Generation Y
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Generation Y, sometimes referred to as "Millennials"[1] or "Net Generation".
Gen Y's birth years generally span those born in the 1980s and 1990s.
However according to the source, Gen Y can be seen starting anywhere
from the second half of the 1970s to the early '80s, and can end
anywhere from the mid 1990s to around the year 2000.[2]
Generation Y is a cohort identified as born after the Generation X
cohort, though the term is itself controversial and is synonymous with
several alternative terms including The Net Generation, Millennials,
Echo Boomers, iGeneration , and Google Generation. Generation Y is
generally considered to be the last generation of Americans wholly born
in the 20th century. Using the broadest definition commonly cited,
Generation Y currently includes Americans in their mid and early 20s,
teenagers and children over the age of 5. At times, the term is
extrapolated beyond the United States to refer to similarly aged youth
in the Western World or Anglophone World.
As generations are defined not by formal process, but rather by
demographers, the press and media, popular culture, market researchers,
and by members of the generation themselves, there is no precise
consensus as to which birth years constitute any generation. Although
different groups or individuals consider a different range of years to
constitute Generation Y, that range of years is almost always within
the outer bounds of 1976 as the earliest possible year and 2001 as the
latest. The ongoing debate is in part due to the lack of a single
marquee event or events, analogous to the end of World War II for the
boom in births for "Baby Boomer" generation and service in the Vietnam
War which had demarcated that generation. Some events have been
proposed (see below). But even for the Baby Boomer birth years after
1955 would not have subjected them to the military draft and thus would
not share that cultural experience sometimes deemed common to all
boomers. Some believe that Douglas Coupland, who coined the term Generation X, felt that Generation X started as early as 1959, partly because of this. These people point to a controversial 1987 Vancouver Magazine
article which discussed the term. This belief remains controversial,
with some believing that Coupland's subsequent comments disavowing any
particular birth years for the idea of Generation X as his more
definitive opinion. Regardless of whatever Coupland's original
intention was, a 1959 beginning birth year is rarely, if ever,
currently used for Generation X. Later, Coupland popularized the
Generation X term, leading to the use of Generations Y and, Z in the
book in 1991.
If the years 1978-2000 are used, as is common in market research,
then the size of Generation Y in the United States is approximately 76
million[1]. Commonly cited theories as to the best name and year range
for Generation Y are mentioned below. The discussion page for the
article includes a wide range of viewpoints on this topic.
[edit] Controversy: Attempts to Name and Demarcate Generation Y
The term Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 Ad Age
editorial to describe those teenagers born between 1974 -1980. [2] The
scope of the term has changed greatly since then, to include in many
cases anyone born as late as 2001. There is still no precise definition
of years.
Use of the term Generation Y (often shortened to Gen Y or Ygen) to
describe any cohort of individuals is controversial for a variety of
reasons. "Generation Y" alludes to a succession from "Generation X", a
term which was originally coined as a pejorative label. In this sense,
the use of Gen Y as a term only denotes "after Gen X" and fails to
capture the cohort's unique social, political, and cultural experience.
Numerous alternative terms have arisen that are generally synonymous
with Generation Y. While Generation Y alludes to that cohort's
successional relationship to Generation X, the term Echo Boomers is
used to allude to the generation's close tie to the primary
childbearing years of Baby Boomers. The terms Millennials and Net
Generation are attempts to give the Gen Y cohort more independent names
that are tied with key events and cultural trends that are strongly
associated with the generation. No single term is the "correct" term to
describe members of this generation.
Howe and Strauss: "The Millenials" Following the publication of
their book, Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069,
much credit has been given to the names used for various American
cohorts by authors William Strauss and Neil Howe. Howe and Strauss use
the term "Millenials" as opposed to "Generation Y", arguing that
members of Gen Y actually coined the term Millenials themselves and
have statistically expressed a wish not to be associated closely with
Gen X. They followed up their large study of the history of American
demographics with a new book specifically on Gen Y, titled Millenials
Rising.
