa6c0f3233b2d3a46d01 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 19 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired August 31, 2024.


The story about Millennials and dating is all about apps, sexting and ghosting - the habits of the toxically online. But it’s not all toxic - it can help people discover how to be intimate and confident in their romantic relationships. Still, real concerns about privacy and security abound. We sat down with Katy Coduto, PhD, an assistant professor of media studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming Technology, Privacy, and Sexting: Mediated Sex.


Find out more about Katy here: https://kdcoduto.com


Check out these other episodes about sex and intimacy for Millennials & Gen Z:


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired August 31, 2024.


The story about Millennials and dating is all about apps, sexting and ghosting - the habits of the toxically online. But it’s not all toxic - it can help people discover how to be intimate and confident in their romantic relationships. Still, real concerns about privacy and security abound. We sat down with Katy Coduto, PhD, an assistant professor of media studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming Technology, Privacy, and Sexting: Mediated Sex.


Find out more about Katy here: https://kdcoduto.com


Check out these other episodes about sex and intimacy for Millennials & Gen Z:


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BEST OF: Who Owns the 90s? with Rob Harvilla BEST OF: Who Owns the 90s? with Rob Harvilla Thu, 12 Sep 2024 11:41:18 GMT 1:05:01 66c7866f0f3233b2d39b78b5 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c7866f0f3233b2d39b78b5 66c7866f0f3233b2d39b78b5 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 18 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on April 18, 2024.


The nostalgia and ownership that younger generations feel toward the music and culture of the 90s is fascinating. In this episode of In The Demo, Farrah and her guest Rob Harvilla, host of the 60 Songs that Explain the '90s podcast, explore why the decade holds such a powerful allure for those who never experienced it firsthand.


They discuss what accounts for this cross-generational appeal, from the mythologizing of the 90s in media to the enduring impact of the era's defining genres and artists. And they discuss how technology and cultural shifts of the past 30 years shaped the way listeners discover, consume, and connect with music, and what this tells us about the nostalgia and identity in the digital age.


Resources


Our Guest

Rob Harvilla is the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer; he's been a professional rock critic for 20-plus years with stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and other alt-weeklies.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on April 18, 2024.


The nostalgia and ownership that younger generations feel toward the music and culture of the 90s is fascinating. In this episode of In The Demo, Farrah and her guest Rob Harvilla, host of the 60 Songs that Explain the '90s podcast, explore why the decade holds such a powerful allure for those who never experienced it firsthand.


They discuss what accounts for this cross-generational appeal, from the mythologizing of the 90s in media to the enduring impact of the era's defining genres and artists. And they discuss how technology and cultural shifts of the past 30 years shaped the way listeners discover, consume, and connect with music, and what this tells us about the nostalgia and identity in the digital age.


Resources


Our Guest

Rob Harvilla is the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer; he's been a professional rock critic for 20-plus years with stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and other alt-weeklies.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BEST OF: Generations Are Culture, with Anne Helen Petersen BEST OF: Generations Are Culture, with Anne Helen Petersen Thu, 05 Sep 2024 12:11:43 GMT 1:11:55 66c77f731a47e1e4f74d7da1 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c77f731a47e1e4f74d7da1 66c77f731a47e1e4f74d7da1 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 17 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on May 16, 2024.


Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.


Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.


Resources

The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker

"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The Atlantic

Vox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"


Our Guest

A former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies.


Stay Connected

Website

LinkedIn

Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on May 16, 2024.


Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.


Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.


Resources

The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker

"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The Atlantic

Vox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"


Our Guest

A former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies.


Stay Connected

Website

LinkedIn

Newsletter

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BEST OF: Why Pew Stepped Away from Generations, with Kim Parker BEST OF: Why Pew Stepped Away from Generations, with Kim Parker Thu, 29 Aug 2024 12:15:50 GMT 1:01:40 66c77ca9a45b7b5037a7f5f6 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c77ca9a45b7b5037a7f5f6 66c77ca9a45b7b5037a7f5f6 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 16 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on July 18, 2023.


BREAKING (kidding, sort of). In late May, Pew Research announced they would "only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life" after a year-long analysis of their own approach to reporting on differences by generations, and the overall landscape of such content and reporting. This announcement supports a lot of what Farrah and Adam have been circling while conducting their research into the Millennial narrative, and Pew's got the data to explain why their approach makes so much sense. Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew Research Center, joins to share more context on the thinking and data that got them to this exciting (to us) conclusion.


Read the article from Pew here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/22/how-pew-research-center-will-report-on-generations-moving-forward/. Learn more about Kim Parker here: https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/kim-parker/


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired on July 18, 2023.


BREAKING (kidding, sort of). In late May, Pew Research announced they would "only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life" after a year-long analysis of their own approach to reporting on differences by generations, and the overall landscape of such content and reporting. This announcement supports a lot of what Farrah and Adam have been circling while conducting their research into the Millennial narrative, and Pew's got the data to explain why their approach makes so much sense. Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew Research Center, joins to share more context on the thinking and data that got them to this exciting (to us) conclusion.


Read the article from Pew here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/22/how-pew-research-center-will-report-on-generations-moving-forward/. Learn more about Kim Parker here: https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/kim-parker/


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BEST OF: The Quote That Started the Myth BEST OF: The Quote That Started the Myth Thu, 22 Aug 2024 16:43:55 GMT 35:09 66c76acb0f3233b2d394bf0e false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66c76acb0f3233b2d394bf0e 66c76acb0f3233b2d394bf0e 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 15 We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired February 9, 2023.


In this episode, Farrah and Adam look more closely at the beginnings of the Millennial Myth, literally the opening quote of Millennials Rising. We discuss how much of the myth hangs on one short quote written in an essay by a (then) high school girl living in McLean, Virginia where the authors set their work. Then, Adam talks to the woman behind that very quote to understand how she feels the myth has defined, served and punished her generation.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're taking a short break so we wanted to share this Best Of In the Demo podcast episode with you.

This episode first aired February 9, 2023.


In this episode, Farrah and Adam look more closely at the beginnings of the Millennial Myth, literally the opening quote of Millennials Rising. We discuss how much of the myth hangs on one short quote written in an essay by a (then) high school girl living in McLean, Virginia where the authors set their work. Then, Adam talks to the woman behind that very quote to understand how she feels the myth has defined, served and punished her generation.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We Have to Talk About Jean, Part 2 We Have to Talk About Jean, Part 2 Fri, 26 Jul 2024 13:55:57 GMT 1:11:27 66a3aaed263e103d17939d27 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66a3aaed263e103d17939d27 66a3aaed263e103d17939d27 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 14 Generational stereotypes and the flaws in popular research on Millennials and Gen Z are dissected, revealing how cherry-picked data and misleading interpretations shape public perception.


In this episode of In The Demo, we continue our deep dive into the work of Jean Twenge, questioning some of her methods as well as biases in her research on generational traits. We analyze the structure and content of books like iGen and Generations, specifically how authors manipulate data and rely on anecdotal evidence to support predetermined narratives. The conversation also touches on broader themes of individualism, collectivism, and the complex interplay between societal changes and generational characteristics.


Resources 


Your Hosts 

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn. 

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 

 

Stay Connected 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Generational stereotypes and the flaws in popular research on Millennials and Gen Z are dissected, revealing how cherry-picked data and misleading interpretations shape public perception.


In this episode of In The Demo, we continue our deep dive into the work of Jean Twenge, questioning some of her methods as well as biases in her research on generational traits. We analyze the structure and content of books like iGen and Generations, specifically how authors manipulate data and rely on anecdotal evidence to support predetermined narratives. The conversation also touches on broader themes of individualism, collectivism, and the complex interplay between societal changes and generational characteristics.


Resources 


Your Hosts 

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn. 

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 

 

Stay Connected 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We Have To Talk About Jean, Part 1 We Have To Talk About Jean, Part 1 Thu, 11 Jul 2024 11:15:21 GMT 1:04:04 668ef9f342838c26fca97e0a false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/668ef9f342838c26fca97e0a 668ef9f342838c26fca97e0a 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 13 Millennials Rising may have kicked off the race to define the Millennial generation, but one author in particular has become the singular thought leader among commentators, researchers, and others: Jean Twenge. Her books iGen and Generations helped her move from toiling in academic obscurity to shaping the discourse.


In this episode of In the Demo, hosts Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno critically examine Jean Twenge's work, particularly her two most recent books iGen and Generations. They explore the transition from academic research to popular nonfiction, questioning her data sources, her analytical frames, and her conclusions. The conversation touches on the use of large scale longitudinal studies, the dangers of oversimplification, and the impact of media representation on public perception of generational differences. And it challenges some of her assumptions about narcissism, individualism, and generational traits, highlighting the complexities of social science research and its representation in mainstream media. 


Resources 

Generations by Jean Twenge

iGen by Jean Twenge

Monitoring the Future — longitudinal youth study at the University of Michigan

Narcissistic Personality Inventory 

The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell  

 

Your Hosts 

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into practical strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn. 


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 

 

Stay Connected 

 

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox. 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Millennials Rising may have kicked off the race to define the Millennial generation, but one author in particular has become the singular thought leader among commentators, researchers, and others: Jean Twenge. Her books iGen and Generations helped her move from toiling in academic obscurity to shaping the discourse.


In this episode of In the Demo, hosts Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno critically examine Jean Twenge's work, particularly her two most recent books iGen and Generations. They explore the transition from academic research to popular nonfiction, questioning her data sources, her analytical frames, and her conclusions. The conversation touches on the use of large scale longitudinal studies, the dangers of oversimplification, and the impact of media representation on public perception of generational differences. And it challenges some of her assumptions about narcissism, individualism, and generational traits, highlighting the complexities of social science research and its representation in mainstream media. 


Resources 

Generations by Jean Twenge

iGen by Jean Twenge

Monitoring the Future — longitudinal youth study at the University of Michigan

Narcissistic Personality Inventory 

The Narcissism Epidemic by Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell  

 

Your Hosts 

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into practical strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn. 


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 

 

Stay Connected 

 

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox. 


