Generation Why?
July 15th, 2009 by Bradley.
The biggest generation since the Baby Boomers, what’s so different about Generation Y and the ones to come? And why should anyone care?
Scrambling to strap itself to the next trend, big business is constantly on the heels of its consumers. Traditional suits, statistics, pie charts and bar graphs are the talk of board meetings attempting to pinpoint and label us as consumers, while new wave gidgets and gadgets fill our pockets.
For most Americans, the thought of someone taking tabs on our everyday habits would seem almost absurd. But believe it or not, creating nice little boxes with labels to go along with it is big business. Broken down generation by generation while being dissected even further, the demographics of a generation have unique characteristics that define who they are. And for marketing gurus alike, it’s getting to be tougher and tougher by the day to define a generation.
So what makes a generation so unique from the one before or after? A number of angles go into pinpointing a generation such as buying habits, technological advancements, birth and death rates, morals, values and beliefs.
Several studies have shown that the generation you are from has more influence on your personality than does your family setting. Cited in her book Generation Me, Associate Professor Jean Twenge of San Diego State University writes of an Arab proverb that states, “Men resemble the times more than they resemble their fathers.”
Jean Twenge has done much work and research involving generations and their differences. In her book, Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled- and More Miserable Than Ever Before, Twenge delves into the aspects of a generation and what makes a generation tick. Twenge also discusses the many pressures that the new generations face, that previous ones never knew existed or haven’t dealt with.
A generation is roughly 30 years and is what defines you and part of your personality. In recent years, Generation Y has been making its presence known with its techy habits and non-traditional lifestyles. It also has encountered quite the repercussions for this outlook with labels such as “slackers” and other generations dismissing it as a fad or laziness. But what makes Generation Y so different and why should anyone care or make note of it?
To put this in perspective, a Generation Y’ers memory begins with the vagueness of televisions blaring the 1986 Challenger disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall. A halfway point is the collapse of the Soviet Union and the first Gulf War with 9/11 as somewhat of an endpoint. Current events that Generation Y will identify with are the Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami.
Black and white was never a conflicting notion, neither was the perception that life in America was standard for those around the world. The radical individualism that America has made itself so popular for has brought us to what we call Generation Y.
Generation Y (1977 – 1990)
The largest generation since the Baby Boomers, Generation Y or the Echo Boomers, have marketing gurus, employers and parents rushing to find exactly what makes this generation so different. They make up over 20 percent of today’s population and will have a huge social and economic impact by changing buying trends and mixing up pre-conceived notions. Having grown up with the Internet and instant gratification, this generation considers themselves the most entitled, skilled and noteworthy.
Also, growing up in one of the best economic times in the last 100 years, Generation Y has seen millions made in minutes and the claim to fame achieved in seconds. Eating out is common, having more than one car is a given and having an opinion about any given thing is just conventional.
Very tech savvy, this generation was milked on the Internet alongside the latest gadgets. Different from the Baby Boomers homogeneous television days, Generation Y is very diverse just like the Internet. They thrive on variety and selection while communication is their main platform.
“My lifestyle is so much different then my dads,” says recent college graduate and graphic designer Luke Swenson. “He grew up in the 60s in Leavenworth, Kansas. The communication was primitive compared to now. There is a lot more avenues of influence — thanks to the Internet.”
Generation Y is also extremely independent in part because of divorce, daycare, single parenting and after school programs such as latchkey, while being racially and ethnically diverse. Feeling empowered by over indulged parents, this generation is quite optimistic about the future.
Quickly moving into the workforce replacing an aging workforce, freshly graduated college students are managing employees old enough to be their parents.
A few other characteristics that define Generation Y in the job market is that they will switch jobs over the course of their career more than any other generation. In fact, they will have an estimated 20 jobs under their belt before they retire. A job is just that, a job that is not set in stone for life. Many of them are well rounded and very skilled desiring experience and the compensation to back it up.
They seek flexibility in their jobs and don’t hold to the traditional office processes. If the work gets done on deadline and is of satisfactory or better, then what does the process matter? Coming to the table with a skilled hand, these Gen Y’ers are also bringing new concepts of how work should be done, frustrating generations before them even more.
“A career is a meaningful path of work over the course of one’s life,” explains Rachel Kahan. A Meeting and Events Coordinator for a Washington Think-Tank, Rachel is also a 23 year-old graduate of Michigan State. “What is important about one’s career is that they should be happy with it. If you don’t like your current job you change jobs, but not careers.”
Another characteristic of Generation Y is to be heard without retribution. If they don’t like something or feel that what is given to them is absurd, they are more prone to say something about it. Being a part of the process and adjusting accordingly, is just as important.
In the shadow of the dot-com bust and corporate scandals such as Enron and Tyco, Gen Y’ers notion of employee/employer loyalty has almost vanished. This generation is set to change the nations work landscape dramatically. Working on anothers ticket is not as appealing considering the track record of big business.
Doing things a bit differently compared to those from previous generations they are equipped with a different thought process as to how the world works. Perhaps this generation is of a different breed beating its own path.
