The millennial generation, also referred to as “Generation Y”, is comprised of people
born from the years of the late 1970s, or early 1980s, up to about the early 2000s. This
generation is one of many things. They are said to be childish, lazy, and many more. Other
people in generations before this, however, see them differently. They see a generation with so
much dreams and the desire to do so many things in their life. This generation has several
behaviors linked to them as well. People have categorized this generation as out-going,
disrespectful, and distant from their families. On the other-hand, some see them as team players,
sheltered, and conventional. This generation is made up of a variety of things and seen in so
many ways.
The millennials have to be, by far, the largest group of people in history. It is said to be
made up of “95 million young people up to 30 years of age” and by 2016, it would be about 100
million (genup.net). Generations before us have not gotten up to this many people before. This
generation is such a unique group as it is full of diversity and exhibits a great amount of skill in
technological devices. Because of their skills in technology, a large amount of people in this
generation are absorbed in using these devices and are on a lot of social networking sites. Such
sites include Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, and many more. As they continue growing,
sites such as these become more and more popular. In “Millennials Are Leading the Social
Media Explosion”, by Melanie Shreffler, she notes that “More Millennials (93%) continue to use
Facebook than any other social site, far exceeding the number on Twitter (53%), Google+ (45%),
LinkedIn (32%), Tumblr (31%), Pinterest (26%), and Instagram.” This research was conducted a
year ago, so the numbers have changed and most likely have increased as well.
In addition, millennials have a high amount of people that are educated or are getting an
education beyond high school. Pew Research Center was able to collect data proving that 39.6%
of all young adults were enrolled in a two-year community college or in a four-year college in
October of 2008. From this, the number has fluctuated due to the many young adults wanting to
go to college. For example, the diagram below represents what California State University of
Long Beach (CSULB) believed would become of the enrollment in 2012. This information was
gathered in 2002; therefore, their prediction may be off. While this may have been just a
prediction, it became a reality for some colleges. This is the reason for the never ending wait lists
for several colleges.
Compared to previous generations, millennials have transformed their lifestyles. From
having an average age of a male’s first marriage in the GI generation of 24.4 and a woman’s was
21.3, the millennial generation has an average of 26.5 for males and 24.5 for females (Winograd
and Hais). This just shows what each generation valued more. As each generation differed in
several categories, it represented what their values at that time were. In the millennial generation,
they value their education or their careers more than starting up a family right away. In addition,
parenting styles have changed over each generation. The reason for this is due to the ever
evolving societal changes. Millennial parents are more open to things that seem unusual to older
generations. One example would be the way parents take care of their children. If in previous
generations, the parents or mother fully nurtured her child and was always beside them for
whatever they needed, now, kids have a bit more freedom. Parents aren’t completely involved in
their child’s life which allows them to grow as an individual. The change in lifestyles that the
millennial generation presents reflects what they value as well.
The millennial generation is a generation unlike the others. While others perceive them as
incompetent, others see them as the complete opposite. This generation is made up of many
differences that they create an extraordinary sight. With their large group and values in life, this
generation brings about changes that generations before would have never expected.
Millennial Student Enrollment
Figure 1: Nation-wide millennial student
enrollment at degree-seeking institutions. In 2012,
Millennial student enrollment will increase by 93.5
percent over the 2002 level, while enrollment of
students from other generations will decrease by 50.2
percent (National Center for Education Statistics, 2002).
Works Cited
"Meeting the Needs of Millennial Students, In Touch Newsletter, Volume 16, Number 1, Student
Services, CSULB." California State University, Long Beach. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 June
2013. <http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students2/intouch/archives/200708/vol16_no1/01.htm>.
"Millennials | Pew Research Center." Pew Research Center | Nonpartisan, non-advocacy public
opinion polling and demographic research. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 June 2013.
<http://www.pewresearch.org/millennials/
"Quick Facts." Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 June 2013. <http://genup.net/about/ourgeneration/quickfacts>.
Shreffler, Melanie. "Millennials Are Leading The Social Media Explosion." MediaPost – News
and Conferences for Media, Marketing and Online Advertising Professionals. N.p., 13
Apr. 2012. Web. 7 June 2013. <http://www.mediapost.com/publication
Winograd, Morley, and Michael D. Hais. Millennial Momentum: How a New Generation Is
Remaking America. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers UP, 2011. Print.
Photos
http://mavoieeconomique.onisep.fr/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/visuel_management.jpg
http://www.csulb.edu/divisions/students2/intouch/archives/2007-08/vol16_no1/01.htm