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Wasted with Further&Further]]> Thu, 27 Jun 2024 18:17:57 GMT 53:12 667da5abfad4724cde58ec1e false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/667da5abfad4724cde58ec1e 667da5abfad4724cde58ec1e 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 12 Gen Z is far more complex and resourceful than popular stereotypes suggest — intimate conversations with young people show us how they're navigating an increasingly challenging world. Their attitudes towards work, creativity, and personal fulfillment tell us a lot about how this generation is forging its path. 


In this episode of In the Demo, host Adam Pierno speaks with filmmakers Branden Mayer and Max Goldstein about their documentary ‘Wasted’. The film explores the lives of Gen Z individuals in Vancouver, challenging common misconceptions about their work ethic and aspirations. Mayer and Goldstein discuss their research methodology, the process of building trust with their subjects, and the unexpected revelations that emerged during filming. They also reflect on how their findings apply to broader generational trends and the evolving nature of work in today's economy. 


Resources 

'Wasted’ - documentary by Further&Further

The View - (ABC) — clip features the Joy Behar moment referenced in the documentary and our interview

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) — trust us, you'll like it


Our Guests 

Branden Mayer – Film Director 

  • Branden has over eight years of experience directing, editing, and producing video content, including interviews, event coverage, short documentaries, and scripted productions. Most recently, Branden has worked as a videographer for brands such as Amazon, Ford, and Pfizer. Branden is dedicated to creating authentic and powerful documentary films with Further&Further. 


Max Goldstein – Creative Producer / Research Associate 

  • Max joins F&F with an insatiable curiosity and love for people. Most recently, they worked as a Creative Producer for a boutique agency in Chicago, where they booked talent for their entire roster of brands. Max has been a fixture in various creative communities for 10+ years. Their band, Yoko and the Oh No’s, started in Chicago’s DIY music scene, and they’ve carried that DIY mentality into everything they do. 


Your Host 

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 


Stay Connected 

 

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Gen Z is far more complex and resourceful than popular stereotypes suggest — intimate conversations with young people show us how they're navigating an increasingly challenging world. Their attitudes towards work, creativity, and personal fulfillment tell us a lot about how this generation is forging its path. 


In this episode of In the Demo, host Adam Pierno speaks with filmmakers Branden Mayer and Max Goldstein about their documentary ‘Wasted’. The film explores the lives of Gen Z individuals in Vancouver, challenging common misconceptions about their work ethic and aspirations. Mayer and Goldstein discuss their research methodology, the process of building trust with their subjects, and the unexpected revelations that emerged during filming. They also reflect on how their findings apply to broader generational trends and the evolving nature of work in today's economy. 


Resources 

'Wasted’ - documentary by Further&Further

The View - (ABC) — clip features the Joy Behar moment referenced in the documentary and our interview

Rick and Morty (Adult Swim) — trust us, you'll like it


Our Guests 

Branden Mayer – Film Director 

  • Branden has over eight years of experience directing, editing, and producing video content, including interviews, event coverage, short documentaries, and scripted productions. Most recently, Branden has worked as a videographer for brands such as Amazon, Ford, and Pfizer. Branden is dedicated to creating authentic and powerful documentary films with Further&Further. 


Max Goldstein – Creative Producer / Research Associate 

  • Max joins F&F with an insatiable curiosity and love for people. Most recently, they worked as a Creative Producer for a boutique agency in Chicago, where they booked talent for their entire roster of brands. Max has been a fixture in various creative communities for 10+ years. Their band, Yoko and the Oh No’s, started in Chicago’s DIY music scene, and they’ve carried that DIY mentality into everything they do. 


Your Host 

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn. 


Stay Connected 

 

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Why We Do This Why We Do This Thu, 13 Jun 2024 13:00:40 GMT 1:02:40 6658b2aae80cd9001213cbf4 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6658b2aae80cd9001213cbf4 6658b2aae80cd9001213cbf4 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 11 We've been having a great time for 30+ episodes complaining about bad research, reporting, and punditry (and book-writing) about generational narratives. Who doesn't love-to-hate a good "Millennials killed some industry" story? But there are real stakes here, for how companies hire employees, invest resources, and plan marketing campaigns; for politicians and policy makers about who they want to serve or punish, and how they want to build their coalitions; and for journalists and commentators who can popularize and spread these narratives in ways that permeate the public consciousness. These things matter - they affect how we see ourselves in the world, and that affects how we behave... and that affects everything else.


In this episode we get back to basics -- why we make this show, what we think the stakes are, and who we think should care.


Mentioned Resources

The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi: 

"The 67-Hour Rule" by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic

Generations by Jean Twenge


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We've been having a great time for 30+ episodes complaining about bad research, reporting, and punditry (and book-writing) about generational narratives. Who doesn't love-to-hate a good "Millennials killed some industry" story? But there are real stakes here, for how companies hire employees, invest resources, and plan marketing campaigns; for politicians and policy makers about who they want to serve or punish, and how they want to build their coalitions; and for journalists and commentators who can popularize and spread these narratives in ways that permeate the public consciousness. These things matter - they affect how we see ourselves in the world, and that affects how we behave... and that affects everything else.


In this episode we get back to basics -- why we make this show, what we think the stakes are, and who we think should care.


Mentioned Resources

The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy by Neil Howe and William Strauss

Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women by Susan Faludi: 

"The 67-Hour Rule" by Derek Thompson in The Atlantic

Generations by Jean Twenge


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[It's the Phones]]> Thu, 30 May 2024 17:07:28 GMT 1:05:10 6658b22929c9180011533544 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6658b22929c9180011533544 6658b22929c9180011533544 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 10 Social media and smartphones are causing an epidemic of mental illness and anxiety among Gen Z, according to some prominent thinkers - but are these sweeping claims backed by evidence? Maybe the answer is: it's complicated, and jumping to simplistic conclusions is at best useless and at worst, dangerous.


In this episode, we talk about recent discussions about the work of psychologist Jonathan Haidt (often in collaboration with generational researcher Jean Twenge), who argue tech is wreaking havoc on young people. We talk about flaws in the arguments, discuss other factors that contribute to these trends, and try to reckon with the reality that in fact all of us have a lot to be anxious and depressed about. It's the phones; but also, it's really not.


Resources


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Social media and smartphones are causing an epidemic of mental illness and anxiety among Gen Z, according to some prominent thinkers - but are these sweeping claims backed by evidence? Maybe the answer is: it's complicated, and jumping to simplistic conclusions is at best useless and at worst, dangerous.


In this episode, we talk about recent discussions about the work of psychologist Jonathan Haidt (often in collaboration with generational researcher Jean Twenge), who argue tech is wreaking havoc on young people. We talk about flaws in the arguments, discuss other factors that contribute to these trends, and try to reckon with the reality that in fact all of us have a lot to be anxious and depressed about. It's the phones; but also, it's really not.


Resources


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Generations are Culture with Anne Helen Petersen Generations are Culture with Anne Helen Petersen Thu, 16 May 2024 11:20:58 GMT 1:11:22 66456d90254df10012ca327d false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66456d90254df10012ca327d 66456d90254df10012ca327d 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 9 Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.


Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.


Resources

The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker

"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The Atlantic

Vox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"


Our Guest

A former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies.


Stay Connected

Website

LinkedIn

Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Millennials are reframing their generational identity as they enter homeownership and parenthood, but broken systems remain. Nostalgia for a pre-internet era offers an escape, and reflects a yearning for IRL experiences and human connection in an automated and mediated world.


Anne Helen Petersen, author and cultural critic, joins host Farrah Bostic to discuss the evolving narratives surrounding millennials and Gen Z. They explore how the optimism of the 90s and early 2000s has given way to disillusionment, the impact of political polarization on younger generations, and the collective burnout experienced by a society that glorifies productivity over rest.


Resources

The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt

"How the Stanley Cup Went Viral" by Kyle Chayka in The New Yorker

"It's Just a Water Bottle" by Amanda Mull in The Atlantic

Vox's "Today, Explained" episode, "The kids are all home"


Our Guest

A former senior culture writer for BuzzFeed, Anne Helen Petersen now writes her newsletter, Culture Study, as a full-time venture on Substack. Petersen received her PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on the history of celebrity gossip. Her previous books, Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud and Scandals of Classic Hollywood, were featured in NPR, Elle, and the Atlantic. She lives in Missoula, Montana.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions.

Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University, and founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies.


Stay Connected

Website

LinkedIn

Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Generational Slang with Rebecca Jennings Generational Slang with Rebecca Jennings Thu, 02 May 2024 11:15:44 GMT 1:08:37 6632aa513a18a600128ac5da false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6632aa513a18a600128ac5da 6632aa513a18a600128ac5da 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 8 Preconceived notions and media narratives have warped perceptions of social media and internet culture, shaping misleading stories about generations. A critical look beyond the headlines reveals the complex realities of how people of all ages engage with online platforms in nuanced ways.


Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno welcome Rebecca Jennings, a reporter at Vox covering internet culture, to unpack the flawed assumptions and evolving trends shaping discourse around TikTok, influencers, and generational divides. Together, they explore how content creation, viral sensations, and the quest for fame and money online impact society in ways that often defy simplistic narratives. The conversation challenges listeners to question their assumptions and rethink the digital world around them.


Resources


Our Guest

Rebecca Jennings is a senior correspondent covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on how social media is changing the nature of fame, fashion, money, and human relationships. Since joining Vox in 2018, she has reported extensively on the introduction of TikTok into the US, covered the rise and fall of hype houses and sexfluencers, and investigated young tech entrepreneurs, aesthetic trends, and the nature of beauty in the social media age.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Preconceived notions and media narratives have warped perceptions of social media and internet culture, shaping misleading stories about generations. A critical look beyond the headlines reveals the complex realities of how people of all ages engage with online platforms in nuanced ways.


Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno welcome Rebecca Jennings, a reporter at Vox covering internet culture, to unpack the flawed assumptions and evolving trends shaping discourse around TikTok, influencers, and generational divides. Together, they explore how content creation, viral sensations, and the quest for fame and money online impact society in ways that often defy simplistic narratives. The conversation challenges listeners to question their assumptions and rethink the digital world around them.


