A new chapter of NBC’s Heroes started last night. And while most people were cringing to see what offbeat plot twists the writers could possibly err on this year, I was still sitting on the edge of my seat.

Heroes is my guilty pleasure. Even though the ratings suck and critics are cutting the show zero slack, I’m a sucker for good character development. That’s what keeps me watching week after week.

Consider it my inner Gen-Y enthusiast talking, but Heroes has Generation Y written all over it.

Okay, we don’t have superpowers. But it’s easy to see that Heroes isn’t really about superpowers at all. It’s about emerging into adulthood, discovering uncanny abilities and figuring out where we fit in an ever-changing world.

Here are a few elements of Heroes that keep me thinking about the Gen-Y community …

Emerging from the shadow of our parents—following our own path.

From over-protective parenting to attempting to blow up Manhattan, the young heroes on Heroes have some serious mommy/daddy issues. And that’s not to say that Gen-Y parents are bent on world domination, but we’ve taken a ton of heat for how our parent’s have influenced our lives.

Take Noah Bennet—Claire’s Dad—the epitome of a helicopter parent. Or Angela and Arthur Petrelli—so remarkably consumed with their children’s future that they’ve been priming them since birth.

Even Sylar—the uber-villian on Heroes who suddenly became good, then bad again—is constantly reminded by his elders that he’s “special.” If that doesn’t scream Gen-Y woe, I’m not sure what does.

Discovering our true strengths and using them for good (or evil).

We all have the capacity to use our strengths for good or for evil. Yet sometimes doing the right thing is harder than it looks.

Take Nathan Petrelli. He can fly. But his real power is on the political scene. He’s a mover and a shaker, inspired to change the world, but even gets his judgment clouded from time to time …

This season begins with Nathan selling out his friends to the U.S. government as they’re rounded up Guantanamo style. Still, it’s hard to consider Nathan a villain. He’s just lost.

One thing I love about Heroes is that it reminds us how hard it is to flawlessly develop our strengths. We all walk down the wrong path at some point. It’s all just a matter of how far we tread before we realize we need to turn around and walk somewhere else.

We are more powerful together than we could ever be apart.

The biggest flaw of all of the characters on Heroes is that they’re stubborn. Everyone wants to be the hero. And it ultimately makes saving the world a lot more complicated.

As seasons one and two will point out, things get climactic when our heroes finally start working together. This chapter seems to be no different, only it’s their own asses that they have to try and save.

I’m excited to see what happens to these characters as they face adversity together. Maybe Hiro will finally get the reality check he deserves. Because whenever he tries to “save the world” on his own, he screws something up.

Lesson learned: We all want to be heroes. But sometimes we’re stronger as a group than we could ever be apart.

Learning to embrace each other’s strengths to make a difference will be one of the greatest accomplishments we can make as a young, emerging community. And as anxious as I am to see how it all turns out on Heroes, I’m more interested to see how things turn out as Gen-Y matures as a community in the really world.

I guess we’ll just have to stay tuned and see …

Last week, Penn State (my alma mater) overcame its most difficult football challenge of the season—defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes. The aftermath was boisterous. A celebration for Penn State fans everywhere. But back in State College, PA, boisterous turned into raucous way too quick.

Students flooded the streets. Beaver Canyon, the core of off-campus life, became a sea of blue and white. And when I first watched the footage I thought, “Awesome!” But I changed my mind.

You see, I love Penn State. It’s still a huge part of my life. And when something remarkable happens to that community, I can be as rowdy as they come. But when a community as great as Happy Valley turns on itself—and ends up hurting itself— it’s just way too ugly to ignore.
Communities are a wonderful thing—college communities, neighborhood communities, online communities—and most accomplish great things. But sometimes, communities can turn dangerous. And last week at Penn State was a perfect example.

It’s easy to be an asshole in chaotic situations.

I first found out about the Penn State riot online. My younger frat bros who are still in school had pictures up on Facebook. A few sorority girls I knew had links to the footage on Instant Messenger saying how “fucking awesome” it was. To be fair, that was my first reaction too.

But things got ugly. And they didn’t get ugly because of a community of criminals. They got ugly because of a handful of criminals scattered amidst thousands in a massive celebration.

A couple of meatheads, drunk off their own stupidity, thought it would be cool to rip down some street lights. Or break some bottles. Or smash some cop-car windows. And everybody suffered.

This kind of thing happens in communities all the time. Big or small, minority behavior tends to put us all in a whacked out situation. It even happens with communities online.

It’s like that blog post that organically creates passionate response. Usually the response is civil … but then someone realizes they can say anything they want, with no consequence. And a passionate, engaging dialogue turns sour.

And guess who usually gets burned in this equation? It’s not the person who was just there to throw some stones. It’s the people who showed up to genuinely enjoy the celebration. They’re the ones who end up with mace in their eyes.

