Millenials

[BigRedBuster]

OK...I find this stuff really interesting. Maybe I should have taken more sociology in college.

 

LINK

 

I love looking at the difference between generations. Honestly, I think there is both good and bad in all generations. I actually get so frustrated when young people complain about old people and vice versa.

 

Something I always laugh about in this is that I think my generation (48 years old) is the only group that doesn't ever have a label.

 

So, for the "Millenials" in the group, how do you feel about this?

[ZRod]

I don't identify myself as a millenial because I feel more in touch with the 90's. I came of age in the 2000's but I experienced the 90's and was around before cell phones and other technologies took over, and lost my innocence in 2001. I feel like my childhood was a far different place than my formative years, and I enjoyed it better.

 

All that said, I don't think this generation is any worse the the previous ones. We're becoming kinder and more compassionate with age, that's what usually happens.

[Landlord]

I don't care about the label either way - if people want to use it for ease of categorization, I'm cool with it. If they want to use it to be dismissive, well, I don't really care what their perception is.

 

 

I just have to shake my head and laugh at young people that underestimate elders, and older people that criticize and scoff at people in my age range. In my experience, and based on the limited research I've done on the topic, my generation is fraught heightened levels of anxiety, depression, insecurity, and other mental frustrations, which are a product of how we have been raised. Things like helicopter parenting, "every kid gets a trophy", PC, etc. have taught us that we can't trust people to be honest, which makes it harder to believe in praise and tune out criticism.

 

I get a lot of sh#t on this board about the most trivial things like taking selfies and that's just kind of goofy, because I'm no different than anyone I know. Every single college aged dude is on tinder, and every dude has pictures of himself, a lot of the time holding a fish, at the gym, in the mirror, shirtless, or a combination of those. Narcissists will be narcissists regardless of what tools they have, but people that have a hard time loving themselves are really greatly benefited by such easy ways to be able to feel good about themselves in ways that aren't dependent on other people. That's hugely important for my generation. I know too many people living through this stuff to think otherwise.

 

 

 

 

Similar but separate really interesting discussion is the ~90's kid~ archetype and the nostalgia that brings. I read in an article somewhere that it's largely because kids that grew up through the 90's lived through a sort of state of flux, where we remember the innocence of playing outside, not being tethered to technology, etc., but then our coming of age years were around the time of 9/11, Y2K, the mass distribution of cell phones, and were the defining generation for things like facebook/twitter, so there's a sense of living in two different realities.

[NUance]

Some random thoughts about factors that have affected the various generations:

 

Baby Boomers: A lot more went to war and were affected by it. (Higher numbers in Korea/Vietnam vs. Gulf #1/Gulf #2). Few played video games. None did online gaming growing up. Not as tech savvy. (Didn't grow up with computers.) Jobs easier to find during teenage years and upon college graduation.

 

GenX: Computers more common than Boomers, but less common than Millenials. Fewer GenX went to war than Boomers. Less online gaming for GenX as compared to Millenials. (Boomers even less). Job market tightened up a bit more.

 

Millenials: Everyone has computers and smart phones--Millenials, GenX and Boomers. Millenials grew up with them, mostly. Crappy job market.

 

 

 

Also, I think 9/11 affected each generation differently since each was at a different age and had differing responsibilities and considerations.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I just recently took a leadership class and we talked about millennials and other generations as well and how you have to mindful of your approach to each generation. You might be able to be upfront and forward with one generation and they'll take that fine, but if you're that way with another generation they may completely shut down. Makes things more complicated as a supervisor, but I try to be mindful of those differences a little more now.

[BigRedBuster]

Different generations/age groups definitely take management differently.

 

One thing that I am finding with the younger generation just coming into the job market is many need to learn or get used to actually using the phone. They text so much anymore that sometimes simple phone conversations can be uncomfortable to some. It's easy to get used to and most catch on pretty quickly. But, texting just doesn't cut it in the work place and that's how most have communicated most of the time growing up.