Resources


Our Guest

Rebecca Jennings is a senior correspondent covering social platforms and the creator economy, with a focus on how social media is changing the nature of fame, fashion, money, and human relationships. Since joining Vox in 2018, she has reported extensively on the introduction of TikTok into the US, covered the rise and fall of hype houses and sexfluencers, and investigated young tech entrepreneurs, aesthetic trends, and the nature of beauty in the social media age.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Who Owns the 90s? with Rob Harvilla Who Owns the 90s? with Rob Harvilla Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:00:42 GMT 1:04:28 66203a2a3b67380013a69428 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/66203a2a3b67380013a69428 66203a2a3b67380013a69428 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 7 The nostalgia and ownership that younger generations feel toward the music and culture of the 90s is fascinating. In this episode of In The Demo, Farrah and her guest Rob Harvilla, host of the 60 Songs that Explain the '90s podcast, explore why the decade holds such a powerful allure for those who never experienced it firsthand.


They discuss what accounts for this cross-generational appeal, from the mythologizing of the 90s in media to the enduring impact of the era's defining genres and artists. And they discuss how technology and cultural shifts of the past 30 years shaped the way listeners discover, consume, and connect with music, and what this tells us about the nostalgia and identity in the digital age.


Resources


Our Guest

Rob Harvilla is the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer; he's been a professional rock critic for 20-plus years with stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and other alt-weeklies.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The nostalgia and ownership that younger generations feel toward the music and culture of the 90s is fascinating. In this episode of In The Demo, Farrah and her guest Rob Harvilla, host of the 60 Songs that Explain the '90s podcast, explore why the decade holds such a powerful allure for those who never experienced it firsthand.


They discuss what accounts for this cross-generational appeal, from the mythologizing of the 90s in media to the enduring impact of the era's defining genres and artists. And they discuss how technology and cultural shifts of the past 30 years shaped the way listeners discover, consume, and connect with music, and what this tells us about the nostalgia and identity in the digital age.


Resources


Our Guest

Rob Harvilla is the host of the podcast 60 Songs That Explain the '90s and a senior staff writer at The Ringer; he's been a professional rock critic for 20-plus years with stops at the Village Voice, SPIN, Deadspin, and other alt-weeklies.


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected


Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Meet Gen Alpha Meet Gen Alpha Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:30:40 GMT 1:15:00 660dc4ea553a0d0017fdc3fa false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/660dc4ea553a0d0017fdc3fa 660dc4ea553a0d0017fdc3fa 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 1 6 Growing impatience with generational stereotyping has sparked a critical reexamination of how we categorize and analyze age cohorts. Despite Generation Alpha still being born, that won't stop consultants and pundits from making sweeping predictions about who they will be and laying out dubious prescriptions for how they should be raised. By scrutinizing the motives behind labeling Generation Alpha, the absurdity of predicting the traits of a generation that hasn't fully arrived becomes apparent.


Farrah and Adam discuss the cyclical nature of generational myths, the societal anxieties they reveal, and the problematic values emerging from Gen Alpha's parents. The episode uncovers the financial and economic drivers behind generational analysis, challenging assumptions and highlighting the importance of a more nuanced understanding of the forces shaping our youth.


Resources

"The ABC of XYZ" by Mark McCrindle

Business Insider: The oldest Gen Alphas can almost drive: Here's how millennials' kids will shop, work, and live

Morning Consult: A Brand's Guide to Gen Alpha


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Growing impatience with generational stereotyping has sparked a critical reexamination of how we categorize and analyze age cohorts. Despite Generation Alpha still being born, that won't stop consultants and pundits from making sweeping predictions about who they will be and laying out dubious prescriptions for how they should be raised. By scrutinizing the motives behind labeling Generation Alpha, the absurdity of predicting the traits of a generation that hasn't fully arrived becomes apparent.


Farrah and Adam discuss the cyclical nature of generational myths, the societal anxieties they reveal, and the problematic values emerging from Gen Alpha's parents. The episode uncovers the financial and economic drivers behind generational analysis, challenging assumptions and highlighting the importance of a more nuanced understanding of the forces shaping our youth.


Resources

"The ABC of XYZ" by Mark McCrindle

Business Insider: The oldest Gen Alphas can almost drive: Here's how millennials' kids will shop, work, and live

Morning Consult: A Brand's Guide to Gen Alpha


Your Hosts

Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy at The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy. With over 20 years of experience turning audience insights into effective strategies for B2B and B2C companies, Farrah helps business leaders make big decisions across various industries. Learn more at thedifferenceengine.co and connect with Farrah on LinkedIn.


Adam Pierno is an author, strategist, and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. He is also the founder of Specific Branding and Research, where he helps brands understand customer habits and create effective growth strategies. With 25 years of experience, Adam has written two books on marketing. Discover more at adampierno.com and find Adam on LinkedIn.


Stay Connected

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive content, episode highlights, and behind-the-scenes insights delivered to your inbox.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Demographic Cliff The Demographic Cliff Thu, 21 Mar 2024 11:30:24 GMT 51:45 65fb69a6b5ab8d0017518568 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/65fb69a6b5ab8d0017518568 65fb69a6b5ab8d0017518568 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 5 The demographic cliff - a controversial idea that declining population growth will trigger economic disaster. But is it real or just sensationalized clickbait pushed by those with an agenda?


Investment advisor Harry Dent popularized demographic cliff fears in the mid-2000s to sell his financial advice (and a book, of course). From there, it became a favored trope in education, where school administrators - from K-12 to college - worried about not having enough enrolled students. Recently, concerns have shifted to plummeting birth rates in South Korea, China, and Canada. But throughout history, similar narratives have repeatedly stoked moral panic about changing demographics - from Gen X’s alleged lack of work ethic to Millennials' supposed disinterest in homeownership and parenthood. Cutting through the hype, Farrah and Adam expose who gains from pushing demographic doomsday myths and why resisting these misleading narratives matters.


Mentioned Resources:


Find us at www.inthedemopodcast.com where you can also sign up for our newsletter.

You can also find us on twitter or instagram at @inthedemopod for updates and clips, and on LinkedIn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The demographic cliff - a controversial idea that declining population growth will trigger economic disaster. But is it real or just sensationalized clickbait pushed by those with an agenda?


Investment advisor Harry Dent popularized demographic cliff fears in the mid-2000s to sell his financial advice (and a book, of course). From there, it became a favored trope in education, where school administrators - from K-12 to college - worried about not having enough enrolled students. Recently, concerns have shifted to plummeting birth rates in South Korea, China, and Canada. But throughout history, similar narratives have repeatedly stoked moral panic about changing demographics - from Gen X’s alleged lack of work ethic to Millennials' supposed disinterest in homeownership and parenthood. Cutting through the hype, Farrah and Adam expose who gains from pushing demographic doomsday myths and why resisting these misleading narratives matters.


Mentioned Resources:


Find us at www.inthedemopodcast.com where you can also sign up for our newsletter.

You can also find us on twitter or instagram at @inthedemopod for updates and clips, and on LinkedIn.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Quiet Quitting Quiet Quitting Thu, 07 Mar 2024 12:45:11 GMT 1:08:55 65e905f00de6e400173501be false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/65e905f00de6e400173501be 65e905f00de6e400173501be 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 4 When the Millennials came of age to enter the workforce (which took nearly 15 years) the media was awash in headlines about how to cater to this powerful new generation. Today, the headlines have turned to Gen Z. Farrah and Adam go deeper than the headlines to reveal that the story is still about Millennials. Reminiscent of the treatment of Gen X, Gen Z is constantly compared to their elders, but worse, many writers and researchers are lumping Millennials and Gen Z together. 


Mentioned Resources:

Email-gated landing page: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genzmillennialsurvey.html

Resultant PDF: https://app.box.com/s/cl1f3v6tabsudujm6ej1ois9svuaxtty


Connect with us!


Rate & Review In the Demo on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:

Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> When the Millennials came of age to enter the workforce (which took nearly 15 years) the media was awash in headlines about how to cater to this powerful new generation. Today, the headlines have turned to Gen Z. Farrah and Adam go deeper than the headlines to reveal that the story is still about Millennials. Reminiscent of the treatment of Gen X, Gen Z is constantly compared to their elders, but worse, many writers and researchers are lumping Millennials and Gen Z together. 


Mentioned Resources:

Email-gated landing page: https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genzmillennialsurvey.html

Resultant PDF: https://app.box.com/s/cl1f3v6tabsudujm6ej1ois9svuaxtty


Connect with us!


Rate & Review In the Demo on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:

Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Clash of Segmentations Clash of Segmentations Thu, 22 Feb 2024 19:49:41 GMT 1:15:59 65d7a55542e0100016fe7834 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/65d7a55542e0100016fe7834 65d7a55542e0100016fe7834 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 3 In this episode, Farrah and Adam discuss the role and effectiveness of strategy in advertising, including how connected it needs to be to cultural trends, consumer insights, and business realities. And then - they take a deep dive into an article by Richard Huntington in WARC, "The Future of Strategy 2023: Marketing is in desperate need of a reality check" in which he agrees with our premise that generational segments are astrology for marketers - but uses this as a cudgel against all segmentations, which we don't care for, frankly.


Also mentioned, Farrah's piece, "There's no such thing as insights".


Connect with us!


Rate & Review on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In this episode, Farrah and Adam discuss the role and effectiveness of strategy in advertising, including how connected it needs to be to cultural trends, consumer insights, and business realities. And then - they take a deep dive into an article by Richard Huntington in WARC, "The Future of Strategy 2023: Marketing is in desperate need of a reality check" in which he agrees with our premise that generational segments are astrology for marketers - but uses this as a cudgel against all segmentations, which we don't care for, frankly.


Also mentioned, Farrah's piece, "There's no such thing as insights".


Connect with us!


Rate & Review on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A Word From Our Sponsors A Word From Our Sponsors Thu, 08 Feb 2024 11:30:59 GMT 1:01:06 65c3fde0e3e4b70015443940 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/65c3fde0e3e4b70015443940 65c3fde0e3e4b70015443940 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 2 2 The best advertising reveals something you’ve thought for a long time about a product, service or its users (or yourself!) and presents in an unexpected way. Either for a laugh or some emotional response. Today, we’re seeing advertisers take broad stereotypes of generational segmentations and paste them directly into ads. The results are, um, not great. 