In Generations, Howe and Strauss use the years 1982-2000 as the
birth years of Generation Y, using the 18 childhood years of the high
school graduating class of 2000 as their marking points. They reasoned
that the high school class of 2000 received notable public attention
and political initiatives during their youth that provided a contrast
between Americans born before this class and those born after. [3]
Net 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. Accordingly, some
say the final year of Gen Y is between 1993 and 2000 because they would
be the youngest people to appreciate the changes of the Digital
Revolution.
The Echo Boom The actual “Echo Boom” was a five year span between
1989 and 1993 when for the first time since 1964, the number of live
births reached over four million. It wouldn’t be until 1985 that the
live birth number would even match that of 1965 at 3.760 million. Also
it should be noted that the birthrate of 1971’s 17.2% has yet to be
reached according to the 2000 census. [4]
September 11, 2001 Paradigm Shift Some have argued that September
11, 2001 provides a single marquee event that can be used to demarcate
the end of Generation Y, as this date and its events symbolize a major
dynamic shift in worldview, or paradigm shift, for most American
individuals. The way in which individuals view the significance of this
date demographically, however, is not universal. Some argue that
September 10, 2001 should be the final date used in labeling children
born then or prior as "Generation Y". Others, however, suggest that it
is not being born before 9/11, but rather being born early enough to be
cognizant of the events of that day, that matters. These people
therefore typically argue that some year in the late 1990s, such as
1997, would be the most appropriate ending year for the Generation Y
and starting year for the as yet unnamed "Generation Z", or "New Silent
Generation"
[edit] Generation Y in the United States
Most have few memories of the Cold War (apart from perhaps action
movies, toys, or video games with such themes) and came of age during
the technology-driven changes in the years of President Bill Clinton.
They were the first to grow up with the Internet in a developed,
prolific form, including music downloads, instant messaging and
cellular phones, which came to fruition at about 1997. Even before they
could type and mouse-click their way through the Internet, they were
the first to grow up with a modern media choices: television remotes to
encourage channel flipping; cable, with its wealth of channels among
which to switch; and multiple TVs (and video recorders) in a household.
These TV choices reduced the commonality (and centralized control) of
the viewing experience. The 'Who Shot J.R.' (Ewing of the TV series
Dallas) experience is dispersed in both place (all the family around
the TV, repeated across all households in the timezone) as well as in
time (video recorders). Similarly, DVD popularity and large-screen home
TVs have dispersed the impact of TV/movie events, and even, with viewer
voting shows like American Idol, have become as interactive as the
internet, changing generational assumptions about how one interacts
with their media environment.
Other major social changes in recent times include immigration and
developments in race relations. Characteristically, Generation Y
members are generally very tolerant towards multiculturalism and
internationalism. It is also not uncommon for post-1970s born children
to grow up dating people outside their own race or ethnic group, as
well as having a wide range in friends. This growing trend towards
interracial relationships is sometimes a source of negative friction
between youth and their parents or elders, who grew up in a society
where interracial romance was once considered extremely taboo and even
banned in a number of states until the late 1960s. The state of Alabama
only officially disbanded its anti-miscegenation laws in the year 2000.
As well, many people in this group are themselves multiracial in
background, and this is also a considerable change from previous
generations.
Opinions on Gay rights and gender roles are also being adjusted and
redefined as each generation emerges into adulthood. Generation Y is
known for having among the most wide-ranging opinions on such issues,
possibly because they haven't yet encountered a personal situation
where their actions/reactions cause them to consciously choose sides.
With Generations X and Y in their child-rearing years, situations
related to these topics will become more observable, hence
generationally-coherent opinions may become more clear: to adopt or
attempt to change then the policies of their Silent and Boomer parents.
This generation was the subject of much concern during the 1990s,
though, despite some of its positive features. The Columbine school
shooting, youth participation in street gangs, hate groups, and
problems such as teen pregnancy fueled a wave of action by schools and
other organizations.
The 2004 Presidential election was the first election in which
Generation Y was able to vote in significant numbers. John Kerry
received 48% of the votes. Notwithstanding, the ratio between young
voters voting Democratic or for the incumbent George W. Bush remained
relatively stable. The latter may suggest that Gen Y is in fact
reflective of American society as a whole rather than a defined
independent generation in itself. The latter may instead reflect that
2004 was too early in Gen Y's definitive years; they're still following
their parents (or the authority figures learned from their parents;
e.g. Party spokesman, the church, the Mainstream Media) and have not
yet (and may not ever) claimed their own generational political
identity. (Gen X's Soccer Mom and NASCAR dad political sub-identities
have only recently become definable labels.)
