Millennials: The Me Me Me Generation

By Joel Stein Monday, May 20, 2013
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2143001,00.html#ixzz2WVIBsqXp

As a group, Millennials are unlike any other youth generation

in living memory. They are more numerous, more

affluent, better educated, and more ethnically diverse.

More important, they are beginning to manifest a wide

array of positive social habits that older Americans no

longer associate with youth, including a new focus on

teamwork, achievement, modesty, and good conduct.

The “Millennials”—born between 1980 and 2000—have

an innate ability to use technology, are comfortable multitasking

while using a diverse range of digital media, and

literally demand interactivity as they construct knowledge.

Millennials lack the workaholic drive of their

burned-out predecessors, but they compensate by using

many technologies—often simultaneously—to get the

job done quickly and have a personal life as well.

Generational Differences on 12 Criteria

Views toward Boomers Gen Xers Millennials

Level of trust

· Boomers> Confident of self, not authority

· Gen Xers> Low toward authority

· Millennials> High toward authority

Loyalty to institutions

· Boomers> Cynical

· Gen Xers> Considered naïve

· Millennials> Committed

Most admire

· Boomers>Taking charge

· Gen Xers> Creating enterprise

· Millennials> Following a hero of integrity

Career goals

· Boomers> Build a stellar career

· Gen Xers> Build a portable career

· Millennials> Build parallel careers

Rewards

· Boomers> Title and corner office

· Gen Xers> Freedom not to do

· Millennials> Meaningful work

Parent–child involvement

· Boomers> Receding

· Gen Xers> Distant

· Millennials> Intruding

Having children

· Boomers> Controlled

· Gen Xers> Doubtful

· Millennials> Definite

Family Life

· Boomers> Indulged as children

· Gen Xers> Alienated as children

· Millennials> Protected as children

Education

· Boomers> Freedom of expression

· Gen Xers> Pragmatic

· Millennials> Structure of accountability

Evaluation

· Boomers> Once a year with documentation

· Gen Xers> “Sorry, but how am I doing?”

· Millennials> Feedback whenever I want it

Political orientation

· Boomers> Attack oppression

· Gen Xers> Apathetic, individual

· Millennials> Crave community

The big question

· Boomers> What does it mean?

· Gen Xers> Does it work?

· Millennials> How do we build it?

Source:

Debard, R.D., in

Serving the Millennial Generation: New Directions for Student Services

, Debard, R.D. and Coomes,

M.D., Eds., Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2004, pp. 33–45. With permission.

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