“MORALS. EQUALITY. TOLERANCE. Let’s Make America Decent.”
Those are just a couple of the presidential election slogans the UnConvention’s millennials-only Facebook page proposes. The UnConvention, born at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side, aims to engage millennials in conversations around the presidential election. The 92Y teamed with media outlets Public Radio International and Mic to deliver a multi-platform campaign using traditional media, social media and live events.
Millennials – those aged 18 through 35 – make up the largest generation in America right now, which also makes them one of the largest potential voting blocs. The UnConvention isn’t focused on getting millennials to vote for a specific candidate, nor is it dedicated just to getting them to the polls. It wants to give millennials a platform to put in their two cents, according to Beverly Greenfield, director of public relations at the 92Y.
“This is the generation that is going to inherit the impact of what we do today,” said Greenfield, 53. “That is an important voice.”
And it’s a voice that goes largely ignored, UnConvention participant say.
“Millennials by and large get a lot of articles written about them, and no millennial was ever spoken to in the making of that article,” said Megan Conroy, 26, a Brooklyn-based lingerie stylist and UnConvention member.
Caitlin Abber, 32, election engagement producer for the UnConvention, is tired of “media messaging that young people are entitled and not politically engaged.”
Offering a Facebook Forum
Abber, who lives in Brooklyn, is a moderator on the UnConvention Facebook page, launched in September with more than 400 members from around the world. Millennial moderators and members publish content on the page ranging from articles, live event streaming and good old-fashioned debate.
The UnConvention page also acts as a designated forum where members can air their thoughts without fear of public retaliation.
Before joining the Facebook group, Conroy would vent about politics on her personal page. She soon realized she risked alienating those uninterested in hearing about the election or with opposing views.
“It’s helped me talk to other people who are actually interested in talking about politics. I know a lot of people are just fatigued by the concept.”
Princeton graduate student Phillip Fillion, 23, heard about the UnConvention on Jill Stein’s Dank Meme Stash, a Facebook group revolving around the Green Party’s presidential nominee. He’s found the UnConvention a good place for educated civil discussion.
“That’s something you won’t find on a lot of other Facebook pages, including Jill Stein’s Dank Meme Stash, which I’ve since left,” he said.
The UnConvention launched its Facebook page with interactive quizzes and polls to determine what its members cared about most. The various media partners then turned the data into infographics, podcasts and videos that were relevant to millennials.
“It’s hard to say ‘Millennials think this,’ or ‘This is the most important issue to millennials,’ said Julie Mashack, 37, senior producer at the 92Y. “And I think that’s part of the reason we thought, we’ll make this very open source. More to say ‘Tell us.’”