MENTIONED RESOURCES:


CONNECT WITH PODCAST:


Rate & Review on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The best advertising reveals something you’ve thought for a long time about a product, service or its users (or yourself!) and presents in an unexpected way. Either for a laugh or some emotional response. Today, we’re seeing advertisers take broad stereotypes of generational segmentations and paste them directly into ads. The results are, um, not great. 


MENTIONED RESOURCES:


CONNECT WITH PODCAST:


Rate & Review on Your Favorite Podcast Platform:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Why stories about groups matter.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Millennial Perennials Millennial Perennials Thu, 25 Jan 2024 11:30:50 GMT 1:00:15 65aeb596abc85d001636a029 true https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/65aeb596abc85d001636a029 65aeb596abc85d001636a029 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 New year, same stories (this time about Gen Z!) full 2 1 Adam and Farrah commence a new season, and in the spirit of the new year, take a look at recent Millennial headlines and found that... nothing has changed, and nothing ever will.


Links:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai. Learn more and find supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Adam and Farrah commence a new season, and in the spirit of the new year, take a look at recent Millennial headlines and found that... nothing has changed, and nothing ever will.


Links:


Cohosted by Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno. Edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio, and produced by Ashley Derrington. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Our intro is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai. Learn more and find supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BONUS: Cross Tabs BONUS: Cross Tabs Mon, 22 Jan 2024 16:30:05 GMT 1:00:42 65ae980d99b9160017627788 false https://www.crosstabspodcast.com 65ae980d99b9160017627788 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 A podcast about how to understand polls full A special drop in our feed - the inaugural episode of Farrah's new show Cross Tabs, released on Iowa's GOP Caucus day, January 15, 2024.

Host Farrah Bostic (In the Demo Podcast, The Difference Engine) and pal Paul Soldera (Equation Research), set the table for what Cross Tabs is all about: demystifying what polls are and how they work.


Mentioned links:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> A special drop in our feed - the inaugural episode of Farrah's new show Cross Tabs, released on Iowa's GOP Caucus day, January 15, 2024.

Host Farrah Bostic (In the Demo Podcast, The Difference Engine) and pal Paul Soldera (Equation Research), set the table for what Cross Tabs is all about: demystifying what polls are and how they work.


Mentioned links:


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E21 - Millennials Paid Attention with Faris Yakob S1E21 - Millennials Paid Attention with Faris Yakob Thu, 07 Dec 2023 12:30:14 GMT 1:05:43 656819bc480dcb0012e2c9ae false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/656819bc480dcb0012e2c9ae 656819bc480dcb0012e2c9ae 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 What if all this happened just to make buying ads easier? full 1 21 Our special guest for our final episode of the year is our good friend Faris Yakob. He and his wife Rosie are the force behind the consultancy Genius Steals, a nomadic strategic and creative consultancy. Faris is also the author of a book about how advertising works through the lens of the concept of attention. It's called, Paid Attention which is now in its 2nd edition. He has been at a variety of media and advertising agencies throughout his career, including Naked Communications, McCann Erickson, MDC Partners and helped to found many others. He writes for Campaign, Fast Company, Contagious and other publications.


And he thinks deeply about the state of the ad world - how its changing, what it does, how it does it, and what it means for us all. He sat down to talk to us before Thanksgiving about how media planning works, how brands and advertisers think about audiences, and how the stories we tell about youth cultures have been recycled and subtly upgraded since the invention of the teenager, to fulfill the hopes and dreams of not only the corporations who want them to buy stuff, but just as importantly, the people who make advertising and want to believe it is capable of doing something good in the world.


This is our last episode of the year - we wish you a very happy and relaxing holiday season, and send our best wishes for the New Year. See you in January!



Links!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Our special guest for our final episode of the year is our good friend Faris Yakob. He and his wife Rosie are the force behind the consultancy Genius Steals, a nomadic strategic and creative consultancy. Faris is also the author of a book about how advertising works through the lens of the concept of attention. It's called, Paid Attention which is now in its 2nd edition. He has been at a variety of media and advertising agencies throughout his career, including Naked Communications, McCann Erickson, MDC Partners and helped to found many others. He writes for Campaign, Fast Company, Contagious and other publications.


And he thinks deeply about the state of the ad world - how its changing, what it does, how it does it, and what it means for us all. He sat down to talk to us before Thanksgiving about how media planning works, how brands and advertisers think about audiences, and how the stories we tell about youth cultures have been recycled and subtly upgraded since the invention of the teenager, to fulfill the hopes and dreams of not only the corporations who want them to buy stuff, but just as importantly, the people who make advertising and want to believe it is capable of doing something good in the world.


This is our last episode of the year - we wish you a very happy and relaxing holiday season, and send our best wishes for the New Year. See you in January!



Links!


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> <![CDATA[Let's give thanks]]> Thu, 23 Nov 2023 12:01:21 GMT 2:08 655e09bb68d5380012b4db1c false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/655e09bb68d5380012b4db1c 655e09bb68d5380012b4db1c 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 A show update full We are taking this Thursday off for Thanksgiving, sorry to our non-American listeners! We will be back with one more episode in December before pausing to work on Season 2, which is already under way. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast app of choice. You can email us with questions or thoughts - adam@inthedemopodcast and farrah@inthedemopodcast.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We are taking this Thursday off for Thanksgiving, sorry to our non-American listeners! We will be back with one more episode in December before pausing to work on Season 2, which is already under way. Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast app of choice. You can email us with questions or thoughts - adam@inthedemopodcast and farrah@inthedemopodcast.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E20: The Newly Olds S1E20: The Newly Olds Fri, 10 Nov 2023 01:55:46 GMT 1:14:42 654d8da207e8cd0012429dec false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/654d8da207e8cd0012429dec 654d8da207e8cd0012429dec 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 A very Millennial Mid-Life Identity Crisis full 1 20 Is your generation your identity? What happens when your actual life starts to veer away from the story of your life? In this episode, we take a look at the way some members of the Millennial generation are starting to experience a mid-life identity crisis as they realize that they did in fact become married, home-owning, parenting adults with retirement savings. We examine these "getting older" Millennial narratives and what the data tells us about what's really going on with Millennials (on average).


Highlights:

  • Generational differences and life experiences. 5:35
  • Millennial identity and generational anxiety. 12:20
  • Gen X's economic status and the narrative around it. 17:23
  • Millennials' marriage and life milestones. 21:09
  • Marriage, homeownership, and financial stability in the US. 27:55
  • Fertility trends and age of first-time mothers. 30:40
  • Millennials' changing attitudes towards parenthood and aging. 35:59
  • Mortgage debt by generation, challenging stereotypes. 42:18
  • Retirement savings and generational differences. 51:29
  • Millennials' identity crisis and expectations. 57:29


Links!


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Is your generation your identity? What happens when your actual life starts to veer away from the story of your life? In this episode, we take a look at the way some members of the Millennial generation are starting to experience a mid-life identity crisis as they realize that they did in fact become married, home-owning, parenting adults with retirement savings. We examine these "getting older" Millennial narratives and what the data tells us about what's really going on with Millennials (on average).


Highlights:

  • Generational differences and life experiences. 5:35
  • Millennial identity and generational anxiety. 12:20
  • Gen X's economic status and the narrative around it. 17:23
  • Millennials' marriage and life milestones. 21:09
  • Marriage, homeownership, and financial stability in the US. 27:55
  • Fertility trends and age of first-time mothers. 30:40
  • Millennials' changing attitudes towards parenthood and aging. 35:59
  • Mortgage debt by generation, challenging stereotypes. 42:18
  • Retirement savings and generational differences. 51:29
  • Millennials' identity crisis and expectations. 57:29


Links!


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E19 - Is Millennial Intimacy Going to Save Us? S1E19 - Is Millennial Intimacy Going to Save Us? Thu, 26 Oct 2023 22:45:39 GMT 46:16 653aec145e8173001263346e false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/653aec145e8173001263346e 653aec145e8173001263346e 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 1 19 Adam and Farrah regroup to discuss what they've learned from past episodes featuring Cindy Gallop, Katy Coduto PhD, and Cristen Dalessandro PhD (find them in the feed!!) about Millennial sex, dating, and intimacy. You know, the stuff you have to deal with before you even get to worrying about whether they're getting married on time and having enough kids!


  • Intimacy, relationships, and generational differences. 0:00
  • Gender roles, relationships, and technology. 7:22
  • Dating apps and their impact on society. 12:34
  • The impact of social media on self-awareness and relationships. 20:21
  • Gender roles, attraction, and media influence. 25:33
  • Millennials, Gen Z, and intergenerational relationships. 33:48
  • Societal expectations around marriage and intimacy. 40:19


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Adam and Farrah regroup to discuss what they've learned from past episodes featuring Cindy Gallop, Katy Coduto PhD, and Cristen Dalessandro PhD (find them in the feed!!) about Millennial sex, dating, and intimacy. You know, the stuff you have to deal with before you even get to worrying about whether they're getting married on time and having enough kids!


  • Intimacy, relationships, and generational differences. 0:00
  • Gender roles, relationships, and technology. 7:22
  • Dating apps and their impact on society. 12:34
  • The impact of social media on self-awareness and relationships. 20:21
  • Gender roles, attraction, and media influence. 25:33
  • Millennials, Gen Z, and intergenerational relationships. 33:48
  • Societal expectations around marriage and intimacy. 40:19


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E18: Intimate Inequalities with Cristen Dalessandro S1E18: Intimate Inequalities with Cristen Dalessandro Thu, 12 Oct 2023 11:30:53 GMT 1:06:21 652767d11593dd00128cac57 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/652767d11593dd00128cac57 652767d11593dd00128cac57 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 When it comes to sex, dating and romantic relationships, Millennials are... a lot like other people. full 1 18 Our third installment in a series of episodes exploring the part in between hookup culture on college campuses, and "failure to launch" narratives about Millennials living at home instead of getting married and starting families: those years when you're an adult, working, and figuring out what you want in a relationship (if you even want one).