And then the blame game begins …

I don’t know what happened first at PSU, the rioting or the mace. I’m pretty sure nobody will ever truly know. But regardless, we’ll still try to place blame months from now no matter what.

Students will blame the cops, because let’s face it: cops are the Anti-Christ to a college kid. And the cops will blame the students, because they’re just the spoiled-rotten kids their job forces them to deal with seven days a week. And when I read the post-riot articles online, I can really sympathize with both sides.

Fortunately, the online communities I’ve experienced are far tamer. But the blame game remains the same. Because how individuals act within any community affects how the entire community is perceived.

If some wild card decided to get slanderous tomorrow on Brazen, there wouldn’t be any long-term damage. But someone is going to be offended, or hurt. And when you’re trying to build a community that respects one another despite their differences in opinion, you do your best to make sure nobody walks away bruised.

And there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Just like overcoming great odds as an individual, communities that overcome great odds become stronger and more composed once the next obstacle erupts. The Penn State community will, and so will any other community that looks at what they did wrong the first time and makes changes in response.

I think the first step is to recognize how powerful we are when united. With that unity we can do great things, but can also wreak havoc. And sometimes pride and passion are great catalysts for people with violent intentions.

But I don’t think that means that we should dilute ourselves either. We just have to be more aware of the actions of the people around us. And if they’re malicious, it’s our responsibility to do something about it. And it’s harder to do than you think.

But I think that’s a leadership skill many of us don’t use that often, maybe we don’t even have it. But it’s certainly one that every community needs.

The other day I got an email from a twentysomething who was absolutely fed up with people writing about Generation Y. More specifically, young bloggers who consistently use the words “We” and “Us” as if they have a God-given right to be a spokesman for millions of individuals.

The funny thing is, I could relate. I write about Generation Y all the time and it’s hard to do without sounding a little disingenuous.

So why do I do it? Why does anybody do it? Are people like me doing service to Generation Y or are we making things worse for a group of people that has enough to deal with? I’m on both sides of the fence with this one.

We’re fortifying Gen-Y stereotypes.

And I’m not just talking about the negative ones either. There are plenty of stereotypes out there that may seem encouraging to some of us, but just don’t encompass the entire population.

For instance, I’ve heard some people argue that all Gen Yers are self-starting entrepreneurs. Not true. There are plenty of us out there who are happy with a structured corporate environment and wouldn’t want it any other way.

Look at me for instance, a founder of a startup. But I wouldn’t necessarily consider myself a trademark entrepreneur. I owe the more entrepreneurial elements of our company’s success to my business partners. And lucky for me, there’s a newfound respect for the role of a community manager in the startup space.

We’re not traditional experts. So what are we talking about?

On the Internet you don’t have to be an expert to be considered an authority and that’s perfectly fine with me. But at the same time it’s dangerous for anyone who doesn’t understand that most bloggers are writing based on opinion, not fact.

Most Gen-Y bloggers are not experts. I’ve given speeches on the topic and I still have a hard time calling myself “expert.” Maybe it’s because I know that my opinions will inevitably change. Or maybe I just know that what I want now, in my twenties, isn’t going to be what I want when I’m thirty, or forty.

But, I also think I have a hard time playing the expert because everything we’re saying about Generation Y isn’t going to be true when we finally become the leaders of this world. Some of it will, but certainly not all of it. Nostradamus couldn’t predict things that accurately, either can we.

And still, I see a lot of value in putting our young voices out there for the world to hear. Just because we’re not going to get everything right, doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be thinking.

It teaches us about the bigger picture.

Generation Y is given a bad rap for being narcissists, but the young people I know who are writing well about their generation are doing it with other people in mind.

Writing about Generation Y is important because it helps us analyze where we’re headed as a group of people. It brings up questions about what we can and can’t do, what we want and don’t want. And that means we’re getting a head start on all of the fantastic changes we hope to make in the world.

And maybe some of our expectations sound a bit delusional to disillusioned Gen Xers, but a lot of them aren’t as far-fetched as some believe. The import thing is that we’re thinking about it, and talking about it, together. And that means we’re much more likely to make something happen, learning from each other along the way.

If we don’t, somebody else still will.

When I first entered the blogosphere and wrote about Generation Y, there were a lot of haters out there. There still are. And while the media continued to bash us, story after story, nobody from our generation took the time to fight back.

Would it better if we didn’t talk back? Is it better to let our antagonists nitpick at all of our flaws and not even mention one of our many amazing qualities?

The obvious answer is no.

Because of blogging, my life took a complete one-eighty in less than a year. One day I was working in a cubicle, the next I was part of a startup. And as much as that whole scenario blew my freaking mind, I didn’t change via startup alone. The biggest changes actually occurred from within.

