Generation Y (Millennials) is a category of people born between approximately 1981 and 1996. These are bright individuals, pragmatists and skeptics with an analytical mind, who easily accepted the digital space.
Birth period ranges
The boundaries of this generation are often blurred as they are intuitive.
- The US Center for Social Research “Pew Research Center” designated Generation Y as those born between 1981 and 1996.
- The Australian research center McCrindle Research Center set the boundaries for the emergence of millennials from 1982 to 1994.
- Based on the statements of Russian sociologist Vadim Radaev, “Gen Y” includes people born in the range from 1982 to 2000.
- Specialists at the Rugenerations research center have their own opinion on this matter. They consider those born between 1985 and 2002 to be members of Generation Y.
The demographic generation Y was formed at the time of opposition to the previous generation X. At the same time, such a concept as “Yllo” (“Young Liberty Love”) is often encountered. In 2022, the oldest members of Gen Y will be over 40 years old.
Terminology
As a result of the historical analysis, they put forward a scientific concept of dividing people into age categories, based on the specifics of their priorities in various spheres of life.
They explored the key differences between each generation and the reasons for their formation. This theoretical doctrine is very effective in business circles and is widely used in practice.
Based on it, the following generations were identified, depending on the year of birth:
- Baby boomers (“prophets”) – from 1944 to 1967.
- Generation X (“wanderers”) – from 1967 to 1984.
- Generation Y (“heroes”) – from 1984 to 2000.
- Generation Z (“artists”) – from 2000 to 2011.
People belonging to the same generation group, due to the fact that they grew up in the same conditions, have a similar lifestyle, have identical views on career, family and finance.
These aspects were formed in them as a result of certain events in social and public life. According to theoretical arguments, the conflict between the generations of children and fathers will be explained by their age difference (approximately 25 years). That is why they often cannot come to a mutual compromise solution on a number of everyday and fundamental issues.
Sociological scientists allow the boundaries between generations to shift forward or backward up to three years. Therefore, many who were born at the junction of these periods often have the characteristic criteria of several generations at the same time.
The first to use the concept of “Generation Y” was one of the editors of the magazine “Advertising Age”, who in 1993, in an article devoted to describing modern youth, used this term.
At the same time, the definition of “millennials” was coined by writers Neil Howe and William Strauss, who first used it in their book “Generations: The History of America’s Future, 1584 to 2069” (1991) in relation to young people school age.
In 2012, Bruce Horowitz (a well-known journalist for Advertising Age) expressed the opinion that the term “millennials” sounds better than the name “generation Y”.
Demographic features
In different countries, the characteristics of representatives of generation Y have significant differences. It depends on the economic, political and social conditions of a particular country.
In America, the millennial generation is defined in the birth period range of 1981-1996. Its appearance is associated with an increased birth rate in 1981, called the “echo boom.” In most cases, Gen Y are the children of Baby Boomers, which is why they are called Echo Boomers.
In many large European countries there is a tendency to reduce the number of children in the family. For this reason, the term “echo boomers” is not often applied to members of Generation Y.
Based on research by American scientists conducted in 2006, the following data was revealed: 32% of millennials are agnostics, 20% are atheists and 48% are believers.
In addition, esoteric ideas and belief in Buddhism are very popular among them.
Generation Y does not have certain preferences that would distinguish its representatives as typical people of this category. Among them there is a predisposition towards a tendency towards orthodox antagonism.
Characteristic features of generation Y
Finding complete mutual understanding with representatives of this generation is not easy not only for their parents, but also for teachers, educators or employers. They cannot always understand their life views. This is especially true in the present time, when every person strives for total individuality, expressed against the background of other people. Scientists have identified the main features inherent in representatives of “Gen Y”.
Excessive ambition
The priorities of Generation Y people are significantly different from their predecessors. Their goal is not career growth in the usual sense. They are indifferent to their official status and do not pursue the highest possible income. When choosing between a career and a favorite pastime, millennials will undoubtedly choose the latter.
Individualism
Gen Y has completely different job requirements compared to other generations. This is primarily due to the enormous changes that took place during their growing up.
For example, the mandatory assignment to a specific job after graduation was abolished. Free choice in this case is the key criterion that guides people of this generation in any field of their activity.
At the same time, confidence in the future or financial independence is not considered an end in itself and a primary goal for them. The priority of “Gen Y” values is the maximum realization of their creative and intellectual potential, with the possibility of creating any exclusive project that will evoke admiration among the people around them.