In previous episodes we looked at the "social sex revolution" championed by Cindy Gallop, the world of online dating apps and sexting with Katy Coduto, and now we turn to the less overtly sexy but just as consequential parts of Millennial sex: dating, attraction, relationships. What were the factors influencing how Millennials in their twenties and early 30s were selecting partners, ordering their relationships, and navigating relationship dynamics? Cristen Dalessandro, PhD, author of Intimate Inequalities: Millennials' Romantic Relationships in Contemporary Times, joined the show to talk about her research into the ways Millennials intersecting identities around race, gender, class, age, and sexual identities influenced the choices they made about which people to sleep with, date, and form lasting relationships with. What she found is extremely interesting, sometimes hopeful, often a bit of a bummer, if only because unfortunately, Millennials were not going to save us from traditional gender roles and typical relationship dynamics. She also has some suggestions about ways to make things better - both on an individual level and a social policy level.


"What people do at the individual level really matters. If you are somebody who does care about making a more egalitarian gender relationship, then you do need to put in the work to be educated on what that looks like and check out research that people have done and ask your partner what they think, right? It's just asking your partner what they think about something and then not being offended if they are critical of something that you're doing. But at the same time, again, those sort of broader structural patterns, what's happening at the policy level, that's important as well. And so if we care about something in particular or we want to see a change in a certain direction, I think it's helpful to get involved and to get informed with what's going on and to be part of that conversation and not just sit back and let things happen."


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Our third installment in a series of episodes exploring the part in between hookup culture on college campuses, and "failure to launch" narratives about Millennials living at home instead of getting married and starting families: those years when you're an adult, working, and figuring out what you want in a relationship (if you even want one).


In previous episodes we looked at the "social sex revolution" championed by Cindy Gallop, the world of online dating apps and sexting with Katy Coduto, and now we turn to the less overtly sexy but just as consequential parts of Millennial sex: dating, attraction, relationships. What were the factors influencing how Millennials in their twenties and early 30s were selecting partners, ordering their relationships, and navigating relationship dynamics? Cristen Dalessandro, PhD, author of Intimate Inequalities: Millennials' Romantic Relationships in Contemporary Times, joined the show to talk about her research into the ways Millennials intersecting identities around race, gender, class, age, and sexual identities influenced the choices they made about which people to sleep with, date, and form lasting relationships with. What she found is extremely interesting, sometimes hopeful, often a bit of a bummer, if only because unfortunately, Millennials were not going to save us from traditional gender roles and typical relationship dynamics. She also has some suggestions about ways to make things better - both on an individual level and a social policy level.


"What people do at the individual level really matters. If you are somebody who does care about making a more egalitarian gender relationship, then you do need to put in the work to be educated on what that looks like and check out research that people have done and ask your partner what they think, right? It's just asking your partner what they think about something and then not being offended if they are critical of something that you're doing. But at the same time, again, those sort of broader structural patterns, what's happening at the policy level, that's important as well. And so if we care about something in particular or we want to see a change in a certain direction, I think it's helpful to get involved and to get informed with what's going on and to be part of that conversation and not just sit back and let things happen."


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E17: Extremely Online with Taylor Lorenz S1E17: Extremely Online with Taylor Lorenz Thu, 28 Sep 2023 09:30:04 GMT 43:32 6514fec7d257620011620ae7 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6514fec7d257620011620ae7 6514fec7d257620011620ae7 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 The meme-ification of ... everything full 1 17 We're joined by Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet to talk about how she had a front-row seat to many of the changes in media, memes, and Millennials over the course of her career from tabloid blogger to feature reporter for The Washington Post. We talk about the role of social media, the way incentives for media companies have evolved, how she proved internet culture was a beat, and how memes get amplified into mass culture - and what all this means for generational identities.


You can order her book, available next week! here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Extremely-Online/Taylor-Lorenz/9781982146863

You can find Taylor online in many places, including her website: https://www.taylorlorenz.com/ and @taylorlorenz basically everywhere (TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, etc).


If you're curious about her coverage of some of the generational memes we all know and loathe, check out her 2019 piece 'OK Boomer’ Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations: Now it’s war: Gen Z has finally snapped over climate change and financial inequality." https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/style/ok-boomer.html


For more recent reporting, check out her work at the Washington Post - a recent piece debunking a recent TikTok panic the Today Show amplified is especially smart: 'That dangerous TikTok trend on the Today Show? It was fake.' https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/13/tiktok-boat-challenge-fake-misinformation/


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're joined by Taylor Lorenz, author of Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet to talk about how she had a front-row seat to many of the changes in media, memes, and Millennials over the course of her career from tabloid blogger to feature reporter for The Washington Post. We talk about the role of social media, the way incentives for media companies have evolved, how she proved internet culture was a beat, and how memes get amplified into mass culture - and what all this means for generational identities.


You can order her book, available next week! here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Extremely-Online/Taylor-Lorenz/9781982146863

You can find Taylor online in many places, including her website: https://www.taylorlorenz.com/ and @taylorlorenz basically everywhere (TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Threads, etc).


If you're curious about her coverage of some of the generational memes we all know and loathe, check out her 2019 piece 'OK Boomer’ Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations: Now it’s war: Gen Z has finally snapped over climate change and financial inequality." https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/style/ok-boomer.html


For more recent reporting, check out her work at the Washington Post - a recent piece debunking a recent TikTok panic the Today Show amplified is especially smart: 'That dangerous TikTok trend on the Today Show? It was fake.' https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/13/tiktok-boat-challenge-fake-misinformation/


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E16: Book Club! The Selfie Vote by Kristen Soltis Anderson S1E16: Book Club! The Selfie Vote by Kristen Soltis Anderson Thu, 14 Sep 2023 10:30:04 GMT 1:12:57 6500e9765a8d440011e7e840 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6500e9765a8d440011e7e840 6500e9765a8d440011e7e840 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 A postcard from 2015, when the GOP wanted to really connect with the youngs full 1 16 We started with headlines from the New York Post and other extremely online publications and our research overall has shifted heavily into the journalistic media narrative arc that has been assigned to Millennials; a group we’re not even sure we would say exists. Now we decided we need to read the most visible and influential books over the past 20 years that coincided with shifts in the story. Up first, Kristen Soltis Anderson’s 2015 book The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up).


Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Selfie-Vote-Millennials-Leading-Republicans-ebook/dp/B00O7XISSC?ref_=ast_author_mpb

We reference the author's appearance on 538 here: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/politics-podcast-good-or-bad-use-of-polling-extended-cut/


Introduction

 Interview with Echelon Insights (5:02)

 The selfie vote and selfies (11:01)

 How the GOP could connect with Millennials. (17:20)

 The selfie as voting metaphor. (22:10)

 How can they win back the vote? (27:44)

 Millennials not worried enough about aging. (36:34)

 How much you can know through data about voters? (42:12)

 The decline in union membership. (46:41)

 Shareholders vs. Investors. (52:06)

 What the republican autopsy had to say about Millennials. (56:18)

 Taking advantage of every opportunity. (1:00:37)


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We started with headlines from the New York Post and other extremely online publications and our research overall has shifted heavily into the journalistic media narrative arc that has been assigned to Millennials; a group we’re not even sure we would say exists. Now we decided we need to read the most visible and influential books over the past 20 years that coincided with shifts in the story. Up first, Kristen Soltis Anderson’s 2015 book The Selfie Vote: Where Millennials Are Leading America (And How Republicans Can Keep Up).


Find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Selfie-Vote-Millennials-Leading-Republicans-ebook/dp/B00O7XISSC?ref_=ast_author_mpb

We reference the author's appearance on 538 here: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/politics-podcast-good-or-bad-use-of-polling-extended-cut/


Introduction

 Interview with Echelon Insights (5:02)

 The selfie vote and selfies (11:01)

 How the GOP could connect with Millennials. (17:20)

 The selfie as voting metaphor. (22:10)

 How can they win back the vote? (27:44)

 Millennials not worried enough about aging. (36:34)

 How much you can know through data about voters? (42:12)

 The decline in union membership. (46:41)

 Shareholders vs. Investors. (52:06)

 What the republican autopsy had to say about Millennials. (56:18)

 Taking advantage of every opportunity. (1:00:37)


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E15: Mediated Sex with Katy Coduto, PhD S1E15: Mediated Sex with Katy Coduto, PhD Thu, 31 Aug 2023 11:30:52 GMT 1:07:00 64efccdfa905c40011d2c8fa false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64efccdfa905c40011d2c8fa 64efccdfa905c40011d2c8fa 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Sexting is good, actually full 1 15

The story about Millennials and dating is all about apps, sexting and ghosting - the habits of the toxically online. But it’s not all toxic - it can help people discover how to be intimate and confident in their romantic relationships. Still, real concerns about privacy and security abound. We sat down with Katy Coduto, PhD, an assistant professor of media studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming Technology, Privacy, and Sexting: Mediated Sex.


Find out more about Katy here: https://kdcoduto.com


Introduction

The role of generational differences in online dating and dating. 9:52

Dating apps. 15:30

Dating tropes. 17:14

The gamification layer. 24:00

Millennials and dating apps. 27:15

Swipe right on everyone. 31:48

Why hookup culture? 36:08

Sexting is good. 43:53

The nuances of privacy in online relationships. 45:54

Branding millennials. 59:08

The good and the bad of social media. 1:02:59


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]>

The story about Millennials and dating is all about apps, sexting and ghosting - the habits of the toxically online. But it’s not all toxic - it can help people discover how to be intimate and confident in their romantic relationships. Still, real concerns about privacy and security abound. We sat down with Katy Coduto, PhD, an assistant professor of media studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming Technology, Privacy, and Sexting: Mediated Sex.


