RIO - The Olympics of the Millennial Generation

Every two years people tune into their local and digital streaming stations to follow the greatest sporting events on the planet. With two weeks of spectacular competition between the best athletes in the world, the Olympic Games are the pinnacle of competition, entertainment, and national pride.

The modern Olympics are a century old tradition with a history spanning hundreds of years back to Ancient Greece. Held every two years, they are commonly a reflection of a host nation’s culture as well as an embodiment of a generation in history.

The 31st Olympic Games have been an event marred by early controversy, yet a week and a half in, they have been wonderful to watch and an overall triumph. Hosted by Brazil, the 31st Olympiad has illustrated the rich culture of South America and the beauty of Rio de Janeiro. The Rio Games not only represent the growth of the largest country in the southern hemisphere, but are also a distinct symbolization of the modern millennial generation.

Diversity 

Being raised in a time when technology has resulted in inevitable globalization, most millennials and members of Generation Y are more tolerant of different cultures, customs, and traditions. This gradual growth of an interconnected planet is exemplified by advancements in technology, society, and cultural acceptance.

The 31st Olympiad has been a beacon for diversity and a symbol of growing social and racial equality. With all 206 National Olympic Committees qualifying at least one athlete, the Rio Olympic Games feature the most teams competing since the birth of the modern Olympic Games.

 Athletes gather for the Opening Ceremony (Source: The Atlantic)

A country that has faced its own cultural conflicts yet demonstrates this theme of diversity is the United States; not only does the US feature one of the most diverse Olympic teams in its history, but is also the center of great Olympic triumphs as well. Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win a gold medal in an individual Olympic swimming event; Ibtihaj Muhammad helped lead the US to a bronze in the women’s team sabre while being the first Muslim American Olympian to compete wearing a hijab. While there remains social and racial tension across the world, the gradual growth and acceptance seen during the Rio Games is not only a representation of the ideals from a new generation, but also ideals that the world should strive to achieve and maintain.

Pop Culture

As millennials, we are commonly referred to as a digital generation. With the rise of social media, this could not be more apparent than is illustrated by the 2016 Olympic Games. The Rio Olympic Games have offered a plethora of media highlights as well as social media jackpots, ranging from Michael Phelps channeling his inner dark side to Usain Bolt posing for a mid-race victory photo.

These instantly memeable events were not only great Olympic moments, but quickly spread across social media like wild fire. Much like the McKayla Maroney Face from 4 years ago, many of these Olympics moments will be saved in meme collections over and over in the future.

In addition to trending hashtags on Twitter, the Olympic Games very often create the next generation of sports stars. In the spirit of competition, it is only natural to witness the birth of impressive athletes and future sports legends. 

Three of the Olympic Highlights from Rio: Ledecky, Phelps, and Biles (Source: Sports Illustrated) 

While previous Olympic Games have focused more on the athletics component, recent games have become both a global sporting event as well as a worldwide social media experience of interaction and entertainment. Competitors are no longer simply athletes, but can quickly become household names and global icons.

Global Issues 

Being held every two years, the Olympics act both as a biennial tradition as well as a snapshot of recent shifts in worldwide culture and society. In 2016, one of the central global challenges is the destabilization of the Middle East and the increase of refugees in the region. For the first time in Olympic history, the 31st Olympiad featured a Refugee Olympic Team - to honor those who have been displaced from their homes and to make a statement on a growing global crisis.

18 year old Yusra Mardini quickly became the media symbol of the Refugee Olympic Athletes Team (Source: Independent)

In addition to the refugee crisis, many countries such as the United States have become plagued by recent waves of Islamophobia, personified by candidates throughout the 2016 Presidential Election. The Rio Games not only address this issue, but directly strive for increased social and culture empathy rather than division. One of the most mentioned images from the Olympics features the implementation of the new dress codes for women's beach volleyball that seeks to increase culture equality and awareness within the Olympic Games.

Doaa Elghobashy and Kira Walkenhorst compete in the pool play of women's beach volleyball (Source: Twitter) 

While the Rio Games have attempted its best to address cultural boundaries, it has also raised questions regarding another global crisis: poverty. Prior to the Olympic Games, early controversy surrounded the displacement of impoverished residents in order to construct Olympic venues. While studies have shown that the number of people in extreme poverty has decreased in recent decades, there remains a large population without sufficient resources to maintain healthy living standards. Poverty remains a persistent threat to universal well-being; while intentional or unintentional, the Rio Games have illuminated growing concerns with global consequences - consequences that the modern generation must be prepared to address and solve. 

Final Thoughts

The Olympic Games have long been celebrations of competition and athletic achievement. However, the modern Olympic Games have grown to become a reflection of cultural eras in addition to sporting dominance. The Rio Olympic Games represent both the changing global social climate as well as a rising millennial generation. As the world becomes more interconnected and issues become interwoven, giant entertainment platforms will gradually become the platforms for social change and cultural evolution.

While there have been enormous strides made in social equality within the last century, there remains a long distance left to travel. Moving forward, millennials will be the ones to carry this torch of innovation and acceptance to light a brighter future - a future to signal the start of a new era in history. 

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Erwen (Alex) Zhu is an intended Business Major at the University of California Berkeley and writes as a millennial voice for marketing, social media, entertainment, politics, and cultural impact.

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