#Sh*tGenYSays

Lauren Gold/Chicago Loopster

Every generation has its trademarks, but our generation is particularly inventive. With new gadgets and technologies cropping up left and right, it’s hard not to get caught up in our own vocabulary words and ways of life. Generation Y, or rather all of us twenty-somethings, are taking over the scene. So true, right?

We are full of abbrevs and timesavers these days, DMing potential contacts on Twitter and BBMing emoticons to our BFFs (wait, the Blackberry is so not cool anymore). Out of the country? Skype me. Don’t know the answer? Google it. We vent about our co-workers via g-chat and flirt simultaneously through texting more often than phone calls. Social media is the only media, as far as we’re concerned.

Grindr Photos/Flickr

We are the meme generation, laughing over cat videos, David After Dentist and Sh*t Girls Say. We blog on Tumblr, photograph on Instagram and shop online for the best deals. We express ourselves through Facebook statuses and trending topics, and we communicate with our favorite celebs by tweeting at them instead of sending in fan mail. Self-expression exists IRL (in real life) and on our profiles…OMG, tag me in that mupload (mobile upload).

We are one of the most educated and ambitious generations yet, according to Examiner.com. We have goals and dream jobs, and we are young enough to believe we can make them happen. We’re open to new ideas, but if you haven’t heard about the latest band on the scene, forget it. Seriously.

We have the latest apps, too. Oh, what’s the name of that new Coldplay song? Let me Shazam it. There’s nothing our smart phones can’t do. Our social circles consist of our combined contacts between LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and maybe even Google+, too. If we’re too far to meet for drinks, we can just FaceTime later. The guys have their bromances, and the girls have their movie nights, livestreamed off of Hulu or Netflix, of course. We are technology and social media mavens, except when the fail whale ruins our Twitter sesh. Ugh, FML.

Sure, we love to go out and meet new people, but it’s just as common to date online, too. We consult Yelp and Urbanspoon to find our favorite bars and restaurants (did you check in on Foursquare?). We find decorating inspiration for our studio apartments on Pinterest and take recipes from baking blogs, not our grandma’s old recipe book.

We manage to check the score, respond to our e-mails and show up to work on time, all while staying up to date on current events and staying in shape at group fitness classes at the gym.

We are gen.y/beta FTW. Wait, BRB for a sec…