[edit] Generation Y elsewhere
In many rich countries, the 1980s and 1990s were a period of rapidly
falling birthrates. In Southern Europe and Japan, and less markedly in
Northern and Eastern Europe, Generation Y is dramatically smaller than
any of its predecessors, and its childhood years tended to be marked by
small families, both immediate and extended, small classes at school
and school closures. In the Soviet Union during the 1980s, there was a
"baby boom echo" similar to that in the United States, and Generation Y
there is relatively large; however, birth rates fell through the floor
in the 1990s to extremely low levels. This meant a lot of individual
attention from parents in a period in which society was becoming
intrinsically more risk averse.
The child poverty rate was still relatively high in many Western countries throughout the 1980s and '90s.
The increasing stratification of wealth in many societies has led to
an increase in the societal differences between poor and rich members
of this generation. Although many middle class and wealthier families
arrange many extra-curricular activities for their children, less
affluent families cannot afford such extras, increasing the pressure on
their own children. Since much of the generational character is tied to
the prevalence of "extracurriculars" and relatively expensive
technologies such as computers, some feel that the description of the
generation only applies to wealthy members or at least the broadly
middle class.
In Eastern Europe, Generation Y is the first generation without
mature memories of communism or dictatorial rule. In newly rich
countries such as South Korea or Greece, Generation Y has known nothing
but developed world standards of living, while their grandparents often
grew up in developing world conditions, causing considerable social
changes and inter-generational difficulties as the young reject many
traditional ways of life.
Generation Y was the first generation in countries like India and
China to benefit from western modern amenities due to liberalization of
their economies.
[edit] Trends among members
As with previous generations, many trends (and problems) began to surface as the Millennials came of age.[3]
- Members of this generation are facing higher costs for higher education than previous generations.[4][5]
- In the United States, as they begin to enter colleges and universities in large numbers, some of their Baby Boomer and Generation Jones parents are becoming helicopter parents.
Many college advisors and administrators worry that this could have a
negative effect on the student's social progress, ego, and developing
maturity.[6]
- They represent 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 strongly influence many adult
consumer buying choices. They also face a greater degree of direct
corporate marketing than any other generation in history.[7]
- A 2008 survey by UK recruitment consultancy FreshMinds Talent in
partnership with Management Today suggested that Generation Y are
generally more ambitious, brand conscious and tend to move jobs more
often than previous generations. The survey of over 1,000 people,
entitled Work 2.0, also suggests several possible misconceptions about
Generation Y, finding that they are as loyal as their predecessors and
believe that their job says something about them as individuals.[8]
- There is more experience of family breakdown. The generation has
seen high divorce rates, and homes with 2 working parents are much more
common. This has greatly changed their relationships at home when
compared to their parents and grandparents. This may have led them to
be more peer-oriented and this may be a contributing factor to the
premium that Gen Y workers place on workplace culture.[9]
- A May 2008 episode of the American news program 60 Minutes entitled The Age Of The Millennials proposed that members of the generation are exceptionally tech-savvy,
are especially tuned to their own value in the job market, have limited
loyalty to any particular employer, and insist on working in a
stimulating job environment.[10]
- More openness in regards to sexual and romantic life-styles than prior generations.[11][12]
These are characteristics and attitudes that were previously
attributed to Generation X in works such as the 1999 article "The
Hunter-Gatherers of the Knowledge Economy: The Anthropology of Today's
Cyberforagers" by David Berreby,[13]
so these behaviors may be consequences of modern culture or of the
modern economy rather than qualities of a particular generation.
