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Millennials

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The term Generation Y refers to a specific cohort of individuals born from 1980-1994 (although this is disputed by demographers and varies across countries).[1] "Generation Y" alludes to a succession from Generation X, a term which was originally coined as a pejorative label by the Canadian fiction writer Douglas Coupland in 1991.[2]

Generation Y are primarily children of the Baby boomers and Generation Jones (US only), though some are children of older Gen X adults.[3]

Generation Y defined demographically

United States of America

The term “echo boom” (used in reference to Gen Y) refers to a five year span between 1989 and 1994 when for the first time since 1964, the number of live births in the US reached over four million. Previously, even the rate of 1965 (3.76 million) was not reached until 1985. Also, the birthrate of 1971 (3.56 million) has yet to be reached according to the 2000 US census.[4] If the years 1988–2000 are used, as is common in market research, then the size of Generation Y in the United States is approximately 76 million.[5]

Australia

In 1985 the number of births again began to increase gradually hitting a peak of 264,000 births in 1992 – the highest number of birth since 1972. The births then dropped away through the rest of the 1990’s before beginning a recovery in 2002 which signals the start of Generation Z. [6]

Generation Y defined sociographically

Facebook, MySpace, SMS and other instant communication technologies may explain Generation Y's reputation for being peer oriented and for seeking instant gratification. Generation Y, like other generations, is shaped by the events, leaders, developments and trends of its time. [7]

As with previous generations, many trends (and problems) began to surface as members of Generation Y came of age. [8]

  • Members of this generation are facing higher costs for higher education than previous generations.[9] [10]
  • In Australia, members of this generation have been labeled the "houseless generation" because of rising house costs and expectations which have prevented many Gen Y-ers from purchasing their first home.[11] While 65% of Australians aged 25-39 had managed to purchase their first home in the late 80s, only 50% of this age group have managed to be first home owners today.[12]
  • The Boomers have been labeled the "sandwich generation" because so many of their Gen Y offspring remain home well into their 20s right at the time that their own parents are needing more care.[13]
  • The Gen Y of Australia has been labeled the most educated generation in history because of record-high Year 12 retenion rates (77%) and university enrolments.[14]
  • As members of Generation Y in the United States begin to enter colleges and universities in large numbers, some of their Baby Boomer parents are becoming helicopter parents. Many college advisors and administrators worry that this could have a negative effect on Generation Y's social progress, ego, and developing maturity.[15]
  • Business owners in Australia feel that members of Generation Y were found to be "demanding, impatient and bad at communicating," according to a 2007 survey. The survey found that almost 70% of those surveyed found their Generation Y workers to be dissatisfying, with poor spelling and grammar and no understanding of appropriate corporate behaviors. However, the survey also showed most employers praised the energy and charisma of their Generation Y workers. [16]
  • Gen Y represents more than 70 million consumers in the United States. They earn a total annual income of about $211 billion spend approximately $172 billion per year** and considerably influence many adult consumer buying choices. They also face a greater degree of direct corporate predation than any other generation in history.[17]
  • A 2008 survey by UK recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent[18] in partnership with Management Today suggested that Generation Y are generally more ambitious, brand conscious and tend to move jobs more often than ever before. The survey of over 1,000 people, entitled Work 2.0, also revealed several misconceptions about Generation Y, including that they are as loyal as their predecessors and believe that their job says something about them as individuals.[19]
  • Generation Y has experienced family breakdown (one in two marriages now end in divorce in Australia) and increasing rates of mothers out to work at levels unmatched by the formative years of older generations. Not all of them have had the support from home that their parents and grandparents had. This has led them to be more peer-oriented. This is why workplace culture is so important to Gen Y workers (see above under Generation Y at work).[20]

Generation Y & technology

In their recent book, Reynol Junco and Jeanna Mastrodicasa (2007) [21] found that in a survey of 7,705 college students in the US:

  • 97% own a computer
  • 94% own a cell phone
  • 76% use Instant Messaging.
  • 15% of IM users are logged on 24 hours a day/7 days a week
  • 34% use websites as their primary source of news
  • 28% own a blog and 44% read blogs
  • 49% download music using peer-to-peer file sharing
  • 75% of college students have a Facebook account [22]
  • 60% own some type of portable music and/or video device such as an iPod.