Infantility
This criterion is most vulnerable for millennials, who, despite being quite old (20-30 years old), do not want to part with childhood. They are in no particular hurry to start a family and children and prefer to live with their parents.
The reasons for this factor are considered to be the negative experience of parents who started a family early and were forced to constantly work (usually in an unloved place), as well as the inability to earn money for an apartment on their own. However, purchasing a home with a mortgage is not preferable for everyone.
There are also a number of other objective circumstances due to which people of generation Y are in no hurry to take on the responsibilities expected in adulthood.
Inner loneliness and emptiness
Despite the priority desire to live for their own pleasure, most millennials do not feel happy.
Many of them feel disappointment about missed opportunities, and experience loneliness from misunderstandings by people around them. At the same time, the acquisition of prestigious things and the pursuit of bright entertainment only contribute to the aggravation of their depressive state. It is for this reason that various psychoanalytic trainings have recently become widely in demand.
Thirst for knowledge
The most pronounced feature of generation Y is the thirst for knowledge. However, they are trying to get them not in the library, but through the Internet. This learning process is of genuine interest to most millennials.
Due to the possibility of using many different information sources, they try to gain through them only the most important and extraordinary skills. At the same time, “Gen Y” does not at all recognize the outdated teaching canons familiar to previous generations, but they are very trusting of information posted on the Internet.
Millennials do not see the point in the traditional method of education and often leave universities due to the irrelevance of their chosen profession. In addition, they have a vivid example of their parents, many of whom were forced to sell things on the market with higher education. It is for this reason that most representatives of generation Y are disappointed in the generally accepted education system and prefer to engage in self-realization.
Own comfort
For Gen Y, career values are paramount, not family. This is due to the fact that this generation lives in a time of economic instability, without the possibility of predicting specific future prospects.
To work effectively, millennials prefer to use a flexible schedule and the most comfortable conditions.
“Gen Y” are individualists with enormous material demands. For them, a stable financial situation is the main key to a successful life.
Representatives of generation Y consider the virtual world to be the most comfortable environment for work, and prefer to communicate with like-minded people via the Internet. At the same time, on social networks they often portray themselves as successful people, although in real life they are not.
“Eternal youth”
Many millennials are trying to push back the developmental stages of adulthood with independent responsibility for everything that happens in it, because they are afraid of repeating the mistakes of their parents. They prefer not to start serious relationships because they are not sure about their future.
“Gen Y” are freethinkers and hipsters. For them, their own freedom comes first. They follow modern trends in fashion and technology, and love to spend their free time from work in glamorous clubs with friends.
Their main drawback is the desire to get everything instantly. When striving for career growth, generation Y people do not think about long-term prospects in their professional activities. They are not interested in a consistent and complex process with the possibility of high achievements in the future.
Also for Gen Y, meeting helpful people is of great importance. Many of them even consider such connections to be higher than receiving a proper education.
When it comes to food, millennials are originals. They can easily name the quantitative ratio of carbohydrates and fats in almost any dish, but they are not always able to determine the composition of its products.
Undoubtedly, representatives of generation Y do not have pronounced negative characteristics. In principle, these are very interesting, extraordinary personalities. They are characterized by positive thinking, believe in true friendship and a bright future. Millennials are full of expectations of full results from their work, so they are ready to give it their all. However, if it concerns their favorite activity.
Millennial groups
Within Generation Y, there are a large number of its typical representatives with similar characteristic features.
To be able to identify the main “Gen Y” type, a special study was conducted in which more than 3.5 million millennials took part.
As a result, 12 categories of generation Y were identified, representatives of which have the same views on social aspects, globalization and the economy.
Hopeless
These are people who do not have official work and career prospects due to the lack of a specific profession or education.
This category usually includes residents of provincial settlements and urban outskirts. As a rule, they do not have the opportunity to pay for education. These factors are reflected in the low self-esteem of these people and over time there is a possibility of turning them into marginalized people.
Boss Babes
These are young women striving for career growth and having high self-esteem. They prioritize work and only then family, without rushing to start one.
These representatives of generation Y are financially independent, in most cases they are feminists and prefer romantic adventures. Often their ambitions are combined with aggressive behavior. These are business women bosses.
Nostalgic
These include all kinds of hipsters and retro mods who do not want to take on the serious responsibilities of a full adult life.
In principle, they do not have specific goals and prefer “oldschool” in all manifestations. These millennials often exhibit nostalgic sentiments.
Brogrammers
These are techies (“white collar workers”) who like to spend their leisure time in purely male company. They are characterized by the following traits: the ambitions of careerists, a passion for sports, and the habits of IT specialists.
