The ‘millennials’—also called Gen Y—refer to a certain part of the population. These people are born from 1980 to 1991. They are aged 16 to 35 years old in 2015. ‘Millenials’ is a name that is used to refer to this particular generation as there are other tags for other groups.
Millennials are among the most educated generation in the US. They display a lot of optimism compared to older generations. A US Chamber of Commerce study indicates that about 40% of this generation is optimistic generation compared to only about 26% of the older generation. They have maintained this attitude in spite of many discouraging and violent events—teenage school violence, Asian tsunami, Hurricane Katrina. They are also the most diverse, in terms racial ethnicity, among the generations. They are thus more tolerant of other races.
Many people think that millennials are “more caring, community oriented, and politically engaged than previous generations”. Psychologists have observed the contrary, that the millennials are “more interested in extrinsic life goals and less concerned for others and civic engagement”. They can also be “overly self-confident and self-absorbed”. This may be because millennials grew up in the information and digital age. They are the most technically savvy among generations.
Like older generations, they look forward to being good parents and having successful marriages and stable families. Unlike previous generations that seek success in employment, millennials tend to think of themselves becoming successful entrepreneurs. They view entrepreneurship as a way of life—an integrated part of the way one lives, rather than a 9-to-5 routine outside the normal life. Still, about 29% of top college graduates think of finding enjoying success in stable employment.
As they are very self-absorbed, research does not indicate any degree of social commitment, or the commitment to help others especially the poor in society. Their chief focus of millennials is themselves.
Works Cited
Jargon, Julie. "McDonald's Faces 'Millennial' Challenge." The Wall Street Journal 24 Aug 2014. Web. 30 Apr 2015. <http://www.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-faces-millennial-challenge-1408928743>.
Seppanen, Sally and Wendy Gualtieri. The Millenial Generation: Research Review. National Chamber Foundation; US Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Washington DC: National Chamber Foundation, 2012. PDF. 25 Jun 2015. <http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/sites/default/files/article/foundation/MillennialGeneration.pdf>.