Find out more about Katy here: https://kdcoduto.com


Introduction

The role of generational differences in online dating and dating. 9:52

Dating apps. 15:30

Dating tropes. 17:14

The gamification layer. 24:00

Millennials and dating apps. 27:15

Swipe right on everyone. 31:48

Why hookup culture? 36:08

Sexting is good. 43:53

The nuances of privacy in online relationships. 45:54

Branding millennials. 59:08

The good and the bad of social media. 1:02:59


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E14 - The (Millennial) Social Sex Revolution, with Cindy Gallop S1E14 - The (Millennial) Social Sex Revolution, with Cindy Gallop Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:15:57 GMT 56:24 64dad81db331200011a40234 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64dad81db331200011a40234 64dad81db331200011a40234 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Millennial intimacy is a bit pixelated full 1 14 We're starting a mini-series on intimacy. First up, Cindy Gallop is the founder and CEO of Make Love Not Porn. They are pro-sex pro-porn Pro-knowing the difference. It's her personal experience with Millennial lovers that opened her eyes to the challenges they were faced with in relationships. Intimacy has been pushed out of culture, and replaced with a variety of distractions, entertainments and stories. Cindy's direct style makes her a sought after voice in this conversation. As you'll hear, she's seen the challenge up close and personal.


Learn more https://cindygallop.com/ and makelovenotporn.tv


Introduction 

Cindy Gallop (7:46)

How Pornhub is shaping minds (12:55)

Make Love Not Porn (19:16)

Millennials are more open about sex and relationships than older generations (25:34)

What does porn look like for millennials? (34:07)

The importance of having a committed partner (42:08)

The story of millennials and intimacy (46:39)

Challenging preconceptions (51:35)


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> We're starting a mini-series on intimacy. First up, Cindy Gallop is the founder and CEO of Make Love Not Porn. They are pro-sex pro-porn Pro-knowing the difference. It's her personal experience with Millennial lovers that opened her eyes to the challenges they were faced with in relationships. Intimacy has been pushed out of culture, and replaced with a variety of distractions, entertainments and stories. Cindy's direct style makes her a sought after voice in this conversation. As you'll hear, she's seen the challenge up close and personal.


Learn more https://cindygallop.com/ and makelovenotporn.tv


Introduction 

Cindy Gallop (7:46)

How Pornhub is shaping minds (12:55)

Make Love Not Porn (19:16)

Millennials are more open about sex and relationships than older generations (25:34)

What does porn look like for millennials? (34:07)

The importance of having a committed partner (42:08)

The story of millennials and intimacy (46:39)

Challenging preconceptions (51:35)


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


In the Demo is edited by Allison Preisinger and AMP Studio. Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E13: The flattening with Benish Shah S1E13: The flattening with Benish Shah Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:37:22 GMT 55:15 64b2f57b955b150011596fc0 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64b2f57b955b150011596fc0 64b2f57b955b150011596fc0 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 How power becomes entrenched through marketing and narrative full 1 13 Generalizations can be damaging. In this episode, Benish Shah joins us for a conversation about how marketers, in an attempt to simplify the huge Millennial consumer group, over-simplified them en masse. She looks at how power structures are shaped, people on the margins are held there and others are pushed there by the narrative perpetuated to make it easier to sell things.


Benish Shah is a marketer, builder and advisor to companies and brands around the world. Learn more here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benishshah/


Every generation is the next great generation. (6:13)

The power of the box. (10:04)

The collective good vs. the individual good. (16:30)

Finding a balance between individualism and community. (22:14)

Setting respectful boundaries. (25:02)

Free will is an illusion. (29:49)

Disruptions of complacency. (35:06)

Everybody gets a trophy trope. (39:23)

Being a millennial boss to millennial employees. (43:22)



In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Generalizations can be damaging. In this episode, Benish Shah joins us for a conversation about how marketers, in an attempt to simplify the huge Millennial consumer group, over-simplified them en masse. She looks at how power structures are shaped, people on the margins are held there and others are pushed there by the narrative perpetuated to make it easier to sell things.


Benish Shah is a marketer, builder and advisor to companies and brands around the world. Learn more here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benishshah/


Every generation is the next great generation. (6:13)

The power of the box. (10:04)

The collective good vs. the individual good. (16:30)

Finding a balance between individualism and community. (22:14)

Setting respectful boundaries. (25:02)

Free will is an illusion. (29:49)

Disruptions of complacency. (35:06)

Everybody gets a trophy trope. (39:23)

Being a millennial boss to millennial employees. (43:22)



In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E12 - Breaking news in demographics with Kim Parker, Pew Research S1E12 - Breaking news in demographics with Kim Parker, Pew Research Tue, 18 Jul 2023 12:52:08 GMT 1:01:06 64b2cec878489100110442a5 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64b2cec878489100110442a5 64b2cec878489100110442a5 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 full 1 12 BREAKING (kidding, sort of). In late May, Pew Research announced they would "only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life" after a year-long analysis of their own approach to reporting on differences by generations, and the overall landscape of such content and reporting. This announcement supports a lot of what Farrah and Adam have been circling while conducting their research into the Millennial narrative, and Pew's got the data to explain why their approach makes so much sense. Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew Research Center, joins to share more context on the thinking and data that got them to this exciting (to us) conclusion.


Read the article from Pew here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/22/how-pew-research-center-will-report-on-generations-moving-forward/. Learn more about Kim Parker here: https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/kim-parker/


How did you know Millennials were coming into their own? 3:39

Methodological considerations for comparison. 8:09

How the narrative has shifted over time. 13:11

The knock on effects of not reporting on generations. 18:40

Gen Z vs. Millennials. 26:40

Why do we skip over Gen X? Millennials? 30:48

How Millennials have become a synonym for young. 36:50

How do you segment millennials into different political parties? 40:04

Stereotypes about Millennials. 46:29


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BREAKING (kidding, sort of). In late May, Pew Research announced they would "only do generational analysis when we have historical data that allows us to compare generations at similar stages of life" after a year-long analysis of their own approach to reporting on differences by generations, and the overall landscape of such content and reporting. This announcement supports a lot of what Farrah and Adam have been circling while conducting their research into the Millennial narrative, and Pew's got the data to explain why their approach makes so much sense. Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew Research Center, joins to share more context on the thinking and data that got them to this exciting (to us) conclusion.


Read the article from Pew here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/05/22/how-pew-research-center-will-report-on-generations-moving-forward/. Learn more about Kim Parker here: https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/kim-parker/


How did you know Millennials were coming into their own? 3:39

Methodological considerations for comparison. 8:09

How the narrative has shifted over time. 13:11

The knock on effects of not reporting on generations. 18:40

Gen Z vs. Millennials. 26:40

Why do we skip over Gen X? Millennials? 30:48

How Millennials have become a synonym for young. 36:50

How do you segment millennials into different political parties? 40:04

Stereotypes about Millennials. 46:29


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E11 Looking at the narrative with Christina Blacken S1E11 Looking at the narrative with Christina Blacken Mon, 12 Jun 2023 12:18:37 GMT 1:15:19 64862c24189959001131fd0e false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64862c24189959001131fd0e 64862c24189959001131fd0e 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 No container can hold 70 million stories full 1 11 The Millennial Myth was created in the late 1990's to help provide context about the coming juggernaut of a generation. As with most stories about huge groups, the narrative held on to broad generalizations and chose odd anecdotes to incorporate, while eschewing other detailed experiences and perspective. Early on, people on the fringes took notice, and have been hanging on ever since. We spoke to author expert on narratives and Founder of The New Quo, (https://www.thenewquo.com/) and host of the Sway Them in Color podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sway-them-in-color/id1487837712) to help add context about how people are left out as a narrative and others this size are being shaped.


How generational segmentations are useful to marketers and business. 10:23

The problem with social media. 15:04

Falling in love with storytelling. 18:19

How did you receive the stories of millennials in America? 25:59

Where did the fear of college debt come from? 31:54

The conflicting narratives of Millennials and Millennials. 39:36

Marketing starts as soon as a kid can walk. 45:25

The hidden polemics of boomers. 49:51

Most media organizations are owned by one person. 55:15

The myth of colorblindness in Millennials. 1:00:41

The problem with colorblindness. 1:04:39

How do I become more culturally competent? 1:08:58


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> The Millennial Myth was created in the late 1990's to help provide context about the coming juggernaut of a generation. As with most stories about huge groups, the narrative held on to broad generalizations and chose odd anecdotes to incorporate, while eschewing other detailed experiences and perspective. Early on, people on the fringes took notice, and have been hanging on ever since. We spoke to author expert on narratives and Founder of The New Quo, (https://www.thenewquo.com/) and host of the Sway Them in Color podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sway-them-in-color/id1487837712) to help add context about how people are left out as a narrative and others this size are being shaped.


How generational segmentations are useful to marketers and business. 10:23

The problem with social media. 15:04

Falling in love with storytelling. 18:19

How did you receive the stories of millennials in America? 25:59

Where did the fear of college debt come from? 31:54

The conflicting narratives of Millennials and Millennials. 39:36

Marketing starts as soon as a kid can walk. 45:25

The hidden polemics of boomers. 49:51

Most media organizations are owned by one person. 55:15

The myth of colorblindness in Millennials. 1:00:41

The problem with colorblindness. 1:04:39

How do I become more culturally competent? 1:08:58


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E10 The idealists S1E10 The idealists Tue, 02 May 2023 14:23:10 GMT 57:39 64511cce796e07001116a5f9 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64511cce796e07001116a5f9 64511cce796e07001116a5f9 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 We wanted Millennials to believe they could fix anything, but not actually do it full 1 10 In the beginning was the word, and the word was hopeful. Or optimistic. Or idealistic. The people crafting the Millennial Myth branded 70 million people as bright eyed and positive that they would make the world a better place. Which is a bit weird because very clear recurring data show that they were no more or less idealistic in their senior year of high-school as the generations before or after them. No more trusting of government. Millennials were defined in this way and have been held to account for the label for the next 20 years and counting.