They prefer to use their resource potential to the fullest when developing their own new projects that are quickly generated in practice.
Part-time employees
This group includes yesterday’s university graduates who do not have the prerequisites for career growth. They cannot find a prestigious job due to lack of professional experience. Such representatives of “Gen Y” prefer to rent comfortable housing.
These are educated, completely independent from their parents, young people living in central city neighborhoods in a joint group of friends who have a temporary small income. They rarely manage to achieve success in their personal lives and work. However, they are constantly striving to improve this situation.
Enthusiastic travelers
This generation Y group includes young people who prefer to travel the world through inexpensive tours. They are in some ways cosmopolitans, as they speak different languages, love to play sports and lead an active lifestyle.
The lack of finances of such millennials is perfectly compensated by an excessive desire for radical changes in the situation. Their indispensable attributes are an iPhone and the Internet.
Culinary Researchers
These are representatives of generation Y, accustomed to evaluating various gourmet dishes. They, as a rule, have sufficient financial resources, are distinguished by authenticity, and prefer only exotic food.
The key goal for them is to gain impressions when trying a variety of culinary dishes and to conduct gastronomic discourses based on research data.
Emotional Wasters
These include “Gen Y”, who create content on various topics on social networks. They are only interested in trendy new items. They constantly strive not to miss the most fashionable ones. Such people have an addiction to an endless number of photo feeds, selfies, comments and likes, reaching the point of absurdity.
Collectors
These are “Gen Y” who prefer to study other people’s published content. At the same time, they do not “post” anything on their own, but they regularly monitor others. These millennials gain experience through other people by watching their videos and posts.
Millennial crisis
These are young people of twenty-five years of age, full of strength and energy, choosing the optimal aspects of their life path.
These representatives of generation Y, as a rule, are under parental care, have no experience in matters of any choice, and are predisposed to spiritual and religious practices. They are often exposed to stressful situations. which makes them emotionally unstable.
Millennial Moms
These are young mothers with completely adequate life principles. They actively use online stores and social networks. Most of them have their own business, constantly take care of their health, and try to be on time everywhere.
Such representatives of generation Y prefer fitness classes and choose healthy eating.
Martha Stewart Millennials
These are the representatives of “Gen Y” who create unique content on social networks, demonstrating ways to become modern and stylish without putting in much effort.
They are often compared to Martha Stewart – an American businesswoman, television presenter and writer. They are distinguished by strict requirements for the generated content. These millennials are engaged in collecting interesting ideas and adapting them to their own personalities, as well as their subsequent broadcast on social media pages as their own ideas.
The famous sociologist Brian Melmed, based on many years of research, concluded that all representatives of generation Y have a number of extraordinary differences, so they cannot be collected into one group with an identical type.
Certain specialists (for example, marketers) will have to take this into account in order to have a clearer idea of the logical motivation of a given audience.
Generation Y Basic Principles
Millennials were born between 1984 and 2000. Their development took place against the background of large-scale world upheavals and events – epidemics, terror and the collapse of the USSR. They were the very first to face global technical changes – the advent of cellular communications and the Internet.
Currently, in most cases, these are carefree people who, by the age of 40, do not have the status markers that their parents had at that age – material values, their own home, a prestigious position and family.
They, as a rule, do not want to officially find a job, since their priority is constant self-development. At the same time, work must bring them pleasure. For this reason, “Gen Y” have been supported by their parents for a long time.
According to the famous sociologist Frank Furedi, representatives of generation Y in childhood were deprived of control from their parents, who were constantly busy at work, they grew up without strict principles of discipline, which became the reason for their slow transition to independent adulthood. For such people there is even a definition of “kidults” (“adult children”).
If previous generations have certain overlaps with each other, then generation Y is completely different from its predecessors. At the same time, sociological experts believe that millennials are the most difficult generation in terms of public perception.
Education
Based on research conducted by Aquarelle Research, it is known that 62.1% of Gen Y representatives have graduated from universities. However, 74% of older ones are skeptical about having a higher education diploma, believing that it is quite possible to achieve career growth without it. This opinion is most likely due to recent economic crises and unemployment.
At the same time, younger representatives of “Gen Y” are more loyal to obtaining higher education, relying on its specific benefits and considering it a guarantee of demand in the profession.
Family
The age range at which Millennials get married is somewhat skewed. Its representatives begin to work officially at a later age, as they spend a significant period of time studying.
At the same time, many of them prefer getting a decent education than starting a family. There is also a tendency to choose cohabitation instead of entering into an official marriage.