.A New View.
Research shows that many in their mid-20′s and younger, are very civic minded and socially conscious individuals, consumers and employees. Volunteerism has risen in the past decade and many Generation Y’ers are questioning what has been given to them.
At a time in history, when becoming apart of the middle class is tougher than ever with inflation and outsourcing of jobs, the Generation Y is under much pressure just to reach status quo. The gap between the rich and the poor is at the highest ever and shows no sign of slowing.
Once a family could achieve middle-class status with one high school educated individual. Now it takes two college educated individuals to reach the same status. The pressures to achieve greatness have never been greater while the means to do so have declined.
After the end of World War II, the G.I. bill allowed many servicemen to pursue a higher education creating an influx in colleges across the nation. This also created an ideal situation to achieve the “American Dream” with a single college degree. Since then times have changed.
Attending a four-year university and obtaining a degree is now standard procedure in terms of, everyone has one. The job market is full of four-year bachelor degrees. Attending college is now just the next logical step and not attending a university is almost a parallel to not attending high school after middle school.
Recently my friend’s father met the edge with this Generation Y. The edge being his tolerance for his son’s lifestyle and generation. The last of the children out of the nest, my friend is a recent graduate with a degree in graphic design. One evening my friend’s father approached him and began to ask if he had found a job yet. At the time this was two-weeks after graduation. My friend replied that he was still looking for a job.
My friend leads what most would call an alternative lifestyle, skateboarding, art, creativity and the desire to create change. Although his lifestyle and perspective is not considered alternative to him. Alternative to the mainstream living perhaps, but to him, it’s nothing but reality.
His father exclaimed that his “generation is going to ruin the nation and what will we do about it? Paint pictures and ride skateboards?” My friend’s response was, “What about your generation and the status of our current economy?” Although that statement just inflamed the situation.
His father stressed that it is time to “start putting food on the table” and settling down. My friend is a single, white male with a college degree and is far from settling down and having the responsibility of a family.
Of course this went back and forth and perhaps in many circles, but my friend was more so saddened by his father’s disappointment more than anything. He was saddened by the fact that his father’s faith and trust in him as an individual was at stake.
Finding a job in the field of graphic design is quite tough. Most of the jobs in the Wichita, KS area are of the traditional such as airplane manufacturing, shipping/distribution, retail and restaurant jobs.
Despite all of these brashing characteristics and expectations of a generation, this generation will see the tides turn when an already flooded job market and rising cost economy continues to grow.
.Dreams Are a Must But Perhaps This View is a Bust.
A generation eager to get their feet wet, most are very much so go-getters with the desire to achieve more than the status quo. Equipped with the technological knowledge, a four-year degree and a cunning perspective most will barely achieve middle class status. A number swamped by personal debt already, the pressures to achieve greatness and establish oneself have become increasingly difficult.
The gap between the rich and the poor is at its greatest and the political landscape of the nation and the world are in a transition period right now. Traditional politics are no longer an option, calling for united fronts by many nations to achieve what is best for the world’s people, not just vested interests. No longer separated by language, technology and communications, the world’s political landscape must re-calibrate itself before it implodes. Even though this is an at large problem, it still has a huge effect on the national level.
“The world is in need of change, especially our country,” says Rachel Kahan. “We need an attitude change in order to continue to work with our allies to promote the general interest. Right now the U.S. has the wrong approach to shaping global policies.”
Besides politics, other fronts of this generation are slowly coming to a realization, such as personal relationships. In a now instantaneous and free-flowing society, many Generation Y’ers are abandoning solid committed relationships to enter open, uncommitted relationships. Focusing more on their careers than personal relationships, this is perhaps out of necessity to gain a solid foot in the workforce, trial and error to avoid their parents mistakes or acting out on simple promiscuity.
A solid idea in the beginning, many are finding themselves left out or empty emotionally in the long run. “In terms of relationships,” explains Rachel Kahan, “I am less optimistic, but I see this as a good thing. I do not expect to live happily ever after. If I want to have a long, meaningful relationship it will take work, lots of it.”
Enveloped in a radically individualistic society, this generation has found itself with its back to the wall with an instilled outlook that has produced a very diverse generation. At an early age the idea was planted “that you are you” and “you can be anything you want.” The idea of being independent was stressed, disregarding the need for relationships that are particular to an individuals happiness.
Graduate student Cat Babbie of Harrisonburg, Virginia approaches things a bit differently. “I try to stay positive and stick to my way of dealing with people, which is loving them for loving sake. There aren’t enough people, in my opinion, who will simply let others be themselves and love them for it.”
Regardless of the angles to this new generation, the world will continue as usual with daily meetings, briefings and statistics aiming to gain a perspective of this new group of kids, and ones to come. So called “important decisions” will be made on how we, the commonwealth, should lead our own lives, while the elite toil in interests here and abroad. All one can do is sit-back and play the cool hand while hoping for the best. The world is set to change and one would only hope for the best. And that is exactly what this generation is doing, playing their hand and hoping for the best.