How idealism is just equity. 7:52

The Coddling of the American Mind. 12:09

The template set by coddling of the American mind. 17:22

Millennials and green consumerism. 23:01

The importance of having a brand manifesto. 27:54

Sustainability rises to the top. 34:21

Millennials rooting for a housing bust. 39:41

More sophisticated and capital requires more capital. 48:20

The cult of the young and how to appeal to them. 52:43


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In the beginning was the word, and the word was hopeful. Or optimistic. Or idealistic. The people crafting the Millennial Myth branded 70 million people as bright eyed and positive that they would make the world a better place. Which is a bit weird because very clear recurring data show that they were no more or less idealistic in their senior year of high-school as the generations before or after them. No more trusting of government. Millennials were defined in this way and have been held to account for the label for the next 20 years and counting.


How idealism is just equity. 7:52

The Coddling of the American Mind. 12:09

The template set by coddling of the American mind. 17:22

Millennials and green consumerism. 23:01

The importance of having a brand manifesto. 27:54

Sustainability rises to the top. 34:21

Millennials rooting for a housing bust. 39:41

More sophisticated and capital requires more capital. 48:20

The cult of the young and how to appeal to them. 52:43


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> SIE9 Rose Cameron is taking the long view - Audio only BONUS episode SIE9 Rose Cameron is taking the long view - Audio only BONUS episode Fri, 07 Apr 2023 14:42:37 GMT 48:36 64302bdecc2bdf0011951e20 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64302bdecc2bdf0011951e20 64302bdecc2bdf0011951e20 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Who asked for all of this information? bonus 1 9 This is a bonus, audio-only episode. Did you even know In The Demo is found on YouTube? We were a little surprised, too.

You can find In The Demo on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@inthedemopodcast1834


Rose Cameron joins Farrah and Adam to talk about her work leading research of the Millennial generation going back to when they were still just babies. Working for global brands, she saw first-hand some of the drivers of the interest in this audience; deemed both an opportunity and a threat. Maybe more importantly they were viewed as the unknowable children of Baby Boomers facing their own parenting shortcomings and mortality.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This is a bonus, audio-only episode. Did you even know In The Demo is found on YouTube? We were a little surprised, too.

You can find In The Demo on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/@inthedemopodcast1834


Rose Cameron joins Farrah and Adam to talk about her work leading research of the Millennial generation going back to when they were still just babies. Working for global brands, she saw first-hand some of the drivers of the interest in this audience; deemed both an opportunity and a threat. Maybe more importantly they were viewed as the unknowable children of Baby Boomers facing their own parenting shortcomings and mortality.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> BONUS EPISODE: Eliza BONUS EPISODE: Eliza Fri, 17 Mar 2023 14:44:04 GMT 1:31 64147cb57eb78100126052c3 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/64147cb57eb78100126052c3 64147cb57eb78100126052c3 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 What robots can tell us about Millennials bonus This episode features our robot Eliza. She queried her cousin, ChatGPT, to write a summary of the Millennial generation. We think they nailed it.

Let Farrah and Adam know what you think they got right and wrong by crawling the open web and twenty years of content marketing.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This episode features our robot Eliza. She queried her cousin, ChatGPT, to write a summary of the Millennial generation. We think they nailed it.

Let Farrah and Adam know what you think they got right and wrong by crawling the open web and twenty years of content marketing.



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E8 Cash rules everything around me S1E8 Cash rules everything around me Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:26:06 GMT 49:12 640b4c0eaaa42400114c2ca5 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/640b4c0eaaa42400114c2ca5 640b4c0eaaa42400114c2ca5 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 A whole new megagroup of consumers, or is it? full 1 8 This time, Farrah and Adam look at the supposedly 100 million people–well, not people–CONSUMERS that had marketers mouths watering. We look at how that plan to receive and sell to Millennials drove the wishful thinking about their behavior and preferences, along with how it might reshape workplaces.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> This time, Farrah and Adam look at the supposedly 100 million people–well, not people–CONSUMERS that had marketers mouths watering. We look at how that plan to receive and sell to Millennials drove the wishful thinking about their behavior and preferences, along with how it might reshape workplaces.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E7 Behind the research curtain with Paul Soldera S1E7 Behind the research curtain with Paul Soldera Thu, 23 Feb 2023 22:23:47 GMT 51:10 63f7e773886da700112164c8 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/63f7e773886da700112164c8 63f7e773886da700112164c8 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 May we suggest a different approach? full 1 7 In this episode, Farrah and Adam talk about the research that went into Millennials Rising. As always, they have questions. An entire generation–supposedly 100 million people–defined by one survey in one school district? Farrah talks to quantitative researcher, Paul Soldera, who opens the curtain on segmentation and best practices in the most interesting conversation on research methodology that you will hear this year.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In this episode, Farrah and Adam talk about the research that went into Millennials Rising. As always, they have questions. An entire generation–supposedly 100 million people–defined by one survey in one school district? Farrah talks to quantitative researcher, Paul Soldera, who opens the curtain on segmentation and best practices in the most interesting conversation on research methodology that you will hear this year.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E6 The quote that started the myth S1E6 The quote that started the myth Thu, 09 Feb 2023 13:20:18 GMT 36:42 63e3ad6d1886010010c26b52 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/63e3ad6d1886010010c26b52 63e3ad6d1886010010c26b52 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Talking to the person Millennials Rising centers on full 1 6 In this last episode, Farrah and Adam look more closely at the beginnings of the Millennial Myth, literally the opening quote of Millennials Rising. We discuss how much of the myth hangs on one short quote written in an essay by a (then) high school girl living in McLean, Virginia where the authors set their work. Then, Adam talks to the woman behind that very quote to understand how she feels the myth has defined, served and punished her generation.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


An outline created by Otter.ai

0:00 Show introduction with Farrah and Adam

4:40 Is Millennials Rising a forecast?

10:55 Introducing Tyler

12:15 Growing up in Mclean, Virginia.

15:10 What is a typical American town?

21:27 How Tyler describes the millennial generation

27:16 What are Millennials responsible for in culture

32:31 Are reporters anti-millennial?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In this last episode, Farrah and Adam look more closely at the beginnings of the Millennial Myth, literally the opening quote of Millennials Rising. We discuss how much of the myth hangs on one short quote written in an essay by a (then) high school girl living in McLean, Virginia where the authors set their work. Then, Adam talks to the woman behind that very quote to understand how she feels the myth has defined, served and punished her generation.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


An outline created by Otter.ai

0:00 Show introduction with Farrah and Adam

4:40 Is Millennials Rising a forecast?

10:55 Introducing Tyler

12:15 Growing up in Mclean, Virginia.

15:10 What is a typical American town?

21:27 How Tyler describes the millennial generation

27:16 What are Millennials responsible for in culture

32:31 Are reporters anti-millennial?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E5 The gang goes to McLean! S1E5 The gang goes to McLean! Sat, 28 Jan 2023 16:32:54 GMT 1:01:01 63d54e3644057c0011b9c3fa false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/63d54e3644057c0011b9c3fa 63d54e3644057c0011b9c3fa 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Context about McLean, VA through demographic trends and history full 1 5 In the last episode, Farrah reveals the source text for the Millennial Myth was written by an economist and a cultural commentator based on light research they did in McLean, VA in the late 1990's. Farrah and Adam asked themselves, is McLean an appropriate stand in for the entire world? The entire U.S.? As it turns out, it might not be an appropriate representative sample for the state of Virginia. Farrah and Adam compare the U.S. census around the time of this book and since to shed light on possible challenges to the conclusions of the book, and the ongoing crumbling myth. Then, Adam is joined by historians of McLean, Merrily Pierce and Paul Kohlenberger who give a quick history and talk about the unique origins of city and surrounding area.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

Introduction to the episode.

9:00 Education representation in the United States

12:39 Understanding the demographics of the area

18:36 Looking at voting records for Mclean

25:13 How did the civic league get its start?

30:30 Mclean as an affluent suburb

35:40 What does it take to buy a house in Mclean?

41:03 How did the neighborhood look like then?

46:56 The economic reality of living in the suburbs

50:45 Youth in the clean area

56:30 Protecting your kids from threats

1:00:57 The pressure to succeed in school

1:06:43 Paul’s closing closing thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In the last episode, Farrah reveals the source text for the Millennial Myth was written by an economist and a cultural commentator based on light research they did in McLean, VA in the late 1990's. Farrah and Adam asked themselves, is McLean an appropriate stand in for the entire world? The entire U.S.? As it turns out, it might not be an appropriate representative sample for the state of Virginia. Farrah and Adam compare the U.S. census around the time of this book and since to shed light on possible challenges to the conclusions of the book, and the ongoing crumbling myth. Then, Adam is joined by historians of McLean, Merrily Pierce and Paul Kohlenberger who give a quick history and talk about the unique origins of city and surrounding area.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

Introduction to the episode.

9:00 Education representation in the United States

12:39 Understanding the demographics of the area

18:36 Looking at voting records for Mclean

25:13 How did the civic league get its start?

30:30 Mclean as an affluent suburb

35:40 What does it take to buy a house in Mclean?

41:03 How did the neighborhood look like then?

46:56 The economic reality of living in the suburbs

50:45 Youth in the clean area

56:30 Protecting your kids from threats

1:00:57 The pressure to succeed in school

1:06:43 Paul’s closing closing thoughts

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E4 Millennials Rising S1E4 Millennials Rising Thu, 05 Jan 2023 13:06:41 GMT 46:12 63b45094f4c10f0011cf77ca false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/63b45094f4c10f0011cf77ca 63b45094f4c10f0011cf77ca 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Parsing the ur text of the Millennial myth full 1 4 They've found it! Hours of research and hundreds of clicks on Google spam links have led to the beginning. Farrah has found what we believe is the source text. A pseudo ethnography by a economist and a cultural commentator published in 2000. The ur text is (appropriately) called Millennials Rising. Farrah and Adam discuss the book and its background and attempt to track the sources cited within for clues to an earlier text.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:02 Introductions 

7:27 Sources and background from Millennials Rising

14:08 How did you go from being one of the directors of the Capitol Steps to co-author of these books about generations?

20:24 Influence on Steve Bannon

26:50 Baby on board

32:29 The dark cloud that hovers over the world.

35:30 Millennials are going to be great consumers, right?