The number of couples in the UK living together without registering their marriage increased by 25% between 2008 and 2018, according to ONS research.
At the same time, sociologists do not consider the reason for this pattern to be the infantilism of representatives of generation Y. They associate this factor with their preference for finding a suitable life partner.
Also the reason for this is the financial independence of women from men and their ability to earn money independently to ensure their own sufficient provision. In this case, their priority is male emotional support over financial support.
Finance
Due to the fact that millennials entered the labor market during years of economic stability and did not have to stand in lines to get a job, this generation is not characterized by self-realization through consumption.
To meet their own needs, “Gen Y” living in Russian regions need a monthly income of approximately 116.4 thousand rubles, and for their Moscow peers – approximately 127.4 thousand rubles. It was noted that the demands of millennials are significantly lower compared to “Xers” and higher in contrast to “Zoomers”.
In accordance with a study conducted by Sberbank of the Russian Federation on online financial platforms, it was revealed what and to what extent representatives of generation Y are ready to invest:
- For education – 5%.
- For your own business – 6%.
- For purchases – 21.8%.
- For vacation – 22.3%.
At the same time, it was noticed that millennials usually postpone the purchase of their own apartment or house until a later period in their lives, since most of them do not have the necessary amount, and they are afraid to use a mortgage loan (according to the data received Raiffeisen).
Integration and communications
All generations, including “Gen Y,” were formed as a result of the influence of certain events, leaders and progressive inventions of a particular time.
However, many sociologists affirmatively state that millennials are the first generation that does not have its own heroes, but its representatives do have their own idols.
Generation Y people are greatly influenced by innovative communication technologies – messaging services, email, as well as media resources (for example, YouTube) and social networks (for example, Twitter and Facebook).
The main characteristic feature of millennials is the ability to solve several problems through network communications. They are able to simultaneously chat with users, view website pages, and monitor updates on blogs. At the same time, “Gen Y” almost completely excluded the use of radio, television and the media.
Another important distinguishing aspect of Generation Y is the need for self-expression. For example, in China, the desire to stand out from other people has taken on a separate cultural trend among young people.
In all countries of the world, through the use of the Internet, representatives of generation Y are trying to assert themselves by participating in online role-playing games (for example, MMORPG), as well as on the sites of virtual gaming worlds (for example, World of Warcraft and Second Life). .
In addition, many expressive “Gen Y” have asserted themselves and gained worldwide recognition by creating their own communities online, organizing flash mobs and Internet memes.
Pop culture
The millennial generation developed during the advent of the Internet, which brought a global revolution in information technology against the backdrop of traditional media.
Unlike previous generations, representatives of “Y” are given free access to various information, media, cinema and music. This had a significant impact on the development of business in the entertainment and recording industries, the emergence of new studios and television channels.
Countries that have stricter laws for publishing unlicensed content regularly enforce copyright controls at the government level. However, torrent trackers manage to conquer media markets from copyright holders. Currently, generation Y music lovers can easily download any music to their iPhone or PC, both from legal and illegal resources.
Work
During the economic recession from 2008 to 2009, millennials’ prospects in the economic sector declined significantly. Many countries at this time needed to take special measures to employ the younger generation due to the social instability (for example, in Greece).
The negative trend in youth unemployment in European countries by the summer of 2009 was marked by high rates. It amounted to more than 20%, while in Spain this figure reached 40%. An increase in unemployment among the younger generation was noted in 2009 in America (18.5%).
There are also representatives of “Y” called “trophy generation”. These are young people with modern trends in any area of life where there are competitive factors. They are characterized by aspects of the absence of losers, since in this case they prefer the victory of all participants in the competition, with each of them receiving an incentive prize.
Such “Gen Y” are able to demonstrate themselves with dignity within the framework of corporate ethics. However, many managers have noted their tendency to adapt working conditions to their own life principles. At the same time, they work hard, expect to be involved in solving big problems and often prefer flexible working hours.
The millennial generation has difficulty adapting to hierarchical structures and bureaucracy. These people prefer to constantly develop in their profession, not wanting to hold one position for a long time.
Most managers of large companies try to eradicate conflict situations between the younger and older generations by finding compromise solutions, as well as creating comfortable conditions.
Politics
Representatives of generation Y are often called “politically inactive, apathetic, lazy.” They make a large number of claims on this issue to their parents, but do not have the motivation to correct matters on their own. Therefore, “Y” often ignore their voting rights.
