What is the Millennial Generation?

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Summary

More likely than not, you are a millennial. What makes you different than other generations before you?

A new Pew Study outlines some of the major differences. Millennials are the most diverse generation in U.S. history: 61 percent are white, 19 percent Hispanic, 14 percent black, and 5 percent Asian. That contrasts with those 30 and older, a group that is 70 percent white.

More politically active and politically different than any time since the 18-to-20-year-olds have had a vote, the millennial generation played a part turning out in large numbers for President Obama in the 2008 presidential election.

The study also found that millennials are voracious users of new technologies, from smartphones to social networking sites. While blogging is in decline, the use of micro blogging and social media has sky rocketed.

Judy Woodruff talks to Pew Researchers to find out what these millennial characteristics say about the future.

Quotes

"Well, I text about 150 times a day. I go check my e-mail every day, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, tag, all the, you know, social sites, so, yes, the iPhone. You know, I play video games all the time." Joseph Mickens, member of millennial generation

"Arguably, this is the most consequential generation of young adults, perhaps since the baby boomers, who famously made a lot of noise in the '60s and were part of a counterculture movement." Paul Taylor, executive vice president, Pew Research Center

"Young adults both use the technology as it's presented to them, as designers created the technology, but they themselves also change the technology in the way that they use it, in ways that, in fact, the designers maybe never anticipated." Amanda Lenhart, director, Pew Internet and American Life Project

Warm Up Questions

1. What do you know about these generations: Generation X, Baby Boomers, Generation Y

2. How are young people today different than young people 50 years ago?

Discussion Questions

1. Do you agree that diversity, technology and politics are most important to this generation? Why or why not?

2. What do you think is the unifying factor of millennials?

3. Before today had you ever heard the term millennial? Where? What does it mean to you?

4. Do any of the statistics surprise you about the millennial generation? Why or why not?

Comments

Posted:
01/10/11 at
04:16 PM

David : Some define Generation Y as spanning the years 1977 - 95. Just a short while ago, I would have agreed with them because: 1. A chart on the web proves that the annual birthrate REALLY started to dramatically increase in '77. The chart showed about 3.3 million babies born that year and 3.14m in '76 (a difference of 160,000). 2. Those born between '77 and '95 either just entered this world or just came of age when the web first became available to the public in '95 (hence the "Net Generation," or Millenials). 3. Studies have shown that those born in the late '70s have very similar attitudes to those born in the '80s (the former also voted 66 - 32 for Obama). Now, however, I do not believe in using dates to define the Millenial Generation. Anyone can be Gen Y if he or she is tech - savvy, open - minded to diversity of all kinds, and likes the latest in pop culture. I was born in 1979 and all these characteristics describe me, so that makes me a Millenial. I feel this way because there are just some people who do not fit into the generation to which they were assigned. I say, "live and let live," and allow everyone to choose whichever generation they want to belong to - one that best matches their characteristics.

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Posted:
01/10/11 at
04:16 PM

David : Some define Generation Y as spanning the years 1977 - 95. Just a short while ago, I would have agreed with them because: 1. A chart on the web proves that the annual birthrate REALLY started to dramatically increase in '77. The chart showed about 3.3 million babies born that year and 3.14m in '76 (a difference of 160,000). 2. Those born between '77 and '95 either just entered this world or just came of age when the web first became available to the public in '95 (hence the "Net Generation," or Millenials). 3. Studies have shown that those born in the late '70s have very similar attitudes to those born in the '80s (the former also voted 66 - 32 for Obama). Now, however, I do not believe in using dates to define the Millenial Generation. Anyone can be Gen Y if he or she is tech - savvy, open - minded to diversity of all kinds, and likes the latest in pop culture. I was born in 1979 and all these characteristics describe me, so that makes me a Millenial. I feel this way because there are just some people who do not fit into the generation to which they were assigned. I say, "live and let live," and allow everyone to choose whichever generation they want to belong to - one that best matches their characteristics.