Events in our lives have a way of shifting our attitudes about certain things. Sometimes that’s bad, but then sometimes that’s really good. In my case, let’s just say that I’m a more seasoned millennial than I used to be.

And I think that’s a good thing. Because while I inherently see the world through the eyes of my generation, I’m starting to understand what Gen-Xers and Boomers are talking about.

No, I don’t think we’re a bunch of narcissistic brats all of a sudden. But I do understand why we’re sometimes misunderstood. Because as life takes its toll and we all grow up, I think we all find that our virtues mature.

Here are a few things that have matured with me during the past year.

I’m not as idealistic.

When I first read the cover of Strauss and Howe’s Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, I think I tricked myself into believing that we’re already just as stellar as my grandfather’s generation who kicked butt for all of us during World War II. But let’s face it, we haven’t proven anything yet.

I do still believe our generation has the potential to be great. But I’m pretty sure now that it’s going to take a lot more work than I originally thought.

A year ago I would’ve said that Generation Y is going to change the world and social media is going to be the vessel. Today, while I still believe that social media is a powerful ally, I’m not as naïve.

It’s going to take a lot more than tech savvy for Gen Y to make change the way we talk about changing things. We need hands-on action. And while a few critics pointed me to some great examples of millennial leadership, I still haven’t seen enough.

But maybe I’m demanding too much. Maybe we’re on the right track and just too young to take the reigns of leadership. That would be just fine with me. But in the meantime, I’d rather demand more than be satisfied with less.

I’m more skeptical.

When I first heard Barack Obama speak, I said to myself, “Wow, there’s the guy who’s going to save this country.” I was completely blown away. And looking back on it all, I kind of get mad at myself. I want to be smarter than that.

I no longer believe in the hype, I believe in results. Words like hope and change, used to give me goose bumps. Now when someone tells me they’re going to do something all I can say is “We’ll see.”

And that may sound like I’m lacking in hope, but I’m not. I’m very hopeful. In fact, I voted for Obama in the primaries, and probably will vote for him in November too. But I realize that actions speak louder than words, and I’ll definitely give the guy a hard time if he makes it into the Oval Office but doesn’t live up to all he promised.

The problem I’ve seen in myself and in my generation thus far is that we’re a lot of talk. And sometimes we believe in things without asking for proof.

But maybe that’s all we can do until we gain more momentum. I’m sure anxious to see how we turn out, but until then, we’ll see…

I’m not as bold.

When I started blogging, I used to run my mouth too much. I’d take something preposterous that someone said about my generation and respond with something equally, if not more preposterous. While shock and awe is typically a lot of fun, it’s better to be taken seriously.

Today I think things through. When I get a nasty comment from someone who calls me an amateur, sometimes I don’t say anything at all. It’s not always worth it to stoop to their level.

Why does this matter?

It matters because I refuse to give Gen-Y dissenters exactly what they want — proof that I’m a hack. Some people feed on their ability to fire people up. And as soon as we lose our cool, they get exactly what they want.

My new motto: Stay cool. Backlash is always going to suck, but as soon as I give into the hate I lose my leverage as a reputable voice.

I’m more myself than I’ve ever been.

For about a year after graduating college, I was depressed. Between leaving long-time friend behind and searching for a new meaning for my life, it was a rough spot in my life. Then things started to fall into place.

Over the past year I’ve experienced the ups and downs of a first job, endured startup stress, and learned a lot about myself. And I don’t want to toot my horn too much, but it feels awesome.

And at the same time, while all this awesomeness surrounds me, I wonder if I’m staying aligned with the values of my generation. Do I need a reality check? I’m really not sure.

Maybe I’m just opening up a new chapter. Maybe other members of my generation are starting to feel this way too. With all the garbage channeled our way via media campaigns, politicians and marketers there’s no doubt that we’re all getting a little nauseous.

So maybe I’m not alone. Are others breaking the stereotypes too? I’d really love to know, because either I’m losing touch or just headed down a different track.

Millennials have been called everything from the Next Great Generation to praise-hungry narcissists. Of course, the media loves to sensationalize (especially news magazines), so we’re either “really great,” or we “really suck.”

I have my own opinion. Since entering the blogosphere over a year ago, I’ve met some great young people who are challenging the negative side of the stereotype. And the best of all, older generations are starting to listen. But I still wonder, does blogging—all by itself—have the power to alter, perhaps even to define, the image of my generation?

Part of me says no. It takes a lot more than an online presence to change how a generation is defined. And I just don’t see enough young people proving their greatness in considerable ways outside of the Web 2.0 realm.

But then again, if enough of us do it well, we can change some minds and create a better reputation for our generation.

