They are better educated, more affluent, tech-savvy, and ethnically diverse than any of their predecessors. They also face economic and emotional challenges that are far more serious than those experienced by previous generational cohort groups. “Generation Y” or the “Millennial Generation” is an interesting and yet also perplexing mix of promise and pessimism that the world is only beginning to fully understand.

Born between 1980 and 2003, the members of Generation Y are second in size to only the Baby Boomers. At 100 million strong, they represent 20% of the current U. S. population (Bland, Melton, Welle, & Brigham, 2012) and have lived through “dramatic social and demographic change” (Browne, 2009). The advantages for this group have been significant. Many were born to parents who were better educated and more affluent and their two-income households and smaller family size allowed their parents to provide them with greater material advantages than those enjoyed by young people of earlier generations (Bland, Melton, Welle, & Brigham, 2012). 

The fact that 40% are non-white appears to make them more accepting of differences such as interracial and same-sex marriage than earlier generations (Crowley & Florin, 2011) and their use of and comfort with advanced technology allows them far greater access to information and new ideas.

Unfortunately, however, despite their youthful promise, Generation Y has also witnessed a number of horrendous world and national events. From increases in natural disasters, numerous school, workplace, and shopping mall shootings, and the tragedy of September 11, 2001 which has been described as being to Generation Y what the JFK assassination was to Baby Boomers (Browne, 2009) these unspeakable acts have almost certainly caused spiritual and emotional damage. The full extent of the injury is probably not yet known.

Generation Y has also fallen victim to the Great Recession in a number of ways. Because of crushing debt and an unstable economy, many Baby Boomers are delaying retirement. This results in fewer jobs for young people and may be directly responsible for the high unemployment rates among 18 to 24 year olds (Girod & Shapiro, 2012). When combined with overwhelming student loan and credit card debt, Generation Y faces an extremely pessimistic financial outlook.

Possibly, in an effort to ease the strain of the difficult times into which they were born, parents of the Millennial Generation may have inadvertently magnified the problem. Generation Y children have often been described as “overscheduled and highly monitored.” Their structured lifestyles began with pre-school and afterschool programs and continued with sports teams, music lessons, and other enrichment activities planned in great detail by overzealous “helicopter parents” (Bland, Melton, Welle, & Brigham, 2012). The constant attention paid to them seems to have proven to have been a double-edged sword. 

Generation Y individuals have very high self-esteem and extraordinary confidence in themselves and their abilities. However, according to Jean Twenge, author and psychologist at San Diego State University, in some cases this elevated sense of self-worth crosses over into the territory of narcissism, where Gen-Ys become prone to a number of negative attributes including being “intolerant of criticism and prone to cheating” (Spinney, 2012). 

Additionally, the high level of structure in their early lives appears to have left many Millennials struggling to find firm footing as they reach adulthood. Never having been completely on their own they appear to experience difficulty in setting and completing goals for themselves and are less able to tolerate stress (Bland, Melton, Welle, & Brigham, 2012).

It seems that every generation has viewed their successors with a mixture of hope and dread and it is likely that Generation Y is no different than those young people who have come of age before them. Despite their challenges there do seem to be glimmers of hope. Their use of technology and social networking is leading many Millennials to find creative solutions to the economic crises they face. 

In an apparent throwback to the “Hippy” culture of the 1960s, with its focus on communal sharing, Generation Y has embraced new ideas such as the Zip Car to afford them the convenience of an automobile without the high maintenance costs. Shared housing, food cooperatives, and used book and clothing exchanges are other ways in which Generation Y is learning to cope with the challenges they encounter (Thompson & Weissmann, 2012).

Finally, a Pew Research Center report offers one of the most encouraging portraits of Generation Y to date. The individuals surveyed reported having favorable relationships and significant levels of respect for members of the older generations whom they viewed as being “superior to the younger generation in terms of moral values and work ethic.” (Pew Research Center, 2010). The respondents also felt that taking care of aging relatives was a major responsibility of the individual’s family members. (Pew Research Center, 2010).

As with previous generations, it is highly likely that Generation Y will be able to adapt to the changing demands of an increasingly complex and daunting world. It is important to remember that the youngest members of this generation are only now approaching adolescence. If members of the preceding generations can follow the example of Gen Y’s openness to change and tolerance for difference it just might be possible to overcome many of the perilous situations that are threatening our world.

References

Bland, H. W., Melton, B. F., Welle, P., & Brigham, L. (2012, June). Stress Tolerance: New Challenges for Millennial College Students. College Student Journal, 46(2).

Browne, D. (2009, July 22). Harry Potter is Their Peter Pan. New York Times.

Crowley, M., & Florin, H. (2011, November 14). The New Generation Gap. Time, 178(19), pp. 36-40.

Girod, G., & Shapiro, E. (2012, July 23). Generation Screwed. Newsweek, 160(4/5), pp. 40-41.

Pew Research Center. (2010). The Millennials: Confident, Connected, Open to Change. Washington, D. C.: Pew Research Center Publications. Retrieved December 1, 2012, from http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1501/millennials-new-survey-generational-personality-upbeat-open-new-ideas-technology-bound

Spinney, L. (2012, April 28). All About Me. New Scientist, 214(2862), pp. 44-47.

Thompson, D., & Weissmann, J. (2012, September). The Cheapest Generation. Atlantic Monthly, 310(2), pp. 48-51.