42:09 Who are we talking about when we describe that lived reality?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> They've found it! Hours of research and hundreds of clicks on Google spam links have led to the beginning. Farrah has found what we believe is the source text. A pseudo ethnography by a economist and a cultural commentator published in 2000. The ur text is (appropriately) called Millennials Rising. Farrah and Adam discuss the book and its background and attempt to track the sources cited within for clues to an earlier text.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:02 Introductions 

7:27 Sources and background from Millennials Rising

14:08 How did you go from being one of the directors of the Capitol Steps to co-author of these books about generations?

20:24 Influence on Steve Bannon

26:50 Baby on board

32:29 The dark cloud that hovers over the world.

35:30 Millennials are going to be great consumers, right?

42:09 Who are we talking about when we describe that lived reality?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E3 Unraveling the Millennial Myth S1E3 Unraveling the Millennial Myth Thu, 22 Dec 2022 11:58:29 GMT 47:05 639b7bc92b1f9d00107bc4f2 false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/639b7bc92b1f9d00107bc4f2 639b7bc92b1f9d00107bc4f2 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Exactly when, and why, did the media turn on Millennials? full 1 3 In Episode 3, Farrah and Adam look at the misguided reporting on data that positioned Millennials as over-indexing on trust of government and leaders. In this follow-up conversation, they examine the split in the story, in which the media begins to look less certain that Millennials are the saviors of America's future. The bifurcation of the original, straightforward story leads to the unraveling of the powerful myth spun in the early 2000's. The narrative mirrors the shift from the optimistic end of history rhetoric to Great Recession nihilism, with one generation treated as the fulcrum.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:02 Introductions

1:52 Where did the story shift from optimistic to pessimistic?

6:20 Millennials are more trusting of government and large national institutions to do what’s right.

10:43 The myth that millennials are the next generation of the greatest generation.

16:50 The use of survey data as a means of predicting the future is not what it is.

22:09 Millennials are more confident in the government than ever before.

24:19 What’s the choice when you’re 18?

29:37 Harvard research suggests that an entire global generation has lost faith in democracy.

35:04 What’s the definition of clickbait?

39:44 What’s on your mind at the point in time?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In Episode 3, Farrah and Adam look at the misguided reporting on data that positioned Millennials as over-indexing on trust of government and leaders. In this follow-up conversation, they examine the split in the story, in which the media begins to look less certain that Millennials are the saviors of America's future. The bifurcation of the original, straightforward story leads to the unraveling of the powerful myth spun in the early 2000's. The narrative mirrors the shift from the optimistic end of history rhetoric to Great Recession nihilism, with one generation treated as the fulcrum.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:02 Introductions

1:52 Where did the story shift from optimistic to pessimistic?

6:20 Millennials are more trusting of government and large national institutions to do what’s right.

10:43 The myth that millennials are the next generation of the greatest generation.

16:50 The use of survey data as a means of predicting the future is not what it is.

22:09 Millennials are more confident in the government than ever before.

24:19 What’s the choice when you’re 18?

29:37 Harvard research suggests that an entire global generation has lost faith in democracy.

35:04 What’s the definition of clickbait?

39:44 What’s on your mind at the point in time?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E2 State of love and trust S1E2 State of love and trust Thu, 08 Dec 2022 11:56:59 GMT 39:02 638e0400c48dee0011787efa false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/638e0400c48dee0011787efa 638e0400c48dee0011787efa 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Why did we think Millennials were the super trusting generation again? full 1 2 In the beginning, there was the word. And the word was trust. Initial reports told us that Millennials were trusting in government institutions and authority. Over time, we have seen that shift as Millennials (and um, the rest of us) were witness to the failures of the banking industry, the federal and local government and other institutions over time. In this episode, Farrah and Adam find some data from the early days that served as the basis for some of these conclusions on trust, but look at them in comparison to other generations surveyed at that same young age to see if the data holds up.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:00 Where do these crazy ideas about millennials come from?

3:38 Each cultural observation of each generation is a reaction to the generation before it

8:34 What is the current size of the millennial audience?

12:58 Looking at the crystal ball in 2000 and 2001

18:03 The relationship between the relationship with their parents and the idea of being overachievers

23:08 Millennials are more trusting and invested in government

29:11 Pew’s longitudinal data on trust in government

34:10 The impact of the 2012 election on millennials and how it’s different from previous elections

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> In the beginning, there was the word. And the word was trust. Initial reports told us that Millennials were trusting in government institutions and authority. Over time, we have seen that shift as Millennials (and um, the rest of us) were witness to the failures of the banking industry, the federal and local government and other institutions over time. In this episode, Farrah and Adam find some data from the early days that served as the basis for some of these conclusions on trust, but look at them in comparison to other generations surveyed at that same young age to see if the data holds up.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai)

0:00 Where do these crazy ideas about millennials come from?

3:38 Each cultural observation of each generation is a reaction to the generation before it

8:34 What is the current size of the millennial audience?

12:58 Looking at the crystal ball in 2000 and 2001

18:03 The relationship between the relationship with their parents and the idea of being overachievers

23:08 Millennials are more trusting and invested in government

29:11 Pew’s longitudinal data on trust in government

34:10 The impact of the 2012 election on millennials and how it’s different from previous elections

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E1: Current headlines S1E1: Current headlines Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:37:59 GMT 43:29 63840e33d7917f0011a482c5 false https://inthedemopodcast.com 63840e33d7917f0011a482c5 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Killing the napkin and eating avocado toast full 1 1 Seen any good headlines about Millennials lately? Do they seem a tiny bit slanted? Why does the entire world believe every Millennial eats avocado toast for every meal? In this episode we look at some of the wildest headlines and examine what may be behind the editorial angle and the reasons why? This leads us to think about the current trajectory of the story and how it's changed over time.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai).

0:00  In the Demo: The stories that get told about groups

2:19  Why can’t we agree on the years of when a generation begins and ends? Why does it change over five years?

7:41  How do you define generations?

10:44 What New York Post wants you to think of millennials

16:42 What are some of the most memorable headlines from millennials?

19:27 Millennials can finally afford homeownership is good news for the economy

25:34 The myth of the Millennial and how it has changed

28:56 Millennials have been waiting longer to start families than boomers

35:10 The knock-on effects of women getting involved in politics

38:15 Millennials in the workforce and money


Full transcript on inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Seen any good headlines about Millennials lately? Do they seem a tiny bit slanted? Why does the entire world believe every Millennial eats avocado toast for every meal? In this episode we look at some of the wildest headlines and examine what may be behind the editorial angle and the reasons why? This leads us to think about the current trajectory of the story and how it's changed over time.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai).

0:00  In the Demo: The stories that get told about groups

2:19  Why can’t we agree on the years of when a generation begins and ends? Why does it change over five years?

7:41  How do you define generations?

10:44 What New York Post wants you to think of millennials

16:42 What are some of the most memorable headlines from millennials?

19:27 Millennials can finally afford homeownership is good news for the economy

25:34 The myth of the Millennial and how it has changed

28:56 Millennials have been waiting longer to start families than boomers

35:10 The knock-on effects of women getting involved in politics

38:15 Millennials in the workforce and money


Full transcript on inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> S1E0: We have questions about Millennials S1E0: We have questions about Millennials Thu, 01 Dec 2022 11:37:17 GMT 17:28 6384092b70e06e00118326bd false https://shows.acast.com/in-the-demo/episodes/6384092b70e06e00118326bd 6384092b70e06e00118326bd 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Setting the table for season one full 1 How on earth did Millennials go from being the glowing, favorite child of an entire nation–our primary source of hope for the future–into the enemy? The bad guys. Murderers. Sort of. Killers of the housing market, fast food and the napkin industry. For 20 years, we've observed and participated in the crafting and re-crafting of this narrative to help sell things from policy, economic strategy and yes, um, napkins.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai).

0:00 Introduction

1:22 What’s inside the homogeneity that defines it

2:53 How the popular narrative about millennials has evolved over time

5:52 Millennials are a very amorphous and flexible and malleable punch line

8:38 Millennials are still the media shorthand for youth, even though many of them are in their 40s now

10:42 The importance of having the benefit of time to look back on the myth

12:02 What’s changed in the world of brand marketing

14:28 What happens if you deviate from the expectation?


Full transcript on inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How on earth did Millennials go from being the glowing, favorite child of an entire nation–our primary source of hope for the future–into the enemy? The bad guys. Murderers. Sort of. Killers of the housing market, fast food and the napkin industry. For 20 years, we've observed and participated in the crafting and re-crafting of this narrative to help sell things from policy, economic strategy and yes, um, napkins.


In The Demo, a podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, we pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth. Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University. Our host is voiced by Eliza, a robot created by Murf.ai.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com


Show outline (which is generated by another robot; Otter.ai).

0:00 Introduction

1:22 What’s inside the homogeneity that defines it

2:53 How the popular narrative about millennials has evolved over time

5:52 Millennials are a very amorphous and flexible and malleable punch line

8:38 Millennials are still the media shorthand for youth, even though many of them are in their 40s now

10:42 The importance of having the benefit of time to look back on the myth

12:02 What’s changed in the world of brand marketing

14:28 What happens if you deviate from the expectation?


Full transcript on inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> Introducing In The Demo Introducing In The Demo Sun, 20 Nov 2022 16:38:46 GMT 1:31 637a5818a883c5001152728a false https://inthedemopodcast.com/ 637a5818a883c5001152728a 633aff45aaa118001221dcc6 Season one trailer: Millennial Myth trailer 1 How did the generation defined by hope become the enemy? Where do stories this big come from? And why does it matter?


Introducing In The Demo; a new podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, experienced strategists and researchers Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth.


Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

]]> How did the generation defined by hope become the enemy? Where do stories this big come from? And why does it matter?


Introducing In The Demo; a new podcast about how stories of groups are created, subverted and destroyed. On the first season, experienced strategists and researchers Farrah Bostic and Adam Pierno pursue the origins of the Millennial Myth.


Farrah Bostic is the founder and Head of Research & Strategy of, The Difference Engine, a strategic insights consultancy focused on helping business leaders make decisions. Adam Pierno, author and brand consultant and managing director of brand strategy at Arizona State University.


Music by 0megaMan under the Creative Commons license. Learn more and find research and supporting materials at inthedemopodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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