The Internet generation

Main article: Internet generation

In his book Growing Up Digital, business strategist and psychologist Don Tapscott coined the term "Net Generation" for the group, pointing at the significance of being the first to grow up immersed in a digital and Internet driven world.[23]

Generation Y-ers are commonly referred to as digital natives (as coined by Marc Prensky, although this is often argued), as are the upcoming Generation Z, because they have lived their entire lives immersed in digital technologies.[24]

Digital Aliens Digital Immigrants Digital Adaptives
The Builders (1925-1945) were latecomers to technology. The internet, podcasts, SMS, online gaming and wireless neworks are largely alien concepts to them. The Baby Boomers (1946-1966) are digital immigrants who reached adulthood without digital technology. While many embrace new technologies, some do so reluctantly. Digital technologies began to emerge (in a mass sense) largely during the teen years of Generation X (1967-1987). Generation X willingly embraces the technologies they saw evolve into consumer durables.[25]

See also


References

  1. ^ Weiler, A. (2005). "Information-Seeking Behavior in Generation Y Students: Motivation, Critical Thinking, and Learning Theory". The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 31 (1): 46–53. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2004.09.009.
  2. ^ Curtis, J.M. (2001). "The Backpack Generation and Art History". Journal of Aesthetic Education. 35 (1): 31–44. Retrieved 2008-03-21.
  3. ^ Herbig et al., 1993
  4. ^ CDC report- Table 1-1. Live Births, Birth Rates, and Fertility Rates, by Race: United States,1909–2000
  5. ^ "Scenes from the Culture Clash" Fast Company January/February 2006, pp 73–77.
  6. ^ McCrindle Research 2008, Seriously cool, http://www.mccrindle.com.au/resources.htm, accessed March 21, 2008.
  7. ^ McCrindle Research 2008, The ABC of XYZ, http://www.mccrindle.com.au
  8. ^ http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20587320-661,00.html
  9. ^ The Scapegoat Generation: America's War on Adolescents, Michael Males, 1996
  10. ^ Gen Y: Community Focused or Money Hungry?
  11. ^ McCrindle Research 2007, The houseless generation, http://www.mccrindle.com.au/snapshots/HouselessGeneration.pdf, accessed March 21, 2008.
  12. ^ AM 2003, Generational wealth gap, http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2003/s990533.htm, accessed November 20, 2007.
  13. ^ McCrindle Research 2007, Generational warfare, http://www.mccrindle.com.au/resources.htm, accessed March 21, 2008.
  14. ^ McCrindle Research 2007, From builders to boomers to Xers and Y's: A social report on generations X & Y, http://www.mccrindle.com.au/resources.htm, accessed March 21, 2008.
  15. ^ The Wall Street Journal, 7/28/05.
  16. ^ http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/13/1978431.htm
  17. ^ **Harris Interactive 2003 Youth Pulse(SM) Survey
  18. ^ http://www.freshminds.co.uk/talent
  19. ^ http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/786810/mt-freshminds-work-20-survey-generation/
  20. ^ McCrindle Research 2008, The ABC of XYZ, http://www.mccrindle.com.au
  21. ^ Connecting to the Net.Generation: What higher education professionals need to know about today's students, NASPA; First edition (March 29, 2007)
  22. ^ Heidi Przybyla "Obama's `Youth Mojo' Sparks Student Activism, Fueling Campaign", Bloomberg.com (May 7,2007) http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&refer=home&sid=aJ4wSyFVOGx8
  23. ^ Insert footnote text here
  24. ^ McCrindle Research 2007, Seriously cool, http://www.mccrindle.com.au/resources.htm, accessed March 21, 2008.
  25. ^ Ibid.
Preceded by
Generation X
(1958-1965) – (1975-1981) And/or MTV Generation
(1975-1985)
 Generation Y (Echo boomers)
(1976-81) – (1995-2001) 		Succeeded by
New Silent Generation
(1996-2002) – (pres.)
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