Those whom I refer to as the Phoenix Generation, coming of age over the next couple of decades, will show a marked difference in their consumption – and production – of media. They will be active prosumers of media content, not only consumers. The following are a number of key aspects that I foresee will mark the changes in media and lifestyle choices for those of the Phoenix Generation:

Young minds will have had enough of a fear mongering, fear-sponsoring media. As instinctual intelligence is more evident, the false facades will drop and people will be less difficult to be side-lined into controlled distraction through entertainment trivia. The old programming that dominated the mainstream media in past decades offered only a crude and brutal programming that delighted in high-tension and stressful drama: in conflicts, murder, and sexual espionage. Such programming will cease to inspire a new younger generation.

There will be a shift in media programming toward what elevates a person rather than what closes them down. This shift will be brought about by the increasing demand from people for more informative programming. The young minds and hearts of the Phoenix Generation will increasingly reject negative news and influences, and naturally shift away from such energies. The mainstream media will be forced – through viewing figures and thus advertizing revenue – to broadcast more inspiring and uplifting programs.

The mainstream media will be impacted greatly by the rapid rise of more community media. The larger corporations will continue to merge and consolidate as they find it difficult to exist in a consumer environment that increasingly is people-centered, and whom rejects their style of broadcast. What is now termed the ‘alternative media’ will become more popular as people seek local stories that inspire and interest them. So not only will community media see a revival – thanks in large part to appropriate technology – but also self-produced content will become more the norm. Those of the Phoenix Generation will themselves be content producers – producing, creating, and distributing their own inspired content-driven media. The age of top-down corporate-controlled media will no longer be the dominant force.

Young people will become their own journalists – creating, producing, and out-sourcing their services. Individuals will not only contribute stories and news items to the mainstream media, but will also create their own media platforms. Many new voices will become recognized and verified as credible sources of information. Young media activists from around the world will be able to supply information faster than mainstream journalists. Also, they will report from areas that mainstream media either cannot, or will not, go to – such as local violent conflict zones or selective communities. Peer-to-peer programming will become more popular as people prefer to produce and share their own news, stories, and events.

Transparency will become the new watchword as mainstream media and governments make closer ties. As online content becomes increasingly monitored by governments, and doctored by media conglomerates, transparency and integrity will become a central issue. Younger generations of people will turn their back on attempts to control and manage the flow of information. The media landscape will never be the same again as the power of the image is taken from the hands of the few into the digital fingertips of the many.

Changes in media attitudes will also reflect changes in lifestyle choices. People will seek out those experiences and impacts that are positive, and which bring harmony to life rather than disorder. Desirable lifestyle traits sought within these years will include reconciliation, harmony, coherence, non-judgment, forgiveness, conscious communication, love, understanding, transparency, honesty, integrity, and of course humor. There will be a greater general appreciation of the role and place of meditation within peoples’ lives. During these years more and more people will be shifting their priorities in life, seeking out meaning and well-being in place of career status and money. This will manifest over the years in many people leaving their traditional employment and seeking out new and alternative ways to support themselves that are more conducive to inner development and well-being.

There will be a shift in habitation choices as young people seek for more nourishing environments to live in. This may result in many young people leaving crowded urban areas or joyless suburban neighborhoods. Alternatively, they will wish to rejuvenate their neighbourhoods into vibrant districts. This is likely to result in a revitalization of local communities, with an emphasis upon sustainability. The creative minds of the Phoenix Generation will strive to construct new models and ways of doing things that are more harmonious with environmental and ecological systems. New sustainable lifestyles will emerge rapidly as people seek well-being and personal meaning that is in balance with physical limits and resources. New communities, towns, villages, and regions will adjust to do things differently in alignment with the growing inner authority of the younger generations.

To summarize:

Young minds will have had enough of a fear mongering, fear-sponsoring media.
There will be a shift in media programming toward what elevates a person rather than what closes them down.
The mainstream media will be impacted greatly by the rapid rise of more community media.
Young people will become their own journalists – creating, producing, and out-sourcing their services.
Transparency will become the new watchword as mainstream media and governments make closer ties.
Changes in media attitudes will also reflect changes in lifestyle choices.
There will be a shift in habitation choices as young people seek for more nourishing environments to live in.