The Millennials, part 1: Who We Are

Born in 1986, I'm part of the "Millennial Generation" (or Generation Y or the Baby Boom Echo). The birth years attributed to my generation vary and can be as early as 1978 and as late as 2002, but generally the Millennial Generation is considered to be from 1980 to 2000. Even though the youngest Millennials are still only 8 years old, there has already been extensive research and surveys into the generation.

The approximately 75 million Millennials are confident and hopeful, goal-oriented and civic-minded, and inclusive. We have no tolerance for delay and live on the Internet. We're considered individualistic, yet we're also known for being team-oriented. We desire leadership, expect regular feedback, and are used to negotiating. Our parents have always been and will remain actively involved in our lives; we're also closer to our parents than have been the members of any other generation. As a result, we influence 88% of household apparel purchases and are seen as the "prematurely affluent generation."

The lives of older Millennials have been molded by the Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine High School and the school-shootings trend, and 9/11—the catastrophic moment that defines and binds our generation.

For those of us born in 1986 and 1987, the Energize bunny has always been going... and going... and going... We've always seen large print ads for prescription drugs in magazines and condoms advertised on television. We did most of our college searching online, have always had the right to burn the flag, and have only ever lived in a single superpower world. In our lives, Bill Gates has always been worth at least a billion dollars, toll-free 800 numbers have always spelled out catchy phrase, and Pay-Per-View has always been available.

And we have always been told that we're "special."

Since almost all the research and studies have been done by non-Millennials, I didn't expect it to be very favorable or to feel very accurate to me. But, while most of the summaries of the Millennial Generation is somewhat unfavorable, it is surprisingly accurate. I pored over many, many articles and studies, and found myself nodding my head in agreement. While one or two characteristics may not apply specifically to me (I'm not exactly a big fan of working in teams), I can see how they fit my generation as a whole.

The terms applied to my generation make sense, too. I'm not really sure why Gen X was named Generation X, but the fact that the next generation, my generation, would be called Generation Y is logical. Our parents were Baby Boomers, for the most part, so Baby Boom Echo is accurate, too. Personally, I prefer the prevalent term, the Millennial Generation, since we were growing up at the turn of the millennium.

References:
> "Generation X and The Millennials" @ Law Practice TODAY
> "Is Your Firm Ready For The Millennials?" @ Knowledge@Emory
> "Managing Millennials" @ Generations at Work (Claire Raines Associates)
> "Millennial Generation" @ Word Spy
> "'Millennial Generation' Won't Be Much Like Baby Boomers" @ Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
> Mindset lists @ Beloit College
> "Who's Holding the Handbag?" @ TIME