Making a change on our own terms

Even though we’re still being tagged as self-centered and egotistical, our community-oriented approach to the Internet tells a different story. The Brazen Careerist network is a prime example of Gen Y working together to share ideas and show cooperation.

Every day I find at least one new Gen-Y career blog. We’ve taken the initiative to talk back. And with all these eager voices ready to provide answers at the drop of a dime, is it fair to say that Millennials are really the root of the problem? Or do we all need to find a better way to bridge the gaps between Boomer, GenX, and Millennials?

Blogging is not mainstream (yet)

Still, blogging may not be the best weapon towards eliminating the millennial Scarlet Letter, because blogging’s popularity is growing, but not quickly enough. While university professors insist that it’s a great medium not only for personal discovery but also for your career path, many students simply resent it. I was once one of them.

For many young people, a blog still has that “dear diary” feel that was marked by early blog platforms. I still remember how lame it seemed when I first read an entry by a girl I knew in high school. It was a turnoff, why would I want to be a part of this today?

Granted, blogging has changed. In many ways, it’s as credible a media source as any big mogul out there. In fact, even big name reports like CNN, Newsweek and Fortune have blogs. Most of which are marketed at the millennial generation.

But like most people (even those not in my generation), word of mouth is still the most powerful marketing tool. And right now, blogging isn’t getting widespread respect on the street, so it’s hard to believe that it is already changing our reputation in any real way. Yet.

Not enough great millennial bloggers?

So what’s missing? To change something as widespread as a stereotype, there needs to be strength in numbers. And while I consistently find great young bloggers every day, more voices are needed. And they need to be individuals with a solid, though-out opinion. Not just ranting about being called selfish.

Most rants are totally lame. They lack substance and I wish someone had told me this when I started blogging. I had to learn it on my own.

Taking your opinions seriously doesn’t mean you have to tailor your posts to boring corporate jargon, but it does mean you have to have an opinion, not just a voice. Be more than just a young person shouting for change. Build the bridge that makes change possible.

Regardless of whether blogging has the power to change people’s minds and break stereotypes, I don’t think anyone can argue that it hasn’t had a positive impact on the millennial generation. It’s still the best way to communicate our thoughts and ideals to a media world we have little ownership in. And the best part is we can’t be censored.

My favorite part about blogging is conversing with the naysayers. Even the rude ones totally make my day. Because as soon as they start cursing, I know I’ve hit a topic that’s worth talking about.

With that said, there is a certain breed of haters out there that I could really do without – the ones that think age and experience always trump a solid, well thought opinion.

I think that most Gen-Y bloggers know what I’m talking about. In some fashion we’ve all been sized up based on years spent in the real world. And it usually leads to a comment that goes something like this:

In 10 years you’ll regret saying that.

Sure, in 10 years I’ll regret a lot of things. But what I won’t regret is making my voice heard as a young professional. Especially when there are tons of others out there just like me without the resources to do the same.

Will my perspective change within the next 10 years? Yes. Will I regret that I ever opened my mouth in the first place? No. If your argument is that a company might not hire me for something I said back when I was 24 years old, you may have a pretty good case. But there’s an equally good chance that a company does hire me because I challenged the norm. And that’s the type of company Generation Y wants to work for anyway.

What a lot of people don’t realize about blogging is it’s okay to be wrong. And while it’s important to check your facts, you don’t need to be an expert to state an opinion. That’s the beauty of blogging. When I started blogging over a year ago, I would have never guessed that I would experience hardcore resistance. And in most instances, it’s been a pleasant surprise.

So if you’re going to be an active presence in the blogosphere, wear your boxing gloves. A few blows to your ego are definitely game. But there’s one more important thing that you have to be ready to do.

Accept the New Authority

Social media has changed the way we give and receive information. News and opinion is no longer just being spoon fed to everyone by media moguls—it’s being created and duplicated and passed around by everyday people. Think of it more like a buffet. But if the buffet makes you nauseous, you’re more than welcome to order from the regular, everyday menu.

Challenging a blogger by asking where he gets his authority is pointless—you won’t likely find a list of credentials. Instead, size him up by checking out who is reading, linking, subscribing and commenting on his blog. Besides gaining trust, that’s the only basis of authority in the blogosphere.

What it all boils down to is the realization that you can’t evaluate a person in the blogosphere the same way that you would in the corporate world. Age is meaningless and the only titles we have are the ones we give ourselves for the sake of it. And still, people stop by and read.

Granted, as a young professional, sometimes I do need a good reality check. And I’m happy when it’s given to me.

As long as it’s done with an opposing opinion in mind, not my lack of experience or age, I’m willing to take a few jabs. I learn something about myself from every insightful adversary I have. But the ones who question authority, ability, and intellect based on old-school ideas about what makes someone credible are weak and useless to me.