What Young People Are Looking For
By Casey Pickett
Copyright © 2004. All Rights Reserved.
This article first appeared in Seeds & Circles, the quarterly newsletter of Seeds of Simplicity and is reprinted here with permission.

For the last six months I have been working very little and having lots of adventures. When my friends ask me how I afford it I talk about Simplicity and try to get them interested. Below is what I have figured out about what young people want and how we might reach out to them.

The young people I know well are liberal-leaning graduates of four-year colleges. I believe this small segment of the "young people" population represents the lowest-hanging fruit for the simplicity movement and therefore warrants the most attention.

It is smart to bring young people into the movement. They are still forming their financial habits and are searching for effective ways to live life.

Many young people are almost part of the movement already. Three things keep them apart: they do not realize they are nearly part of it; though they live fairly simply, they are not capitalizing on it by developing savings; and they do not realize that simple living can be a highly effective permanent way of life. They think of their momentary simplicity as something that, though in many ways pleasant, will pass as they get on with life. Part of our message must be that the simplicity that they are enjoying can be a great lifestyle.

There are challenges, however. Though my friends are open to simplicity, they do not crave it. I asked my friend Jamie why. He said it's because simplicity sounds like a lot of sacrifice. "I've been poor for so long that when I get some cash I just want to live it up." Can we show my friends how simplicity can help them live -- even more than a little? To do that we had better know what they want.

Nearly every friend and acquaintance I have interviewed told me they want three things: community, adventure, and a sense that they are building toward their future security or success.

How can simplicity help my friends get what they want?

The answers abound. First, we need to get people's attention. I think there are five things that will interest people like my friends in simplicity. Practicing simplicity:

• Frees people up to spend more time with friends
• Allows people time and money for more travel and adventure
• Provides the flexibility to invest in the future
• Helps people work less and play more
• Enables people to get more enjoyment out of the sacrifices they're already making. People need to know that they may already be living pretty simply.

At this point, simplicity sounds like an ad on late night TV: too good to be true. To keep people's attention, we need to offer a future vision of their life with simplicity. My friends are looking for cool ways to lead life and cool people who have led life well. (My friends often seem to be shooting simultaneously for the life of Jack Kerouac and the achievements of Bill Drayton. They want to change the world, but they don't want to lose themselves doing it.) The best way to keep their attention is to tell stories of people who have moved toward simplicity and benefited by it. Details will help them believe it.

Finally, to get people from interest to action, we can offer help. Hearing a story is one thing. Seeing it first-hand is another. Share your stories. Show your life to young people.

One good way to reach out to young people is through their peers. The simplicity movement needs a cadre of young people to spread the message throughout the public. We could build this cadre if each person who considers themselves part of the simplicity movement befriends three young people and makes them feel part of the movement. Once we have built a cadre we can encourage the members to help their peers find and practice simplicity.

That's my advice. How do we reach out to young people? Just go ahead and reach out. Keep in mind what they want out of life right now: community, adventure, and security. Use those things to get their attention, then use detailed stories to keep their attention. And offer to be a resource to them. Happy reaching!

About The Author

Casey Pickett enjoys the wisdom of youth and serves on the Steering Committee of the Simplicity Forum, an alliance of simplicity leaders committed to achieving and honoring simple, just and sustainable ways of life.