They are sometimes described as an "overachieving, overscheduled" generation."[14]
[edit] Perceptions about Gen Y in the Workplace
According to a survey by BusinessWeek of almost 4,000 readers,
Generational Tensions ranked in the top 6 issues impacting the
workplace. With four generations in the workplace, these issues can
grow from tensions to larger generational divides and conflicts. The
2008 Gen Y Perceptions Study[15],
conducted by the Cal State Fullerton Career Center and Spectrum
Knowledge, measured how Gen Y views themselves in the workplace in
comparison to how the Boomers and Gen X view Gen Y. Some key findings
include the following:
- Gen Y Wants Instant Gratification: Managers and employers often
complain that Gen Y “wants instant gratification” and it seems like Gen
Y itself recognizes this, too. 89% of Gen X and Boomers agreed that Gen
Y “wants instant gratification,” while 73% of Gen Y agreed with the
statement as well.
- Casual and Professional Can Co-Exist: Though almost three-quarters
of all survey respondents agreed that Gen Y dresses and behaves
casually, the generations agree that professionalism may not
necessarily be a “casualty of casual.” Out of all 22 perceptions
regarding Gen Y that we provided on our survey, Gen X and Boomer
respondents disagreed with the statement that Gen Y “lacks
professionalism” the most. Of course, this may not mean that Gen Y is
viewed as professional, but the majority disagree with the view that
they’re unprofessional.
- Even Many Gen Y Think They Feel Entitled: Two-thirds of Gen X and
Boomer respondents agreed that Gen Y feels entitled. Surprisingly,
however, almost half of Gen Y respondents also agreed that their
generation “feels entitled to job benefits they’ve not yet earned.”
- Willing to Pay Their Dues?: Our study found that almost twice as
many Gen X and Boomers agreed with the statement that “Gen Y lacks
willingness to pay their dues” compared to how Gen Y participants rated
their own generation. In fact, Gen Y was 17 times as likely to strongly
disagree with the statement that the generation lacks willingness to
pay their dues.
- Masters of Multitasking or Misperception?: We often hear
anecdotally that Gen Y is great at multitasking, working in team
environments and self-directed learning. Though Gen Y agree that these
are some of their strengths, their Gen X and Boomer managers and
supervisors don’t agree that they excel at these working styles.
[edit] Relationship with technology
Generation Y has a nearly intimate connection to technology. In their 2007 book, Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know About Today's Students, Reynol Junco and Jeanna Mastrodicasa[16] found that in a survey of 7,705 college students in the US:
- 97% own a computer
- 97% have downloaded music and other media using peer-to-peer file sharing
- 94% own a cell phone
- 76% use instant messaging and social networking sites
- 75% of college students have a Facebook profile and most of them check it daily.[17]
- 60% own some type of portable music and/or video device such as an iPod
- 49% regularly download music and other media using peer-to-peer file sharing
- 34% use websites as their primary source of news
- 28% author a blog and 44% read blogs
- 15% of IM users are logged on 24 hours a day/7 days a week
- 14% use online purchasing to buy tobacco related products
- 8% have confessed to having an online gaming addiction at some point in their life
[edit] Various Names
[edit] Generation Y
The most commonly used term, "Generation Y", alludes to a succession from Generation X, a term popularized by the Canadian fiction writer Douglas Coupland in his 1991 book Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture to describe twentysomethings
at the time he was writing 1989-1991. "X" is a common term used in
algebra for a variable name followed by using letters "Y" and "Z" for
something that as yet has no name. As such the first no name variable
"X" has had its cohort birth years shift from twentysomethings in 1989
when Coupland wrote in a local Vancouver magazine the story which
became his book to twentysomethings all through the 1990s until
journalists finally got used to using birth cohort years instead of
using the term Gen X to stand for twentysomething which is now Gen Z.
[edit] Millennials
One name sometimes used when referring to this group is "Millennials," which was coined by William Strauss and Neil Howe in their 1991 book Generations. [1] This term relates to the generation's young age during the turn of the millennium.
[edit] Echo Boomers
The name "Echo Boomers"[18] relates to the size of the generation and its relation to the Baby boomer generation.