[Landlord]

I just recently took a leadership class and we talked about millennials and other generations as well and how you have to mindful of your approach to each generation. You might be able to be upfront and forward with one generation and they'll take that fine, but if you're that way with another generation they may completely shut down. Makes things more complicated as a supervisor, but I try to be mindful of those differences a little more now.

 

 

 

This is good thinking, and the millenial generation is all about "authenticity". We can smell it from a mile away when we're being sold something and are swinging the pendulum the opposite direction, possibly to the point of being too upfront and direct about things without a filter.

[BigRedBuster]

 

I just recently took a leadership class and we talked about millennials and other generations as well and how you have to mindful of your approach to each generation. You might be able to be upfront and forward with one generation and they'll take that fine, but if you're that way with another generation they may completely shut down. Makes things more complicated as a supervisor, but I try to be mindful of those differences a little more now.

 

 

 

This is good thinking, and the millenial generation is all about "authenticity". We can smell it from a mile away when we're being sold something and are swinging the pendulum the opposite direction, possibly to the point of being too upfront and direct about things without a filter.

 

Interesting....

 

Don't you think that most generations believe they are fighting against being sold a bill of goods by older generations? Kids in their teens and 20s typically push back against societal norms they don't like. I could even go back to the 1920s as examples of the "younger generation" doing things the older generation didn't like because they wanted to be different than them. Look at the teens in the 60s pushing back and making major societal changes.

 

What I find interesting is that most groups in their teens or 20s will push back and are all for "authenticity"...etc. They will tend to fight against one side they believe is selling them a bill of goods but then they will swallow the other sides bill of goods hook line and sinker.

 

What then happens is as they grow up and experience life, they get more moderate as a group.

[Landlord]

 

 

I just recently took a leadership class and we talked about millennials and other generations as well and how you have to mindful of your approach to each generation. You might be able to be upfront and forward with one generation and they'll take that fine, but if you're that way with another generation they may completely shut down. Makes things more complicated as a supervisor, but I try to be mindful of those differences a little more now.

 

 

 

This is good thinking, and the millenial generation is all about "authenticity". We can smell it from a mile away when we're being sold something and are swinging the pendulum the opposite direction, possibly to the point of being too upfront and direct about things without a filter.

 

Interesting....

 

Don't you think that most generations believe they are fighting against being sold a bill of goods by older generations? Kids in their teens and 20s typically push back against societal norms they don't like. I could even go back to the 1920s as examples of the "younger generation" doing things the older generation didn't like because they wanted to be different than them. Look at the teens in the 60s pushing back and making major societal changes.

 

What I find interesting is that most groups in their teens or 20s will push back and are all for "authenticity"...etc. They will tend to fight against one side they believe is selling them a bill of goods but then they will swallow the other sides bill of goods hook line and sinker.

 

What then happens is as they grow up and experience life, they get more moderate as a group.

 

 

 

 

 

I think that both things are true. That generations, in general, swing the pendulum back further the other direction than the generation before them, and also that this particular generation is uniquely tired of fake bullsh#t. We've grown up with the rapid rise of cable and the internet, with everything being a product.

 

 

Of course we'll turn and get hooked by other products, but if you look at business trends over the last few years, you'll see that the businesses being championed and gaining a lot of traction are a lot different than businesses of old. They're either entirely decentralized, like Air B&B or Uber, which gives a feeling of the business not being some mysterious unknown suits in a board room, or they're non-profits that are very clear about how your money gets used towards good, like TOMS (buy a pair of shoes, someone in need gets a pair too), or they market more of a lifestyle than a specific product, which is palatable to young people.

 

 

Not saying we're savvy as hell or anything like that. Just tired of being lied to.

[BigRedBuster]

 

 

 

I just recently took a leadership class and we talked about millennials and other generations as well and how you have to mindful of your approach to each generation. You might be able to be upfront and forward with one generation and they'll take that fine, but if you're that way with another generation they may completely shut down. Makes things more complicated as a supervisor, but I try to be mindful of those differences a little more now.

 

 

 

This is good thinking, and the millenial generation is all about "authenticity". We can smell it from a mile away when we're being sold something and are swinging the pendulum the opposite direction, possibly to the point of being too upfront and direct about things without a filter.

