And we’re back!

We took a little break. Woke up. We have Threads now.

Before we jump in further…

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Deep(ish) Millennial Thought of the Week

Threads is a bit weird, right?

That’s where I’m personally at right now. If you are subscribed to this newsletter, you are likely a Millennial pretty in tune with mass media trends. If you fall in the Elder Millennial category, you’ve already witnessed the launch of Facebook and Twitter at an age where you could immediately adopt both into your life without parental interference.

Facebook launched for me in 2004 right around the time of my college orientation. You couldn’t have asked for better timing, as it quickly became the way you connected with new peers you just met. Having attended NYU, one of the first universities to be admitted onto Facebook, it felt fun, unique, and special. This was unlike anything I had ever experienced, and while the idea of sharing my life online was completely new, I, like many others went all in.

While Twitter launched officially in 2006, I didn’t join the platform until I started working in 2008 at my first job. Much like I had adopted Facebook as a utility to connect with others at NYU (and stay connected with my high school friends), Twitter instantly became one of the primary ways I connected to professionals. I’d credit Twitter for accelerating much of my professional growth, and for that, it will always hold a special place in my upbringing.

Fast forward to 2023. I’ve already briefly covered how damaging social media can be. For the sake of brevity, let’s assume we are all caught up on how toxicity has infiltrated every social network. Even with this knowledge, somehow, the launch of Threads last week felt special - for about 48 hours, that is.

In the first two days of Meta’s launch of Threads, there was a bit of Threads hysteria. I’ll dare say, Threads became an obsession for me over that time period. Even a week later, I’m struggling to put into words what happened but here’s my shot at it:

1. A good number of people want to see Twitter fall. Current leadership, online bullying, and the suppression of one’s content has made it easy to root against Twitter.

2. Threads instantly made things weird. For the first time, our Instagram following was meeting some of our Twitter followers. It was the crossover event we never anticipated. Kind of like this. (NSFW if your boss hates cursing.) What content would/will resonate? No one knows. It’s the Wild Wild West right now.

3. It’s a fresh start. Kinda. Because no one knows how to work this thing currently, there’s a newness here we haven’t experienced since the launch of those other two aforementioned platforms.

4. Newness x nostalgia = hope. The powerful effect of nostalgia is frequently covered here on CYM. Combine that feeling with a platform that is “new” and it’s impossible now to feel some fondness and hope for times where things were a bit more fun than they have become online in 2023.

5. It’s kind of the same deal. A week later, I’m feeling pretty indifferent right now about Threads, despite dedicating this week’s long thought to it. Much of what I’ve just unpacked has worn thin on me as I struggle to find my place on Threads and really get any significant engagement. The user experience feels very similar to Twitter, with the caveat that much of the toxicity of the platform is currently removed. That I love. If anything, Threads currently has me in a place where I do not want to spend time ironically inside of it or Twitter. It’s almost like methadone for social media. That may change if more people engage with me. But right now, it all has me feeling a bit fatigued every time I log in.

6. Like Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon… I might just be too old for this s%&t.

So where does that leave us going forward? I have no idea, and if anyone tells you they do, call them out on Threads! No, don’t do that. I think the major thing Threads has going for it now are what the Gen Z kids call “immaculate vibes.” Even if your feed is overrun right now by celebrities and influencers whose inner thoughts you may never want to know, I do have some faith that over time, the algorithm and the platform itself will adapt to make this whole experience a more positive one than what is found on Twitter. Or you can just quit social media, which might still be the healthiest choice of all.

THE VERDICT: Be excellent to each other. Let’s give Threads a chance with cautious optimism. Try to be nice and supportive to the community in the meantime so we don’t make this a bogus journey.

Less Deep(ish) Millennial Stuff of the Week

• MILLENNIALS AIN’T MOVING ANYWHERE. According to data from the National Association of Realtors, nearly 40% of Americans between the ages of 25 and 44 who purchased a home in the last year plan to stay in them for 16 years or longer. (CNBC)

• GEN Z ATTACKS MILLENNIAL HOMES FOR BEING TOO GRAY. Apparently TikTok is on fire with videos on how poorly Millennials have decorated their homes. Good thing you have at least 16 years to make some changes. (Yahoo!)

• MILLENNIALS LOVE FARMHOUSES. In more Millennials abode news, every Millennial wants to live in a farmhouse, replacing Boomer McMansions. (The New York Times)

• MILLENNIALS ARE THE BIGGEST LIARS OF ANY GENERATION. This is not true. (The New York Post)

• I FINALLY BEAT THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: BREATH OF THE WILD. It took me four years and I just had to tell somebody. (Me)

Millennial Commercial Spotlight

Right now, celebrity led brands are fairly commonplace. While it is easy to label this as a newer phenomenon, we must remember and honor past legends who paved the way. This week, we highlight a 1992 commercial for the short-lived Urkel-O’s cereal.

If you are keeping count, this is the second Steve Urkel reference in this week’s newsletter. Honestly, the whole character arc of Steve Urkel/Stephan Urkel (played by actor Jaleel White) deserves its own three-part series. (Editor’s Note: This will probably happen at some point.)

In this clip, the beloved Family Matters star spits some heavy bars while rocking a chef cap to make us believe that he concocted the strawberry and banana flavored cereal in one of his lab experiments. (Viewers of the TV series than ran from 1989-1997 know he was extremely capable of doing this.) He seems to do a light variation of “The Urkel Dance” which had become a massive hit across America at the time despite social media not existing for many years to come.

In the early nineties, “Urkelmania” completely swept the nation. From board games to lunch boxes, Steve Urkel set the path for today’s licensed creator deals - all without a TikTok. These crossover events and licensed products were how ratings and star power went up. While the cereal only stayed on shelves for about a year and

allegedly didn’t taste good, it still made a lasting impact on me.

Yes, Steve Urkel did do that.

Millennial Album Spotlight

After sitting on the Curb Your Millennialism porch, we decided it’s time to share more on the music we love with our official “Still Rocks” stamp of approval for the best music of the greatest generation. This week we spotlight an album I think I originally received as a cassette tape at my cousin’s Bar Mitzvah, “Deluxe” by Better Than Ezra.

Formed in 1988 and hailing from New Orleans, Better Than Ezra’s first nationally distributed album, independently released in 1993 and then re-released in 1995 by Elektra Records, was a softer, more melodic rock alternative to much of what the grunge and emerging pop punk scene was offering at the time.

Most notable for its hit “Good”, other standout songs include “Into the Blood” and “Porcelain” that pair perfectly with a cool summer breeze on a warm summer day.

Listen here.

That’s all for this episode…

Before I go, a little about me:

I’ve been in omnichannel marketing, business development, sales and operations for startups and big brands alike for over 15 years now. If you’d like to talk with me about consulting, find me on LinkedIn, Twitter and now Threads or reply to this email. You can also book some time with me on MentorPass. Or you can get creative, I know you have it in you!

Thanks for tuning in. Until next time, keep sewing. I think that’s what we call it on Threads but who knows.