Tuesday, November 13, 2007

So what is the Millenial Generation?


The term first came about in 1991:
Finally, today's (Civic) Millennial tots, born after 1981, are already the stars of cuddly baby movies and the objects of wartime sympathy. America's next great cadre of doers, they will grow up basking in adult praise for their intelligence, obedience and optimism. They will happily participate in a national service a Boom[er]-run Congress is likely to establish for them. But rising Millennials will be encouraged to build more than reflect. By the time today's infants reach age 30, spiritual energy will be the province of the old, not the young.
—William Strauss, "The 'Constellation' of 1991'," The Washington Post, February 24, 1991 (Via Word Spy)
This is Generation Y, the Echo Boomers, with a fancier name. Last night 60 Minutes had a whole article on them. So what are these kids like?
  • They number 75 million in the US according to most of the sources I looked into. They are the most recent generation starting in 1977 or 1978. The oldest of them are entering the workforce as we speak.
  • They eat, drink and sleep technology. They have cell phones, computers, pagers, game consoles, etc. They use the Internet to connect to their friends and to the world. They use the Internet principally for their news and information.
  • They are in great demand by the job community. They are sure of themselves and will up and leave a job if they are not happy.
Via Young Voter Strategies. org:
  • They are a diverse lot. Only 61 percent of Millennial adults are white; 15 percent are black, 4 percent are Asian, and 17 percent are Hispanic. In comparison, 84 percent of Americans over 65 years of age identify as white. A Gallup Poll on interracial dating found that 95 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds approve of blacks and whites dating. About 60 percent of that age group said they have dated someone of a different race.
  • Despite common wisdom, today’s young people are quite religious—and may be growing more so—although not as wed to traditional forms of worship as older adults.
  • A 2006 Young Voter Strategies survey of young adults found that gas prices (19%), education (15%), jobs & the economy (12%), and Iraq (10%) are top issues they see as in need of Congressional action.
  • They are the most educated generation in history. They are finding they need post-baccalaureate education to enhance their careers and increase their incomes.
  • They are swimming in debt.
Via Generationsatwork.com:
  • They are patriotic and aware of terrorism. The central uniting event in their lives is September 11, 2001.
  • They are confident, hopeful, goal-oriented, civic-minded and inclusive.
  • They grew up seeing things as global, connected and open for business 24/7.
theteach

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like someone expects an awful lot from these kids.

Thank you for your kind words earlier, and thanks also to CalumCarr. I agree with him, he is very nice.
But... why do you say you don't know me, Teach? For the last several months I have been here doing to your literary sensibilities what a field full of pokey little weed stickers will do to your socks. Heh heh. ;)

maryt/theteach said...

Anne, I guess I meant I haven't been able to visit you (and thus get to know you better)to return my appreciation for commenting at my blog.

"For the last several months I have been here doing to your literary sensibilities what a field full of pokey little weed stickers will do to your socks." Love this...the image is marvelous!

Anonymous said...

Glad you like the imagery. I just poke at your symbolic ankles sometimes because I'm mischievous, but I actually like you and your blog a lot. :)

maryt/theteach said...

Thanks a lot, Anne.

"Religion is all that keeps the poor from eating the rich." - Napoleon Bonaparte

Napoleon was mischievous too! :)

Anonymous said...

So was my favorite fiction author, William Shakespeare.

By the way, have you ever watched the modernized versions of Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet, on DVD? Wonderful stuff - I think Will would like it.

maryt/theteach said...

I've seen Romeo and Juliet with Leo DiCaprio -- loved it! You don't mean Kenneth Branagh in Hamlet do you when you talk about the modernized version?

Anonymous said...

I didn't mean the Kenneth Branagh version, although I heard that one was excellent. I was actually referring to a version of Hamlet made in 2000 starring Ethan Hawke as Hamlet and Bill Murray (of all people) as Polonious. It had a similar look to the Leonardo DeCaprio Romeo And Juliet. I wish they would make a bunch more Shakespeare plays in this style, it's really interesting.

maryt/theteach said...

Anne, I don't know if I even know that Hamlet...

Come by and visit my posts for Wordless Wednesday:
Work of the Poet
and
Answers to the Questions