In the old days (not that old!), when a kid went off to college, the apron-strings were cut -- the student was on his or her own, usually for the first time in their lives. We met whoever we were standing in line with to get a post office box, registering for classes, etc. If we couldn't figure out how to use the washers in the dorm basement, we asked other students. It was a new life.

Now, the first thing that freshman do when they arrive at college is to set up their laptop, email their high school buddies, and update their Facebook page so everyone will know what they are doing. If they have a problem, they call mom to find out how much detergent to put in with their white wash.

The 11:30 panel started. The topic is about technology changing the face of politics. How is new technology changing the shape of politics? When Sen. Hillary Clinton posted on her website that she is running for president, thousands visited the site and joined her website.

The student panelists say this kind of immediate results can't be seen through direct mail or robo-calls.

"The everyday citizen can take action because of technology."

A trend I have noticed amongst the millennial generation is the impressive competition students experience when trying to get into college. Do you feel like this results from an increased desire to learn or rather in external pressure to stay conventional and attend college?

I'm at the DigitalBridges2.0 Annual Conference. The opening session, "Generation yOUR" is a discussion about the Millennial Generation and the technology that dominates their lives and influences other generations.

The discussion team talked about how easy it is for anyone to be connected at all times. They put together this video to demonstrate their point.

Click here to see the video

Also, check out the PBS Documentary "Generation NEXT." Suvi said it was an inspiration for this presentation.

Meet the Millennials- a demographic also known as Gen Y, the Echo Boomers, the Net Generation and the iGeneration. While many political and popular culture events have influenced this generation (including the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of Apartheid, the O.J. Simpson Trial, the reign of Britney Spears, the Columbine Shootings and September 11th), unlike the generations before the Millennials are uniquely defined by their relationship to technology. The wealth of names used to categorize this cohort responsible for nearly 28% of the current United States population nicely illustrates the significant role that the digital world plays in their everyday life.