Bob's Blog

In the year 2000, the largest American generation of high school students graduated. In the next twenty years over 70 million of them will enter into colleges, tech schools, the work force, or other areas in our society. Some have dubbed this group the New Greatest Generation because of their potential to reach similar heights of their grandparents WWII generation. There are other names associated with this generation such as Millennials, Gen Y, Net Gen, YouTube Gen, and other descriptive names that connect with their culture. Whatever you call them, this group born from 1982-2004 will be the largest generation in American history, some estimating that they will reach to 150 million. So who are they? What are some key characteristics about this age group? Here are a few insights about them.

Optimistic. They are high achievers. They believe they will “right the ship” of mistakes by previous generations (Leadership Journal, S/04).

Community. They have been taught since pre-school to work as a team, and now they want to take that beyond school into post-college years (Millennials Rising by Howe & Strauss).

Globe Trekkers. They see life as a “mosaic” and enjoy diversity of culture and thought, mainly because they see the world as connected.

Technovores. Technology is not only a devise to use but also a way of life. They cannot imagine not having something plugged in or wired up so they can communicate with someone, do projects, or just relax.

Relationships. They crave relationships. Parents rate high on their relational chart. The problem is that many do not know how to develop deep friendships. Some of that can be attributed to their “go-go” life style as children.

Consumers. Much like their parents, this age group are consumers. They have no reason to believe that they will not be able to live the life style that their parents provided.

Doers. They are not likely to go and protest in the streets like their parents did, but instead they form community service groups that clean the waterways of canals or help at the local shelter (U.S. News Report; April 23, 2001; Future Automations of America, Unite!).

Spiritual. According to a study by UCLA, this generation is immensely open to spiritual conversation. They are seeking a straightforward dialogue about the mysteries of life and are choosing to go where these conversations are taking place.

(For the complete transcript of this article, you can contact Bob Hetzler at calibobble@yahoo.com)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 4, 2007 at 5:49 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.