[edit] Trophy Kids
The Generation Y are sometimes called the "Trophy Generation", or "Trophy Kids,"[19]
a term that reflects the trend in competitive sports (as well as many
other aspects of life) where "no one loses" and everyone gets a "Thanks
for Participating" trophy. Some employers are concerned that the
members of Generation Y have too great expectations from the workplace
and desire to shape their jobs to fit their lives rather than adapt
their lives to the workplace.[20]
[edit] External links
[edit] International
[edit] References
1- "Scenes from the Culture Clash" Fast Company January/February
2006, pp 73-77. 2- Generation Y: complex, discerning and
suspicious-Carol Nader- The Age- October 9, 2003 3- William Strauss and
Neil Howe Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to
2069:Perennial; Reprint edition (September 1, 1992) 4- William Strauss
and Neil Howe Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to
2069:Perennial; Reprint edition (September 1, 1992) 5- "Drug Survey of
Students Finds Picture Very Mixed" by KATE ZERNIKE, New York Times,
12/20/05}} 6- Time Magazine, August 1, 2005. 7- The Wall Street
Journal, 7/28/05. 8- William Strauss and Neil Howe Generations: The
History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069:Perennial; Reprint edition
(September 1, 1992) 9- After X Comes Y - echo boom generation enters
workforce - Brief Article HR Magazine, April, 2001 by Julie Wallace
10-Brandchannel.com: Dr. Pete Markiewicz: Who's filling Gen Y's shoe's?
11-Millennial Manifesto: Scott Beale and Abeer Aballa-InstantPublisher
(November, 2003) 12-CensusScope-Dominate Generations http://www.censusscope.org/us/map_generations.html 13-CDC report- Table 1-1. Live Births, Birth Rates, and Fertility Rates, by Race: United States,1909-2000
- ^ a b Shapira, Ian (2008-07-06). "What Comes Next After Generation X?", Education, The Washington Post, pp. C01. Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Tovar, Molly (August/September 2007). "Getting it Right: Graduate Schools Respond to the Millenial Challenge" (PDF). Communicator 40 (7): 1. http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/comm_2007_08.pdf. Retrieved on 29 August 2008.
- ^ Rout, Milanda (2006-10-16). "Junk Food Bans at Schools", Herald Sun. Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Males, Michael (March 1996). The Scapegoat Generation: America's War on Adolescents, Common Courage Press. ISBN 1567510809.
- ^ Rothberg, Steven (2007-03-30). "Gen Y: Community Focused or Money Hungry?". College Recruiter. Retrieved on 2008-07-19.
- ^ "(title not known)", The Wall Street Journal (2005-07-28). Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Harris Interactive 2003 Youth Pulse(SM) Survey
- ^ "Work 2.0 Survey — My Generation". MT FreshMinds (2008-02-28). Retrieved on 2008-07-19.
- ^ McCrindle, Mark. "The ABC of XYZ: Generational Diversity at Work" (PDF). McCrindle Research. Retrieved on 2008-07-19.
- ^ "The Age Of The Millenials". 60 Minutes. 2007-11-08.
- ^ Sexual infections rise among Gen Y
- ^ Bed, please, but hold the romance :GENERATION Y: SEX
- ^ Berreby, David (1999). "The Hunter-Gatherers of the Knowledge Economy: The Anthropology of Today's Cyberforagers". Strategy+Business (New York: Booz & Company): 52–64. ISSN 1083-706X. http://www.strategy-business.com/press/16635507/19461?tid=230&pg=all.
- ^ Devine, Miranda (2006-10-19). "Gen Ys Dish it Back, for the Right Reasons", The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Cal State Fullerton Career Center and Spectrum Knowledge. "The Gen Y Perceptions Study".
- ^ Junco, Reynol; Mastrodicasa, Jeanna (2007-03-29). Connecting to the Net.Generation: What Higher Education Professionals Need to Know About Today's Students (1st ed.), NASPA. ISBN 0-931654-48-3. http://bookstore.naspa.org/browseproducts/Connecting-to-the-Net.Generation--What-Higher-Education-Professionals-Need-to-Know-About-Today%27s-Students.html. Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ Przybyla, Heidi (2007-05-07). "Obama's 'Youth Mojo' Sparks Student Activism, Fueling Campaign", Bloomberg. Retrieved on 19 July 2008.
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2005-11-06-gen-y_x.htm
- ^ Alsop, Ron (October 13, 2008). The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace, Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0470229545.
- ^ Alsop, Ron (2008-10-21). "The Trophy Kids Go to Work", The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on 24 October 2008.