The project FEPS (Foundation for European Progressive Studies) conducted its own study of aspects of the political activity of millennials, on the basis of which the real situation was identified.
FEPS Senior Policy Advisor Maria Freitas published the following key findings:
- Progressive parties are perceived by Gen Y as competent professionals, but they are not able to optimally communicate with Generation Y.
- Millennials prefer online voting and, in principle, want to simplify the election procedure. “Y” want to see a political leader in power who shares their own views on the future.
- Generation Y is characterized by the property of denying elitism. Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who flies in economy class, serves as such an example for them. They are also predisposed to green parties and the volunteer movement. At the same time, generation Y does not have a clear understanding of the world concept when they came to power, for which its representatives often hear reproaches addressed to them.
- Millennials are often criticized. Born in the era of the old world order, with the absence of the Internet and gadgets, these people experienced a period of rapid development of information and intellectual technologies, as well as various social systems.
- They are characterized by duality, due to belonging to the new and old world. This is their key difference from other generations. In fact, they are considered a certain layer between several generations, also significantly different from each other. Millennials are at the same time a harmonious link in the vertical political interaction of generations.
Boomerang Generation (Peter Pan Generation)
“Gen Y” is often called the “Peter Pan generation” or the “boomerang generation.” This is due to their tendency to delay the transition to independent adulthood for a much longer period, compared with peers of previous generations, and to live with their parents for a long time.
The key reasons for this factor are mainly unstable conditions in the economy – unemployment, the constant increase in the cost of housing stock and the global financial crisis.
However, this phenomenon is associated not only with economic aspects. The global community of sociologists has not fully decided on the concept of definition, that is, the concept of “growing up.”
Based on the research of Doctor of Sociological Sciences Larry Nelson, it was concluded that “Gen Y” prefer not to rush to take on the existing responsibilities of adulthood, due to the negative example of the previous generation.
Representatives of the previous generation had to simultaneously build their careers and start a family. Today, young people understand that this principle of life approach often leads to the divorce of parents and the presence of an unloved job. Many millennials want to start a family and make the right choice right away, and the same goes for work.
Main distinctive features of generations Y and Z
As a result of an online survey conducted among “Y” and “zoomers”, the following characteristic differences were identified between them:
- Millennials are adherents of conservative choices, “zoomers” are connoisseurs of everything new.
- Millennials prefer to double-check the information they receive, while “zoomers” trust information sources.
- Millennials use search engines, zoomers use YouTube.
- Millennials shop deliberately, while Zoomers shop impulsively.
- Millennials use instant messengers for communication, while “zoomers” prefer personal meetings to communicate with friends.
- Millennials mainly choose products from domestic manufacturers, while “zoomers” are fans of products from foreign companies.
- Millennials plan big purchases in advance, while “zoomers” prefer spontaneous investments.
The general trend of generations Y and Z is high-quality content with clear and meaningful transmission of information.
How to manage generation Y in the interests of business
Company leaders may well find the best approach to reaching millennials. To do this, you need to know the peculiarities of their thinking.
Representatives of generation Y are characterized by the following qualities in any type of activity:
- Absolutely fair competition conditions with the opportunity for constant self-improvement.
- Respectful relationships with management and work colleagues, without the presence of strict hierarchical conditions in an order format.
- Goodwill and wise leadership, without total control from management.
- Lack of secrecy of important information and its regular exchange between all company employees.
- Independent analysis of assigned tasks and joint search for optimal solutions with the team.
Conclusions
Based on statistical studies conducted by foreign and Russian sociologists, certain key features of millennials were noted.
Representatives of generation Y:
- We developed on modern technological means of communication, therefore we highly value digital comfort.
- Able to quickly remember information.
- Personal freedom, faith in one’s own strength and spiritual values are placed above all else.
- They do not have the habit of bowing down to government officials.
- They are intolerant of corruption.
- They start families at a fairly late age.
- They are ready to use the services of the sharing economy, preferring to live without their own car, apartment or house.
- They trust the theory of running a “local small business”, actively participating in its creation in practice.
- They highly value freedom of choice and speech.
- They are loyal to representatives of different nationalities.
- They are optimists who believe that life is filled with multifaceted opportunities and interests.
- They prefer not to take out mortgages, loans and credits.
- Focused on self-realization and learning.
- They strive to live and work in big cities or other countries.
- Have a clearly formed worldview.
They constantly strive for success, without fear of experimenting, going beyond established capabilities, regularly expanding them. They are well versed in various aspects of modern reality, preferring internal freedom of action in order to create a strong family and get a job they love.
