Understanding Millennials

Millennials: Definition and Demographics

• Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Net Generation, are the demographic cohort following Generation X
• No exact dates for the cohort, but demographers and researchers typically use late 1970s to early 1980s as starting birth years and mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years
• According to the Center for Generational Kinetics, birth years for each generation are:
  • Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: Born 1996 and later
  • Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1977 to 1995
  • Generation X: Born 1965 to 1976
  • Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964
  • Traditionalists or Silent Generation: Born 1945 and before

Millennials' Characteristics

• Generally children of baby boomers and older Gen Xers
• Characterized by increased use and familiarity with communications, media, and digital technologies
• Trust in Google or Wikipedia, which provide them with various worldviews
• Seven basic traits ascribed to Millennials: special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented, conventional, pressured, and achieving
• Questioned for being 'team-oriented' due to a sense of entitlement and narcissism
• Considered part of 'Generation Me' instead of 'Generation We'

Ethical Outlook and Cultural Identity

• More open-minded on controversial topics than their parents
• 84% favor legalizing the use of marijuana
• Detached from institutions and networked with friends
• Approach to social change described as 'pragmatic idealism' with a deep desire to make the world a better place
• Labeled as the 'Boomerang Generation' or 'Peter Pan generation' due to delaying rites of passage into adulthood
• Very upbeat and more open to change than older generations
• More likely to self-identify as liberals and support progressive domestic social agenda
• Most millennials of every religion, race, and ethnicity support access to affordable contraception
• 56% believe that, in some situations, choosing to have an abortion is the most responsible decision a woman can make

Learn about the definition, demographics, and birth years of Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Net Generation. Discover how they compare to other generations, such as Gen Z and Gen X.