To: Jerry Leo, VP of Program Planning, Bravo

From: Christen Westbury, Programming Team

Date: March 17, 2013

Subject: Book Review, Hooked Up by Jack Myers

Hooked Up by Jack Myers is a book about a subcategory of Millennials called Internet Pioneers. This generation was born between the years of 1991 and 1995 at a revolutionary point in history. They are the first generation to be born in the “Internet Age”. These pioneers have never experienced a life without the Internet, therefore dramatically affecting how they view and interact with the world around them. These kids who are now young adults are accustom to rapid change, and for that reason they know how to easily adapt to a world that is being transformed by the Internet. So what does this mean? It means that while previous generations are still trying to grab a firm hold of this Internet medium, these pioneers are mastering it and defining its purpose. “They represent the generation that will lead America and the world into the most important and formative period of the 21st Century” and because of this, Bravo needs to be effectively “hooked up” to them (Myers 6).

This book takes a look into how these Internet Pioneers have been affected by certain phenomenon’s as well as why they will become the next “great generation”. Many topics were addressed and examined by Jack Myers, but there were three key overarching themes that are specifically important to Bravo. The themes are:

1. How they consume information
2. What their television history is
3. And the mechanics of their “plugged in” relationship to the world around them.

Bravo must harness this information presented by Jack Myers, in order to have their thumb on the pulse of this influential generation of heavy media consumers.

How Internet Pioneers consume information is the first significant theme addressed in this book. They “have had a television screen, an Internet-connected computer screen and a mobile screen throughout their lives through which they’ve been able to discover the past, connect to the present and invent the future” (Myers 6). These multiple viewing screens are how they find and watch their content instead of traditional ways such as the newspaper or the radio. Additionally, in many cases they are using more than one screen at a time – either Tweeting while watching TV or watching TV while surfing the net. They are multi-tasker’s that are constantly consuming information in an instantaneous and short form way. They get their news via 140 character tweets, they hear about their favorite celebrities from brief headlines on blogs, and they exchange information with each other via abbreviated text messages. In short, they want their information in bulk, as quick as possible, and in a “straight to the point” manner. With that said, Bravo must tailor their content in this way. Bravo needs to constantly seek out programming that can present a great deal of information in an explosive and immediate way. This will not only entertain Internet Pioneers, but will also give them something to tweet about. This is important because they are the influencers of tomorrow. So if Bravo can present programming that leaves a lasting imprint and is easy and enjoyable to consume, this generation will be loyal to Bravo in the future.

Secondly, as a television network it is important for Bravo to take note of this generations television-programming history. In Chapter 11 of Hooked Up, Myers discusses which television programs influenced this group of young adults the most and how these programs relate to each other. Internet Pioneers formative years were primarily shaped by Nickelodeon’s hit shows Doug, Rugrats, and Spongebob. As they grew up they became more enthralled with shows that had more teenage appeal such as Pretty Little Liars, Family Guy, and 16 & Pregnant. The key takeaway is that in each stage of their lives, this generation had a program or network that was completely “hooked up” to them. This was a result of the network and the programmers knowing what Internet Pioneers wanted to see and doing something different to present this content. Pretty Little Liars was a teenage desperate housewives drama that had characters that girls could identify with, but yet had bigger than life conflicts that kept this demographic tuning in. The Rugrats was a cartoon that kids could see themselves in while also pushing the limits within this imaginative kid-like world. In both cases each show presented this generations realities with a twist. It is important for Bravo to take note of this pattern, and develop shows that do exactly just that. Bravo needs to create content that represents these Internet Pioneers in a larger than life way that will resonate with them in the long run.

Lastly it is important to note the mechanics of their relationships with the world around them. Internet Pioneers grew up in a world that has always been changing at a rapid speed; they are not use to permanency. So what type of affect is this having on them? In Myers’ chapter on Hooking Up: Relationships, Sex & Porn and in his chapter on Spirituality, there is a clear pattern of short and blurred relationships. In his chapter on hooking up, Myers explains that the actual phrase is “intentionally ambiguous” and does not have a clear definition (Myers 31). According to this generation, hooking up is a short fix that does not come with the burdens of having a long clearly defined relationship. Additionally much like their romantic encounters, Internet Pioneers relationships with religion also toddles a very blurred line. “Among today’s religious youth there is a shift towards spirituality and away from organized worship and commitment…of one particular faith” (Myers 59). Overall, they do not want to be defined by one thing, but would rather have the freedom that comes with ambiguity. The obstacle for Bravo is to make their relationship last with a group of Milennials that are not used to anything lasting. Bravo must do this by creating nostalgia with their programming that gives this generation something worth coming back too. Nickelodeon is the best example of a network that is reaping the benefits of effectively hooking up to this generation. They had a stream of programming that resonated with Internet Pioneers so much so that this group demanded the return of their favorite 90’s cartoons. This is the type of emotion that Bravo programming must evoke from this influential group. Bravo must give them what they want to see, present the content in a way that they can easily consume, and develop a long withstanding relationship with these innovators in order to completely be “hooked up” to them.