 

Interesting....

 

Don't you think that most generations believe they are fighting against being sold a bill of goods by older generations? Kids in their teens and 20s typically push back against societal norms they don't like. I could even go back to the 1920s as examples of the "younger generation" doing things the older generation didn't like because they wanted to be different than them. Look at the teens in the 60s pushing back and making major societal changes.

 

What I find interesting is that most groups in their teens or 20s will push back and are all for "authenticity"...etc. They will tend to fight against one side they believe is selling them a bill of goods but then they will swallow the other sides bill of goods hook line and sinker.

 

What then happens is as they grow up and experience life, they get more moderate as a group.

 

 

 

 

 

I think that both things are true. That generations, in general, swing the pendulum back further the other direction than the generation before them, and also that this particular generation is uniquely tired of fake bullsh#t. We've grown up with the rapid rise of cable and the internet, with everything being a product.

 

 

Of course we'll turn and get hooked by other products, but if you look at business trends over the last few years, you'll see that the businesses being championed and gaining a lot of traction are a lot different than businesses of old. They're either entirely decentralized, like Air B&B or Uber, which gives a feeling of the business not being some mysterious unknown suits in a board room, or they're non-profits that are very clear about how your money gets used towards good, like TOMS (buy a pair of shoes, someone in need gets a pair too), or they market more of a lifestyle than a specific product, which is palatable to young people.

 

 

Not saying we're savvy as hell or anything like that. Just tired of being lied to.

 

I think that has more to do with the technology that is available to this generation that hasn't been there before. Everyone is walking around with smart phones and can access anything they want in seconds.

Now, think back to the generation where cars were invented. Amazing new industries started up by young entrepreneurs like gas stations, mechanics shops, body shops, car dealers...etc.

 

Think back to when the phone was invented. Young entrepreneurs started local phone companies, phone books...etc.

 

Think back to when TVs were invented and people started TV networks, TV show production studios, news stations...etc.

 

Every generation has new technology that they run with and become successful. Today's young generation is going to be amazing to watch and see what happens with the technology they have available.

[NUinID]

OK...I find this stuff really interesting. Maybe I should have taken more sociology in college.

 

LINK

 

I love looking at the difference between generations. Honestly, I think there is both good and bad in all generations. I actually get so frustrated when young people complain about old people and vice versa.

 

Something I always laugh about in this is that I think my generation (48 years old) is the only group that doesn't ever have a label.

 

So, for the "Millenials" in the group, how do you feel about this?

 

This I agree with, I am 49 years old and don't really seem to fit into a category. I somewhat fit with the baby boomer generation, I wasn't born between 44-64, but my father was a WW2 veteran. I don't really fit in genx my parents weren't baby boomers but, i am in that age group, but on the high end of it.

 

My parents were children of the depression so they always worried about saving money and planning for the future, my 85 year old mother is still this way. She has plenty of money but still worries about saving nickles and dimes and whether she has enough money to pay all her bills every month even though she has plenty of money in the bank. I think I have picked up on this to an extent.

 

Baby Boomers are always portrayed as people that really bucked the system and went against the grain on things in their youth. Protesting Vietnam and other social causes and what not. There were many boomers like this yes, but the great majority of them didn't or grew up and became the leaders we have today. My oldest brother fits into this category. He graduated HS in 1969 I don't think he ever protested anything in his life.

 

To me Gen X people are often looked on as slackers which again is not altogether true. But, people of this generation came of age in the 1980's for the most part when media and information was really becoming a driving force in the world. Big was better big hair, big music, big violence, glorify drug use, etc. They don't have a war to define them.

 

Millennials IMO are more worried about being happy than anything else. Which is not a bad thing to an extent. Because the are so tech/media/social network savvy they want to share everything. They don't seem as a whole as driven to get ahead in things unless it is something they really feel passionate about. My daughter doesn't get up and immediately help around the house unless specifically asked to do so, this really bothers my wife a lot. I have seen this with lots of people in that 20-30 range.

 

Just my 2 cents