Millennials or Generation Y — people
born between 1981 to 1997 — are the best educated and most diverse generation
to date.
“The millennials are a
transition between a white America into one that’s a much more globalized,
diverse America and so I think that’s going to be a signature part of the
generation coming forward,” said William Frey, a senior fellow at the Brookings
Institution.
The iGeneration, also
known as Generation Z, are people who were born between the mid-1990s and the
early 2000s , the eldest of whom are about 20 years old. It’s the first generation
to be born, almost literally, with a smartphone in hand.
These young people want
“information on demand” and tend to trust the opinions of friends or strangers,
who share their views on social media platforms, over authority figures and
organizations. The iGens also turn to social media to learn about a product
before buying it.
Members of Generation Z
have a strong entrepreneurial streak and are anxious to map out their own
futures. Forty-two percent envision working for themselves rather than for
someone else. This group is also progressive on social issues,
voicing strong support for universal healthcare, relaxed immigration laws
and equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation.
And, despite growing up
with social media, Generation Z still places a high value on interpersonal
interaction, with 66 percent disagreeing with the notion that they’d rather
interact with their friends online than in person.
But the place where
Generation Z might leave their most lasting mark, is in how they deal with
people of different backgrounds and races, and even in how they define
themselves.
“The racial categories
we’ve been using all along may change as there’s more interracial marriage and interracial
dating,” said Frey. “We really don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of
change.”
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| Graphic from “Meet Generation Z” Northeastern University |
